A Vision of the Human Future in Space - Pale Blue Dot

This profound Carl Sagan book does not include the wonderful color illustrations as the earlier version contains. Consequently, it is like a National Graphic Magazine without the pictures.

I love the words of Dr. Sagan, but words plus the spectacular pictures truly make "music."

Following is the edition you should get. I threw away the "Pale Blue Dot" paperback I received yesterday and today ordered a used hardback:

Product Details
Hardcover: 429 pages
Publisher: Random House; 1 edition (November 8, 1994)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0679438416
ISBN-13: 978-0679438410
Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.3 x 1.3 inches
Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds

I hope this is helpful to you.

Bob Cargill
Minneapolis, MN 55347Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space

I am an avid reader and I was fascinated by Carl Sagan’s books and his TV series. I have a 1995 special edition unknown binding with full color photos and illustrations. I love this book and use it as a reference. I am very careful with the book as it is one of my favorites and I treasure owning it.

It is a wonderful book about mankind’s future in space travel and the wonders of the universe. I have a large collection of books and my grandsons often come over and borrow them. Some I have duplicate copies of and I freely share them with my family. This is one of those books that will be passed along to my grandsons and great grandsons.

Sagan had an open and inquisitive mind and he always wanted to imagine and study and learn. This is the type of book that inspired future scientist and generations to come to excel and explore our universe. It is worth passing onto the next generation. This book is one of my favorites.

What I like about the book is that the information contained in the book increases your imagination and it makes you think!

I am sure the book will be inspiring, I have not finished reading it, but the Kindle version does not contain the images......DISAPPOINTED!! Why spend a premium on an ebook that does not contain the images. You would think the Kindle tablet would be a perfect medium to show case the images. In the first chapter Sagan goes into a beautiful prose describing the image from Voyager II looking back at Earth and there is no accompanying image...BOOOOOO!

If you have ever looked up in wonder @ the night sky, then there is a good chance that Carl Sagan was the impetus of this wonder (either directly or indirectly). Sagan was a pioneer in the sense that he believed that the fruits of science should be accessible to all of mankind because science itself BELONGED to all mankind. Scientists who published their work before him (Copernicus / posthumously, Galileo, Darwin) were frequently persecuted by religious zealots who liked their neat & tidy universe where God was in complete control. Even today, zealots wish to teach Creationism in public schools, teach schoolchildren that Moses was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States (no joke ~ it's the case in TX) and eschew anything that doesn't fall neatly into their paradigm.

Such is the impetus of the present book: a sobering reminder that there is nothing innately "special" about the human race. If a catastrophe wiped out the species known as Homo Sapien tomorrow, then the universe would go on as it has for the last 13.7 billion yrs ~ and it would do so as though we were never here. This is the truth of the matter, and it is also why the present book is so important. Of course, due to this very fact, I'm sure it is on more than 1 list of "banned books" that the Creationists are in charge of.

Sagan's insight into how anthropocentric we are as a species is trenchant. Of course, one puzzling omission in his analysis is that even astronomers(!) have a tendency to be anthropocentric. Astronomers use the Astronomical Unit (AU) to measure the distance of planets from the sun and (nowadays) exoplanets from their parent star. Each AU is 92 million, 955 thousand, 800 miles. You have probably guessed where this number comes from: it's the mean distance between the Earth & the sun (after all, the Earth is not always the same distance from the sun due to its elliptical orbit).

Now, if an astronomer were to debate me on this, he or she would say "Dude, you're missing the point. The AU is not about us. Rather, it's just a point-of-reference as we know for a fact that a rocky planet that is around 1AU from a star that is comparable to our sun might be able to support life ~ even if it's nothing more than microbial or plant life. And, beyond that, it just makes for an easy measurement, life or no life." Yes, I get that. Still, it does seem a wee bit anthropocentric to me!

To be sure, in some respects this book is dated as some of the questions that Sagan has asked have now been answered. Towards the end of the book he queries: "Do all solar systems have Earths, Jupiters & Neptunes?" The answer is an emphatic "NO!" This is but one more answer which meshes with the Copernican principle. With the growing field of exoplanet research, we now know that solar systems are like Baskin & Robbins: they come in all flavors! The make-up of our solar system is random, just that the architecture of other solar systems are random as well. In fact, one of the most common patterns we have found amongst exoplanets are "hot Jupiters." That is to say, planets the size of Jupiter (or much larger) which have orbits similar to Mercury. Interesting.

The CASSINI / Van Huygens mission alluded to in the book has successfully set down on Titan & found it to be comprised of methane oceans. We also know a great deal more about Mars than we did when this book was published, thanks to the PATHFINDER & Curiosity missions (among others). Still, all of this is not a "knock" on this book. It is WELL worth reading.

Circling back to what I said @ the beginning, the late Carl Sagan was a master of piquing people's interest in science. I have given his book COSMOS to people who had marginal interest in science. They loved it! Other scientists such as Stephen Weinberg, Alan Guth, Stephen Hawking, Stephen J. Gould, Richard Dawkins and Harold Morowitz have followed in his wake of attempting to "transpose" the esoteric world of science into a language that the rest of we mere mortals can relate to. The present book takes on one of the grandest topics of all: the future of both manned & unmanned space exploration. It is where science, technology, philosophy and our very long-term survival all merge together. It is a topic for people who are humble enough to understand that the universe was not created for us. It is a subject for humanists who are not allergic to the truth. Is that you?

Presented with the title, one might be inclined to assume that this is either a non-fiction book about spaceships or a science-fiction novel along the lines of Contact (an impression strongly reinforced by the prominent mention of that book on the cover of this one).

Pale Blue Dot is more accurately described as a prolonged contemplative essay on the political, social, cultural, psychological, and religious implications of the history of astronomy and space exploration. Although he does spend some time ruminating about how and when our species might begin to spread to through the planets, moons, and asteroids of our own solar system, Dr. Sagan spends much more asking variations on the question, “why haven’t we already done it?” It’s a fair line of inquiry; we’ve had the capability for decades, and could have had it sooner, if the level of public interest and governmental support had existed. Instead, we’ve seen a strange reversal in our ambitions in this area. We’ve gone from a robust space program to a feeble, barely-sustained afterthought.

A major recurring theme of Pale Blue Dot is that we are not special. We occupy no privileged position in the universe. The heavens do not revolve around us, literally or figuratively. Overcoming this conceit is an important stage in our growth and evolution—“deprovincialization,” he calls it. Believing that the human race is unique and superior, destined to rule all Creation, is as silly as members of a tiny jungle tribe believing that they are the only people in existence, and that the gods of nature constructed the world only for them—a forgivable (and perhaps inevitable) misconception, but a misconception nonetheless.

Among the topics Dr. Sagan touches upon in this wide-ranging dissertation are the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, the way studying other planets has helped us understand our own geology and meteorology, the complex relationship between science and the military, the way international tensions in general and the Cold War arms race in particular subsidized what would eventually become the Gemini and Apollo programs, and the indisputable fact that colonizing space will ultimately be the only alternative to the extinction of our species, since sooner or later we’re either going to get pulverized by a giant rock careening into our world from outer space at a hundred thousand miles per hour, or the sun is going to burn up our home planet when it turns into a red giant in four or five billion years.

Dr. Sagan spends a lot of time in “the realm of plausible conjecture,” as he describes it in Chapter 22, “Tiptoeing Through the Milky Way,” but also a not-inconsiderable number of pages admittedly indulging in “the heady intoxication of nearly unconstrained speculation.” It is impossible to miss his enthusiasm for the subject of the exploration of space by human beings, even when he carefully crafts his exhortations and admonitions with the dry, restrained language of science and technology.

The best part about this book, in my opinion, is simply that Dr. Sagan, who worked as an advisor to NASA from its very inception in the 1950s onwards and was closely associated with the Mariner, Pioneer, Voyager, and Viking missions, really knows what he’s talking about. It’s difficult not to pick up on his excitement.

My only two complaints are that the title is slightly misleading and that Dr. Sagan essentially makes the same three or four points over and over again (eloquently and powerfully, but still). For those of us who are already convinced, that might wear a little thin after a while. Even so, this is a thought-provoking, interesting, engaging, and scholarly piece of work. If you have ever found yourself lying in the grass on a clear night, looking up at the stars and thinking about who we are, you will enjoy Pale Blue Dot.

WHAT????? NO PICTURES????? What kind of idiot editor puts NO pictures in this book when Sagan tells us to look at the pictures.?????

Of course this is a fantastic classic book, but this NO PICTURES edition should NEVER have been made or sold. Incredible dumbness

It's been decades since I read it... after Cosmos, it was a little disappointing (but I may just have been new to reading science) - but that one line from the book - the "Pale Blue Dot" narrated by Sagan himself on Youtube... it carries the day - it is worth reading the whole book for that single page of prose.

"“Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there-on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.

The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of this pixel on the scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner, how frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatreds. "

1995 Edition w/photos. Brilliantly written way to look at our existence and how far we could be going if we would just focus on the truly important things.

I've never read any book by any other author who had my mind so open and so absorbent to every word that passed my eyes. Carl Sagan was an astronomer, philosopher, humanitarian, and yet a humble, caring being. I read every single one of his books. Each open my eyes wider and expanded my mind farther.

Was disappointed that this wasn't a hardcover as it was mentioned in the title. Looking closely now, I see they mentioned it was a paperback in the description, but I would say this was titled poorly.

In 1991 Carl Sagan convinced NASA to utilize the Voyager spacecraft in taking one last look at the planets before exiting the solar system. From a distance of 3.7 billion miles our mighty planet is scarcely more than a tiny blue pixel. This amazing photograph and Mr. Sagan's accompanying essay are among the most inspirational stories ever shared by our species, and serve perfectly to summarize our place in the universe. This book builds upon these concepts to illustrate the fragility of the only home humanity has ever known, and explores in dept the possibilities that the human race might one day escape the confines of our planet on a journey to the stars. Everything that has a beginning has an end, and one day our very sun shall die. This book reminds us all that a one-planet species, is ultimately doomed to extinction.

Nearly two decades ago, a man strode out of the blackness of a star-lit background with the phrase "billions and billions..." In COSMOS, Carl Sagan introduced the general public to the infinitude of space, the staggering proportions of the universe, and the implications of mankind's scientific efforts to understand and explain it. Now, in PALE BLUE DOT, Sagan has once again returned us to the journey and the wonder.

Sagan's basic message: "Due to our actions or inactions, and the misuse of our technology, we live at an extraordinary moment, for the Earth at least--the first time that a species has become able to wipe itself out. But this is also, we may note, the first time that a species has become able to journey to the planets and the stars. The two times, brought about by the same technology, coincide--a few centuries in the history of a 4.5 billion-year-old planet...Our leverage on the future is high just now." And, he says, in the process of journeying out to the stars our species will inevitably be transformed. Having left our home in search of the stars, we will encounter many other worlds which may prove more challenging to our efforts to populate. More and more, humanity will look back with reverence at the home world, appreciate and cherish the "pale blue dot" that gave us birth.

This book was one of the last works of Carl Sagan before his untimely death due to cancer.

Ever since I read the Astronomy volume of the 100,000 whys series, I've been enamored of the dark nightly sky and all the literally unearthly objects somewhere up there. If hiking up a mountain makes one feel small and impressed by the sublimity of massive things, then the realization and contemplation of these massive massive balls of fire and metal, of astronomical dimensions and masses, will do no less than sending a thrill down one's spine.

Read more astronomy and be less of a country bumpkin.

He never says it. But it's a sequel, par excellence, to the classic _Cosmos_.
Sequels are usually disappointing. This is one of those rare cases where the sequel is better than the original. I had read this book in hardcover and ended up buying my own paperback copy while in Ithaca (Sagan's hometown) because I had nothing to read and a long ride back home.
I'm a fan of Sagan - can't help it - because even though he's a brilliant scientist, he somehow manages to be a great writer as well. This book is no exception. Sagan's basic idea is that the destiny of humanity is to expand out to the stars. And even though this idea reeks with echoes of Manifest Destiny, I have to agree. In Manifest Destiny, there were Indians - here, no intelligent life that we know of. And if there is something out there, wouldn't we want to know about it?
Like so many great works of popular science, Sagan starts out by tracing the changes in our views of the world, from our conceit that we were the center of the Universe to the backwater position that we're in today. Sagan's idea of generalized chauvinisms comes up - first in place (the obvious), then in time (if there was other intelligent life, it's not around any more), and, if I recall correctly, in chemical basis (life must be made out of carbon). He refutes all these ideas - and why not? Who said that silicon can't conquer the universe?
My personal favorite part of the book is Chapter 5, "Is There Intelligent Life On Earth?" Sagan asks us to "[imagine yourself as] an alien explorer entering the Solar system after a long journey through the blackness of interstellar space". As we examine the Earth at finer and finer resolution, what do we see? I won't tell you - it's a bit unexpected - but the answer will surprise you. Who said scientists can't be humorous?
A large portion of the book surveys the prospects of life elsewhere in the Solar System - Venus, Mars, Io, and Titan (but, surprisingly, not Europa) figure prominently. (Sagan did research on Titan tholins, precursors to organic molecules found on Titan.) It's interesting - maybe a bit out of place in Sagan's overall idea, but who cares?
So why don't we leave Earth? Why are we still stuck on this pale blue dot? The politicians, says Sagan. They don't see far enough into the future - all they care about is their own re-election. And it's even too far for normal humans to see, sometimes. But it's worth it - evolution demands that we adapt.
Near the end, we find this passage:
"It will not be we who reach Alpha Centauri and the other nearby stars. It will be a species very much like us, but with more of our strengths and fewer of our weaknesses, a species returned to circumstances more like those for which it was originally evolved, more confident, farseeing, capable, and prudent - the sorts of beings we would want to represent us in a Universe that, for all we know, is filled with species much older, much more powerful, and very different." (p. 329) Perhaps this illustrates the inspirational quality of Sagan's writing. So why are we still here?

It's hard to believe Pale Blue Dot has been with me for over 8 years, it is also the 8 year during which I was transformed by the intelligence and wisdom of Dr. Sagan, and of course, his other works Cosmos and The Demon Haunted World become my favorites.

Pale Blue Dot reads like the sequel to Cosmos, but with more focus on our Solar System, and it shows a much more wide perspective than Cosmos, with a theme so haunting and thought-provoking that makes me really think something important even without that famous picture captured billions miles away.

Newspapers, TV coverages is often inundated by slogans like "We only have one Earth", "Save the Earth", we are so familiar with that. But unfortunately, most of us do not quite understand what's truly behind that. And Dr. Sagan tells us all, we are here, in that point of pale light, a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. He starts the book with this humbling revelation.

But with its insignificance, it's also the respiratory of all our potential. We touched moon with the rockets not yet designed when the project started, we explored the whole Planet in the system, our spacecraft hit the comet billions miles away, we healed our Ozone Layer, just as Dr. Sagan says, we are still capable of greatness if we do not destroy ourselves first!(in fact, if we can not handle our fallibility, our specie is hopeless)

Pale Blue Dot is the history of human beings in terms of exploration, the very nature of us. Dr. Sagan perhaps gives hitherto the most precise definition of our species in the book, it's about our inclination toward mistakes, and more importantly, about our potential. We became the first specie on Earth which has the ability to wipe itself out, but don't forget, we are also the first to be able to leave Earth, to explore our future in the vast cosmos, to handle space mountains. That is, according to Dr. Sagan, what we should learn from that blue pixel in the sun beam.

Dr. Sagan passed away in 1996, before I started to read this book. When we confront difficulties, when we are in trouble, I always recall the final chapter of Cosmos, Who speaks for Earth. If not us, who will? As Dr. Sagan says in Pale Blue Dot, "there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves". And still I see that we are making big progress, with the hard work of Al Gore, Bill Gates and others. Everytime I think of that, I can feel that we do learn something from Dr. Sagan, and, as Ann Druyan wrote in the epilogue of Billions and Billions, "They allow me to feel.........that Carl lives."

Carl Sagan is one of my biggest inspirations in life. I read Cosmos when I was young and his words truely spoke to me. Having had that, I read this book soon after and found it to be a good conversational piece on the history of human exploration in space.

There is not much actual content in this book. Everything is presented very causally. I think the idea is to spark an interest in the reader, which it certainly has.

One of the things I would have wished for, is a more intellectual book from Carl Sagan which really got down to the hard details of the work he actually did, and not some over-generalization, philosophical talk in text form.

Regardless, this book is a classic! Buy it, but buy the hardcover edition with the photos. Some things literally need a picture to appreciate their true majesty.

It's hard to believe that seven years have passed since this book was published, and there's still disagreement about where it belongs. The conventional wisdom has it that it's the sequel to Cosmos--probably because it's the only the second book (along with the unfairly neglected Comet) Sagan wrote after Cosmos to have much to do with astronomy.
But Pale Blue Dot is only partly about astronomy. In the 15 or so years that separated the two books, Sagan seems to have acquired a much more political perspective on science and exploration, and it finds its way repeatedly into the later book. Time and again, we find ourselves confronted not only with what's out there, but what *should* be out there--and who.
The central motivation behind this book is the observation that manned space exploration has foundered since the end of the Apollo project in the early 1970s, in large part because of the lack of any coherent direction. As Sagan describes throughout the book, robotic exploration can be so successful, with no risk to human life, that we're left wondering what reasons could possibly justify sending people back out into space.
Sagan's proposed justifications might surprise some people who haven't yet read this book. They have little to do with the spirit of exploration (although he surely views that as an ancillary feature), or the need to have on-demand human intelligence at the site of new discoveries.
Rather, he takes a global view of the human species. Provided that we can put our social affairs in proper order, he poses, what are the dangers to humans and civilization? The short-term danger is provided by humans themselves, through their aggressiveness and short-sightedness. Voyager 2's photo of the Earth as a single cerulean pixel, taken from 5 billion kilometers away, is a kind of metaphorical plea for perspective, and the inspiration for the book's title.
Sagan's view of the long-term danger places substantial weight on the asteroid/comet impact risk, the same sort that is understood to have brought about the end of the dinosaurs. It is essential, he asserts, to have humans spread out from Earth--both to perform reconnaissance of possible impactors, and as a way to ensure the continuance of the species, should our home planet be rendered inhospitable (either through external or internal dangers).
Sagan naturally hopes it doesn't come to potential extinction, so the bet is on reconnaissance and defense. And what should we do if an asteroid is discovered to be on a potential collision path? The proposed response, nowadays, is to deflect the asteroid into some other, harmless orbit. But Sagan has a warning for us. He's concerned that this same technology could be used for harm by some madman, by turning it upside-down: deflecting some harmless asteroid into another, cataclysmic orbit.
This concern doesn't ring true for me. Sagan claims that if you can do one, you can do the other, but that's patently false: There are so many more harmless orbits than harmful ones that if your aim is only so-so, deflection is *much* easier than direction. On the other hand, raising the issue for discussion at all is a healthy idea, even if the risk is eventually judged to be minor.
The focus in Pale Blue Dot, then, is not on the science, but the engineering and the politics: How shall we revive the manned space program, what form should it take, how shall we manage it so as not to place too great a strain on human maturity? That's not to say there's no straight science in Pale Blue Dot. Sagan gives an update on the Voyager explorations of the outer solar system, from Saturn to Neptune, as well as the dramatically better picture we have of Venus, due to Magellan. But the emphasis isn't on what we know and how we know it, as it was in Cosmos, but on the behind-the-scenes work on making the science possible. It's notable that Sagan spends quite some time describing the successful efforts of NASA engineers in rescuing the Voyager explorers from mission-endangering faults. It's an inspiring narrative of heroic action--but it's also lobbying.
And perhaps that's the best way to look at it. In this book, Sagan is fighting as hard as he can for the space program, in which he believed, passionately. He is ready to recognize its certain flaws, but he is unabashed in his prejudices. In the end, perhaps not everything he tries works, maybe certain arguments are a reach, but as always, he makes us think, and it's a worthy and valiant addition to the Sagan canon.

Sagan's view of our past, present and future relations with space is accessible and enthusiastic. Always looking for life, Sagan explains the criteria that might indicate life on earth to a prospecting alien and applies the principles to data from other planetary bodies.

Beautiful color-enhanced space photography and scientific paintings illustrate Sagan's journey through the solar system as he visits each world and describes how speculation and expectation changed with new information from various space probes. Each planet remains shrouded in mystery, however, as Sagan explores the questions that remain as well as those that have been answered.

Along with a thorough look at the planets, moons and asteroids of our system, Sagan fits them into their solar environment, explaining the interactions of sun, gravity, temperatures and atmospheres.

Sagan's conversational style and willingness to speculate makes this thorough, cogent discussion of space program accomplishments and failures, the politics and philosophy of space exploration, and where we might go in the future, an informative treat.

Famed astrophysicist Carl Sagan is perhaps as known for his incredible ability to convey the beauty and complexity of the Cosmos as he is for his considerable knowledge. However you came to know the joy of reading Sagan, one thing few dispute is that all of his works belong at or near the top of any list on the subject. Pale Blue Dot continues Sagan's tradition of fine writing in which he discusses the intrigue of human wonder, the development of our understanding of the world and our solar system, and the future and possibilities of space travel.

Put best in Sagan's words, "We're the kind of species that needs a frontier - for fundamental biological reasons. Every time humanity stretches itself and turns a new corner, it receives a jolt of productive vitality that can carry it for centuries." Sagan argues this frontier is clearly space and then proceeds to convey the essence of his incredible appetite for all the mysteries that await us. Because of the success of the Hubble Telescope as well as Voyagers 1 and 2 as of the writing of the book, Sagan is also able to take the reader on a journey of understanding through our solar system with so much depth and perspective it is almost as though Sagan made the journey himself.

One must have an open mind and a deep sense of curiosity to willingly engage in the notion and meaning of space travel, and so the same can be said for this book. If this describes you in any manner, Pale Blue Dot should without any doubt be high on your reading list.

I picked this book up back in 1996 when it was first released in paperback, I got it back then because it was full of pictures of stars and the planets (sadly it seems that all of the recent reprints only have the text and which leaves out half of the story). I spent many hours looking at the photos, but it wasn't until now that I actually got around to reading it, I'm glad I waited, I'm not sure how much I would have appreciated it 15 years ago. The books spends time talking about (1)astronomy, its history,, the planets and the voyager probes, (2) philosophy, religion, climate change and mankind, and (3) the future of space exploration.

The astronomy part was very informative and well done. I'm sure by now its getting a little dated, for example when this book was written we knew way less about extra solar system planets than we do today or Pluto was still a planet. He also talks a bunch about future NASA missions, many of which are taking place now (such as new horizons). Much of the information is still relevant and very interesting, such as how they discovered the conditions on Venus and how different it was from previous expectations, or the various history lessons such as how we got from the geocentric mindset to realizing just how vast the cosmos is.

The religious parts are probably where this book will be the most offensive to a theist, unlike some other atheist authors, he doesn't just go on assaults on people of religion, but from his perspective the huge vastness of space makes it very hard for him to believe that there is a deity which is ultra concerned with an individual species. He has some pretty great parts about how rare life is in our solar system, so far its only been confirmed on one planet, and so we should cherish, accept one another and take care of the planet.

This book is pretty great all around, it makes me appreciate life and what we have here. It provides a bunch of science which was highly interesting and its a book that I plan to read again very soon. As for the edition itself, I think its worthwhile looking around to find the older editions which include the pictures. (As for the non picture edition, I'll probably pick that one up or get an audio book to see how the impact of this is different without the additional story from the images).

As I write this review, scientists around the world are in one more tizzy about whether Pluto is a planet, and exactly what a planet is.

They are missing the boat, or spaceship as it were. Pick up a copy of Carl Sagan's "Pale Blue Dot," and it becomes clearer. Just take the much longer view, courtesy of Sagan's vivid and creative mind.

No matter how many times I read it, the look back at our solar system by the Voyager 1 spacecraft in 1990 stimulates my imagination in a huge way. After passing the orbit of Pluto and visiting Neptune and its spectacular moon Triton,the Voyager 1's camera turned back and took a family portrait of the solar system....caught in a mosaic of 60 pictures, saved on the ship's tape recorder and then slowly, over a period of three months, sent back to big radio telescopes on Earth.

The camera caught not only Earth (the pale blue dot), but also Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.

Pluo and Mars were too small and Mercury was lost in the glare of the Sun.

Just think, a look back at all of us, from a place I dream of being ---out past the orbit of Neptune/Pluto, but will never get to. It boggles the mind to even estimate how long it will take to get any human to that distant vantage point. But here it is ....a wonderful book which covers this, and so many other space marvels. Buy it and keep it close to your bed for months and months of inspiration.

Earl

I am a long time fan of Sagan, but I had never read any of his books. I happened to find this one at a second hand book shop and snapped it up right away. Upon first sitting down with it, I feel like I must have expected something different. I am not disappointed, however. Though this did not turn out to be what I must have originally expected, it was still a very pleasurable read.

The narrative is brimming with information, but at the same time, it isn't overladen with jargon or too much description as to make it too heavy. It flows freely and easily. I admired that immediately. The writing style was unique, as well. Other science books I've read felt stuffier, but this one had a much more personal feel to it. Sagan's enthusiasm for visiting other worlds was easy to relate to. His apprehensions were, also. I liked that he didn't stick to speculation and optimism all the time, opting to give the reader a healthy dose of reality along with the imagination.

There was never any question that Sagan was concerned for our future as a species. This book really drives home his worries about the human race. His worries seemed perhaps a little too heavy at the time of the book's writings when compared to the time frames suggested, but the reality of our planet's health is still looming over us. Maybe not as heavily as he'd thought it might by now, but definitely there. He had plenty of reason to be proud of us as a species, and more than enough reason to worry about us, too. I definitely relate to him in regards to that...

A suburb well rounded take on all the basic major aspects for the human future in space that also manages to stay grounded in reality, except possibly some of the parts on terraforming, but every field needs its visionaries. Also interesting is the reactions of people to Sagan's usual bit on the nature of humanity, some people balk quite violently when faced with their (and that of their fellows) ignorance, arrogance and cosmic insignifigance. I suppose that's only natural, but Sagan also offers an alternative to our stupidities in rational understanding and wonder at the universe, even though Sagan himself acknowledges that he is hardly an unsympathetic and indifferent observer to humanity and is hence sometimes swaed by our prejudices and failings. As for the final word on the design arguement for a cosmic creator, which is brought up in Bale Blue Dot: we are proudcts of this universe, its logical then that as a survival mechanism we would see the universe in a way that made sense to us and stimulated our minds to fruther interact with our enviroment, its how the human species survived in the past, and things are more complex now, but it is still how we survive. In fact Sagan makes that very point somewhere in this and (more so) in his other books.

After having just watched the movie, "Mission to Mars" it is obvious the Sagan's impact on scientific popular culture is growing exponentially. Movies such as Contact, Armageddon, Deep Impact, and even (regrettably) Rocketman, have been shaping public perception of our species future in space. I believe Sagan has been responsible for this recent explosion in the interest of space. Of course I realize the findings of the "supposed" fossilized Mars life has played a huge part in this as well. Sagan is magnificent in his ability to pull the reader in and open his/her mind to the truly important things in life - truth, discovery, and skepticism. This book is a truly a steeping stone in our pursuit towards the ultimate question - where are we going? Space the final frontier.

Read the opening sequence of the book and see our world as a tiny blue pixel from beyond Neptune's orbit. Try, as Sagan admonishes you to do, to imagine the conflicts fougt and wholesale murder that has been committed to control a fraction of that pixel. You are forced by the very grandeur of the Universe to think beyond your own provincialisms and imagine us as one world, one species, with the capability to go on to something great or destroy ourselves in an instant. This is the most frightening part of Sagan's book to some: Whether we make it or not, is up to us; the Universe won't care one way or another.
Sagan then introduces you to the wonders awaiting us when we move off our dot and explore the solar system and surrounding stars. It's a magnificent journey filled with all the wonders that the cosmos has to offer. From the safety of your easy chair, you can journey to Mars, the moons of Jupiter and the outer planets. A truly worhty sequel to Cosmos.

Carl Sagan was an enthusiastic explorer of the universe. His passion for science and for understanding the universe became widely known through his 'Cosmos' television series. In this book he continues describing and exploring the universe- and projecting into its distant future. He does this while attempting also to put the human story in its cosmic place, and in a way diminishing any arrogance we might have. He points out that we live on a minor speck of the universe and the thin layer of earth upon which we live indicates the fragility of our existence. Sagan projects forward to those cosmic events which will eventually put an end to life on earth and considers various ways we might venture out into the universe. He is optimistic about our capacity to begin to inhabit and wander through the universe. However what is clear , and he is quite explicit about this, and this is something which deeply troubles me and limits my own optimism- is his sense that it is not humans as we know them but our ' successors' who will make this exploration. In other words implicit in what Sagan is saying is the idea that mankind is a transitional phase in the whole story of Intelligence and Life both on Earth and the Universe. Sagan is optimistic regarding the distant future and our possible successors. But I must admit that I am stuck with my sense that what I care about most is people- and that 'humanity' is of more value to me than any possible more intelligent 'successor species'.
I in other words am troubled that Sagan does not see the loss of humanity in the future as something which disturbs him.
What will it matter to you and me after all if millions of years from now some kind of 'mind' wanders through the universe without having human feeling and identity?

Pale Blue Dot is certainly one of the most inspirational books of our time. Sagan puts into perspective our conceided and embarrassing behaviors as earthlings. But from this realization of our own ignorance he somehow manages to be eternally optimistic and positive. My greatest fear is that this book will not reach the ones that need enlightment the most: Our young, our ignorant, and our deviant. Can you imagine someone reading Pale Blue Dot, then going out and committing a violent act? Can you imagine someone being racist after reading this book? It would be hard to phantom! Sagan is at his best in this highly interesting and enjoyable journey into the future and ourselves

"If you look at earth from space, see a dot, that is here, that is home, that's us, it underscores the responsibility to deal more kindly and compassionately with one another and to preserve and cherish that pale blue dot, the only home we have ever known." Well said Carl.

As these pages attest, there are a number of fine writers out there providing us non-scientists with insights on nature's mysteries. None, however, quite reached the breadth of view or intensity of feeling imparted by Carl Sagan. His writings explained topics ranging from quantum particles to the extent of the cosmos. Along the way, he addressed evolution, space engineering and countless other facets of science and technology. Even fiction wasn't beyond his grasp.
Pale Blue Dot is a journey in time and space. Beginning with the assertion that we're natural wanderers, being the only species to settle across our world, it continues with a plea to extend further our exploration of space. The early chapters challenge restrictions on our desire to explore and learn. Sagan demonstrates how foolish minds have restrained our quest for knowledge of the cosmos. He then takes us on a tour of the solar system, exhibiting the wonders revealed by the fleet of robot probes. He reminds us of the forces the cosmos can unleash, sometimes right in our neighbourhood. Like many of the rest of us, Sagan was awed by the collision of a comet with the Jovian gas giant. It was a hint of what might lay in store for us if we fail to understand the universe better than we do now. The space probes also returned images of worlds invalidating existing theories of planetary formation. If our own neighbours can present such bizarre structures, what kinds of worlds ride beyond our ken, circling suns we can barely imagine? What Sagan can't portray, he can conjecture. With his firm working scientist's foundation, Sagan's speculations command respectful attention.
This book must be shelved alongside Richard Dawkins THE SELFISH GENE and THE BLIND WATCHMAKER. Together, these three fine works confront the traditional Western view of a universe and the life in it resulting from a Designer. From Dawkins' biological analysis to Sagan's cosmological view, this obstructionist outlook is here rendered groundless. More people must read Pale Blue Dot to gain an idea of who we are and where we stand in the vastness of a nearly limitless universe. Please read this book and convey its ideas to others. There is much to be gained from its imparted wisdom.

Dr. Carl Sagan's book "Pale Blue Dot" is very intriguing and of utmost interest to all people who seek intelligent answers to understanding the Universe and our Solar System. Sagan does interweave valid questions in relation to the existence of a creator or God in the text. He does take it to task and pretty much says that a God or creator is unlikely.

"Look back again at the pale blue dot (picture of earth) of the preceding chapter. Stare at the dot for any length of time and then try to convince yourself that God created the whole Universe for one of the 10 million or so of life that inhabit that speck of dust. Imagine that everything was made for a single shade of that species or gender or ethnic or religious subdivision. If this doesn't strike you as unlikely, pick another dot (another star or planet in the Universe). Imagine it to be inhabited by a different form of intelligent life. They too cherish the notion of a God who has created everything for their benefit. How serious do you take their claim?"

Sagan reduces religious arguments that persist in the notion that we (humans) are special, the earth is special etc... in a logical and systematic manner to highlight how fallacious this way of thinking really is in light of how miniscule we really are in this vast Universe.

In terms of providing a historical background for scientific discovery and the development of scientific theory throughout history, Sagan does a fine job. The photographs in the book are superb. Nicely written book with many passages you will want to read twice to fully appreciate the eloquence of Dr. Sagan's writing.

Some reviewers may discredit the book and say it is outdated. It was written in 1994. 14 years ago, but by no means ancient mumblings and rambling writings of a scientist from your grandfather's time. Being older myself, 1994 only seems like yesterday. A good book and it is packed with information and intelligent thought processes that will make one view the Universe from the perspective of a scientist.

What an eye opener! Not only is this book beautifully written, but it's also great-looking; the photographs and drawings are excellent additions to the master's arguments. Sagan gets very poetic at times, and his prose is nothing short of majestic. In fact, I believe this book should have been awarded the Booker Prize for Poetry (I'm jesting, of course).
Of all Sagan's books, Pale Blue Dot is probably the one that inspired me the most to date. Truly magical. Makes one want to save the world and discover things hitherto undreamt. Bona fide Carl Sagan - we conldn't expect any less from him.

First, as I stated in my title, this book is nowhere near as good as Cosmos. Sagan does not have that flair that makes teh reader feel as if he is reaching out towards the great unknown. We do not get that excited feeling of new worlds and exploration present in Cosmos. Instead, Sagan has tended to analyze the discoveries in greater detail. This book is more scientific and in many cases I felt I was back in high school astronomy.
Sagan does do a good job of revisiting points and making us feel our place in the universe. He also attempts to illustrate the beauty and greatness of different elements of the universe. His forward looking visions can be very interesting to read.
Unfortunately, I kept getting the impression that Sagan has been criticized a great deal for his ideas and this book was his attempt to lash out. Constantly, throughout the book, he listing others claims and attempting to refute them. Now, I can understand if he did this by providing an exact text of these claims we have no information to back this up and I am left feeling that Sagan was immensely bitter to much of the world community during the writing of this book. I was also dissapointed with the fact that he spent the first 80 pages attempting to refute all religion. I am not the most religious person but I feel his claims used his ideas and he did not use any outside sources although I did find many of his claims valid. Sagan does not profess to be an objective observer however, so I cannot complain.
Also, for those who have read more recent books, this book can be seen as outdated. he mentions many theories that have since been refuted including much of Darwin's work. That being said, this book does provide great insight into many areas of science and does paint a great picture of our solar system in particular. I would recommend this book on anyway who want an in-depth continuance of Cosmos. For those who want something completely new, or who want to read a book by an objective observer then this book is not for you.

Dr. Sagan's vision of humanities forward progress into unexplored frontiers, is a fascinating, and wholly inspiring read. As was always true in his life, Dr. Sagan does not shy away from questions without definite answers, and refuses to submit to pessimism. This book is an inspiring read about the next hurdle to human civilization, and how we may already posses the ability to overcome it. Pale Blue Dot is the quintessential reminder, that by embracing the best of our human nature, we may not only set foot in worlds outside our own, but repair the one that we to this very day, still call home.

I purchased this book, after stumbling across a clip of the Cosmos television series online. I had no idea that after reading his books, I would come away so inspired, and so curious.

Carl Sagan is one of the most brilliant thinkers of our generation and this book is an exclamation mark on a fruitful and alas, too short, career. This book is a sequel to the well-known "cosmos" in which, the author contemplates on the future of humankind on earth and in the farthest regions of space. As always, it is a riveting journey guided by the enthusiastic, humorous and eloquent Sagan who manages to leave the reader with a feeling of cautious optimism despite the many reasons humankind has to worry about its future. An excellent read.

"For all our failings, despite our limitations and fallibilities, we humans are capable of greatness." - Carl Sagan

Apart from learning about our world and universe, absorbing the wonders of science, I am deeply touched by the humility and vision that Sagan breathes through this book. It was a wonderful experience to validate myself as an insignificant greatness on this pale blue dot. Thanks Dave for recommending the book.

As a high-school student, I have a unique viewpoint on life, literature, and science. This book was very inspirational to me, and I enjoyed reading it. Sagan got off on some very good points, although he went off on a tangent occasionally. One of the best features was the informative pictures and graphs, which were beautiful and awe-inspiring even when they were non-informative, so the best editions to buy are the hardcover or first-edition soft-cover editions, as later soft-cover editions are missing the pictures. This book was a very refreshing look at space.
One of the first things that caught my eye in this book was the picture that precedes Chapter 1. It shows the Milky Way from the vantage point of an observer outside of it. The most striking aspect of this picture, though, is a small box, enclosing what seems to be blackness, but if the reader looks closer, includes a tiny pinprick of light, just big enough to be noticed. That is our solar system. Earth is many orders of magnitude smaller, even less than a large molecule. Humans are just larger than the protons. That view puts us in perspective. We are a miniscule part of a miniscule part of the Milky Way, which is a miniscule part of the whole universe. That really makes it seem odd that this whole universe was made for us, tiny living specks in this giant universe.
Later in the book, they state the different follies that men have thought to be true, but science has proved wrong. The book looks at: "The Earth is at the center of the universe", "The Sun is at the center, so we are almost at the center", "The Milky Way is the only galaxy", "the Milky Way is the center of the universe", "No other sun has planets", "We have existed since the beginning", "There's something special about our motion", and even biological ones get thrown in: "We are different from the other animals". All of these notions are calmly discussed, and what we know now is stated. We aren't special, but at least we are here.
This book was an invigorating read, and I would recommend it to anyone that likes science or astronomy, or is just interested in reading about our world.

To the original version of this book I would have certainly given five stars; it is a wonderfully inspiring book, by a man who was not only a fine scientist but a great humanitarian, a man who had worked hard to persuade governments of the danger of 'nuclear winter'. Sagan's astute mind, and his compassion, is brought to bear on his vision of our futures in Pale Blue Dot. This is not a utopian vision, Sagan is certainly cognizant of human frailty and our propensity for violence: "If we continue to accumulate only power and not wisdom we will surely destroy ourselves." It is, however, ultimately a hopeful vision, and one based largely upon what we know of our universe, the physics underpinning its behaviour. His thinking is thus more than merely speculative. When, however, I received my own paperback version...I found that all the photographs, images, and graphs - an important part of the book, still referenced in the index - had been removed from the text, hence the four stars, not five. These images in the original book had helped to elucidate what we had achieved already, our discoveries of strange new worlds, as well as what the author and others believed we might achieve in the future. The removal of this material, for reasons which I can only guess, is to be regretted. Would Carl Sagan have supported such editing of his work? What do you think?

A "sequel" to Cosmos, this book shows that the sequel can be better than the original. Sagan teaches us about the universe and about ourselves in an enthralling manner.
Every chapter of this book is my favorite. Without question, the best non-fiction I ever read.
Get ready to question any pre-conceptions you have about God, the origin of Humankind, and your soul. Pale Blue Dot will change your life. For the better.

Carl Sagan has done it once again. This book is filled with eye openning photographs of the heavens, explanations of past missions thorough our solar system, and how science can prove our fears of the unknown irrational. Sagan addresses such thought provoking subjects as religion and science, the existence of life in the universe, and the dooms day asteriod. Pale Blue Dot is a must for anyone interested in the future on mankind

The title of this book refers to Earth- all that our planet is in the big scheme of things is a Pale Blue Dot, as photographed by the Voyager spacecraft, departing our solar system. It's very humbling. Sagan went before his time, and didn't even get to see the landing of Mars Pathfinder in 1997, but that mission was renamed "The Sagan Memorial Mars Station." Whereas Cosmos talked about the past and future of space travel, this book talks about the future. It's written 20 years after "Cosmos" so builds upon what that book says. It used many charts and interesting pictures and graphs. This is better than "Cosmos" in my opinion, and is my favorite book ever.

This was the first Sagan-book I read and I was 14 at that time. I can't say I really understood it then, but it simply CHANGED my life. Now I am 18 and this book is one of the most important things in my life till now. I can't say if it's as good as Cosmos or it's better or worse than it, as it depends on your taste, but I myself think at least it can be fairly linked with Cosmos. A must-read to everyone who are interested in the Space age and its short history. And what I want to note is that if you can afford Hardcover, buy that. Not paperback. Although the text itself is not different, to understand the 'vision' and 'pale blue dot', Hardcover will be far better. For me, I bought Paperback first, but at the end I had to brought both of them!

A great review of our technological history as a species, what we've learn from observing and exploring space, why we should continue to do so, and speculation about the distant and not-so-distant future.

This book acts as a nice follow up to Cosmos although it is not as good as Cosmos by any means. I was tempted to rate this a 4 but I really dont have that many problems with it. It is well written, fairly knowledgable and a fun read. You wont learn quite as much from it as Cosmos(but then again how many books will you?). This book mainly covers the solar system and our understanding of it, where Cosmos covers the... well.... cosmos.

Highly recommended and a great read.

Sagan continues his outstanding work of Cosmos in this book. I've re-read it several times since I first purchased it in hardcover 6 years ago.
His thoughts are always idealistic, sometimes too much so, but Sagan's always been a forward-thinker and futurist. "Can't see the trees for the forest" applies to Sagan very well, although the idealism certainly does not detract from the book whatsoever.
This book should be a must-read for anyone interested in getting the human race off of their collective butts and into space. "The Great Demotions" chapter is so excellent that it should be read by everyone.
Extremely insiprational and thought-provoking in a "think-for-yourself", intelligent way.

I wish I had lived next door to Carl Sagan or better yet maybe he would have let me bed down on this couch so I could have actually talked with him as much as I wanted to. I think he was one of the greatest thinker's of our time. Those that can't accept him are those with closed minds. Blue Dot tells it like it is, like it or not.

Sagan's work is tainted by a needless criticism of religion. He devotes early chapters of this book to debunking a religious worldview that posits man as a unique creature and the earth as a unique God given place.
This angry stance towards religion is unnecessary, misplaced and detracts from his work...afterall, how many Sagan readers need to be convinced that the earth wasn't created in seven days?
Furthermore, the religious straw man that Sagan constructs is restricted just to fundamentalist viewpoints. Sagan doesn't acknowledge the possibility of a spirtual viewpoint that is compatible with science.
Sagan eventually gets onto brilliant descriptions of distant planets and other worldly environments...but without exception his descriptions are of situations that can't harbor life...yet he never states the obvious fact that the paucity of life giving situations, makes human life and earth's environment seem all the more unique and miraculous...a position that undermines Sagan's earlier anti-religious position.

There are two paperback editions of this book at the store. The 1995 edition contains the pictures that were so helpful (and entertaining) in the hardcover edition. The 1997 paperback edition has had the photographs removed. If you like beautiful astronomical photographs, order the 1995 edition.
Otherwise, the book is very enjoyable, and provides a cogent discussion of where Carl Sagan thinks we should aim our space program.

Carl Sagan's finest point is stating that the universe does not require a creator for the universe to be as we see it today...the reason why i am stating this is because many people today believe a designer is necessary without trying to look for the truth themselves

This book really focuses on something I believe is of uttermost importance for human kind: our long-term survival as a species and the essential role of space exploration. Many ideas and facts presented in Pale Blue Dot have already been expressed elsewhere, not least in science-fiction, but here they are collected and presented to us in a formidable way, with the focus on the potentially new era awaiting us where we would finally quit our Earth cocoon and start expanding through the Universe. As a scientist, I believe that this is a realistic view even if it definitely won't happen in our lifetimes. Sagan gives very convicing arguments why it is necessary to take the first steps in this direction: now, without delay!

First, I must say that I am enjoying the book very much. I love reading Professor Sagan's books very much. So this rating applies more to the decision of the publisher than the book itself.

I have never written a review on the store before, and I have been coming here for years. I had to say something about this. After I finish this, I plan on emailing the publisher with the same review.

Wow. A book named Pale Blue Dot, inspired by the famous photograph of the Earth of the same name. It is referenced in the first few chapters heavily and Prof. Sagan asks us to visit and revisit the photo several times as he builds his introduction. I think to myself "Great! Can't wait to see it. Now where is it?" This then led to the disappointing finding that there are no pictures at all in this printing. None, not one, not even just the one of the Pale Blue Dot image itself. How can you publish a book inspired by a photo and not include the picture itself, not even a low res poorly printed picture? All you get is a few instructions to look at it, but you won't be able to look at it in here. Apparently, the hardback and first soft-back printing had photos. I guess I can understand (not like, mind you) why the decision was made to eliminate photos, but to get rid of the Pale Blue Dot photo is mind boggling. Surely this decision couldn't have been made on purpose. Surely, this was just an oversight. If this was a conscious decision, then it speaks volumes about how Ballantine views this work and it makes you wonder if they have any idea why it was written in the first place.

Anyway thanks for listening.

This, by far, was the greatest book I have ever read. It provides such a deep understanding of our could-be future in space, that once you've started reading it, its hard to put it down. The theories contained within it are so radical, yet when he explains it, they seem so attainable. He really convinced me that we need to push on in space not only to, as he says, fulfill our neverending desire for new lands, but also to keep us alive and thriving, as we are now.

Carl Sagan continues to impress readers with Pale Blue Dot. This book captures the readers imagination and fills your mind with the typical Carl Sagan genre of revolutionary thoughts. His true genius is brilliantly displayed in this book!!!

This was the first of Sagan's books I read, and it's wonderful. The image of the Earth as a "pale blue dot" and the "You are Here" painting are haunting and give perspective. You'll never think of your country or your life in the same way... and that's just the first chapter!

As a highschool student I found this book remarkably easy to read and incredibly inciteful. I am now taking advanced math and sciences in the hopes of becoming a engineer to take us to mars. Niel Armstrong was the first man on the moon Pioneer 10 was the first space craft to leave the solar system.
But Carl Sagan is the man who inspired the new generation of scientist and engineer who will take us to the stars.

Carl Sagan instills in us the recognition that in the unimaginable vastness of space and immensity of time, our mother-earth is an infinitesimally small dot - and certainly not 'unique' - in the universe. Yet he inspires us with a feeling " we humans are capable of greatness " and points to human future which lies beyond the earth. Simple jargon-free language.

I first read this book as a aimless 16-year old kid...now I'm an astrophysicist. It was Sagan's message of faith in science's role as mankind's candle in the dark, as well as his wonder for the universe that infected me, and spurred me to the path I'm on now. If you're not a religious fundamentalist and would like to open your mind to mankind's future in space as well as the wonders that await us in the cosmos, buy this book....or buy it for some teenager you know...

This is actually a five-star book, one of Sagan's best, but this review is specifically geared towards the Kindle edition, which at this time includes none of the beautiful, essential photography from the original hardbound book. While the writing is still composed of Sagan's great and wise words, the book is but a shadow of itself without pictures, and the publishers should be ashamed of themselves for omitting them. This is a digital edition folks - it can and should contain multiple forms of media where called for, and there is absolutely no excuse for not reproducing the photography and illustrations from the original work. Until they release an edition with pictures intact, I must give this a one-star review and steer potential buyers to the actual book, not the Kindle edition.

The information is compelling. The style is conversational and easy to read. But there are no pictures in the kindle edition. I understand they existed in a print edition and they would have made this edition so much richer. I'm really disappointed.

Written and communicated in the way that only Carl Sagan could. A great communicator - a great book - it shows the correct prospective that all human beings should have about our exsistance on this planet.

Einstein religious? not at all. I quote from Einstein directly in "The Human Side" Ed. Dukas, Hoffman.
"It was of course a lie what you read about my religious convictions, a lie which is being systematically repeated. I do not believe in a personal god and I have never denied this but have expressed it clearly. If something is in me which can be called religious then it is the unbounded admiration for the structure of the world so far as our science can reveal it"
As for the issue of whether religious types should fear the scientific worldview; of course they should since organised science and organised religion are incompatible as long as religious leaders continue to claim authority on questions which can be experimentally determined (which is proving to be just about everything).

I was really looking forward to an excellent read by a fine and articulate mind about the Cosmos, the growing field of human knowledge about deep space and etc. Instead I find that much of the book is packed with Carl Sagan's strawman arguements against a belief in God. I really DO understand that some idiots in political/religious power in Europe during the >>>Dark Ages<<< attacked brilliant minds of the time. These same politically powerful criminals murdered millions, many of them Christians who were also not under their heel. If I wanted to know more about that, I'd read Fox's Book of Martyrs, not the writings of a present day scientist. I bought this book to enjoy learning more about present and future science as it relates to space exploration.

He's in a fine position to expound the virtues of space exploration, the advances since his series Cosmos and what he believes that the future may hold. I have little time for simple religious bigotry under the guise of cosmology. As a cosmologist, he has GOOD standing in my book shelf within his field of expertise. As an ad hoc televangelist spouting his spritual opinions, he does not.

Although Pale Blue Dot is ostensibly Sagan's magnum opus on "the human future in space" much of it is consumed with the human past on earth. The first five chapters are concerned with the intellectual history of scientism. Sagan provides a full blown apologetic for the scientific method and harshly criticises those who have stood in its way. Those up for criticism are almost exclusively Christian and largely Roman Catholic. Whether the seminary student in Contact, or his constant vigilance against any form of belief in the Imago Dei, Sagan seems unable to escape the influence of religion. If you read Isaac Asimov's The Roving Mind you have read this.

The second unannounced section of the book is concerned with the current state of scientific understanding of the universe. This is mostly limited to a discussion of the planets and moons of our solar system but occasionally deals with other star systems. As this book was published in 1994 much of cutting edge astronomy is long past this point. The pictures are therefore worth at least as much as the text. One criticism is that with so many beautiful pictures of the solar system available why did Sagan include so many paintings of what things might look like? Perhaps he had a secret liking for the Eastern tradition and included them as icons.

The third section of the book deals with the human future in space. Sagan proposes that eventually humans must leave earth or face extinction. We will either destroy our environment or eventually be hit by a large chunk of annihilation. He therefore proposes various Sci-Fi methods by which we might attempt to colonise the other planets, the asteroid zone, and the larger galaxy. For good measure he throws in his SETI project which is the subject of Contact. On so many levels Sagan has replaced god with E.T. and this book is ultimately more politico-religious than scientific.

Buy this book in large edition for the pictures and an entertaining story or buy a real astronomy book and go outside and look at the stars if you can still see them through the smog.

Make no mistake, just as Sagan reveals his opinion that Apollo 11 was about politics, not science, I tell you that Pale Blue Dot is about politics, not science. And just as it is my opinion that his book is political, it is only his opinion that Apollo 11 was political. His remarks in this area have inspired professors and scientists around the country to parrot that Apollo 11 was not about science, but about politics.
His books are all politico-philosophical, as he is a devoted humanitarian.

The first couple chapters are filled with the usual Sagan illogical naturalism. I never understood how he could hold to such a irrational philosphy and yet push critical thinking on everyone (See Demon-haunted world). His best contradiction was proclaiming design and complexity in the universe, yet denying the need for a designer. He seemed to forget logic states "chance" has no power and that the Big Bang logically points to the need for a transcendent creator.