Thoughts on Life and Death at the Brink of the Millennium

Don't believe the editorial review by Gilbert Taylor. Sagan only mentions Pat Robertson in passing. It was actually sort of a footnote about how the televangelist got his fanatical anti-abortion viewers to skew the results of a phone survey.

The phrase "billions and billions" is not really Sagan's "cliche", because he never actually said it. But Sagan's description about how that fallacy got started is actually very amusing, so I can't imagine why someone would call it "flat", but I get the impression this nimrod never actually read the book.

And the topics in this book are not "rudimentary", like the reviewer said. They are typically very intelligent topics, described with enough scientific detail to prove a point, but in an entertaining or interesting way. And some of the topics are very profound, such as life and death on earth, and Sagan's own fight with cancer. This book contains the most elegant and lucid descriptions of ozone depletion and global warming, which everyone should read.

And, the reviewer's criticism about the book being "uneven and eclectic" is stupid. This book is clearly described as a compilation of essays and various other writings, and it was published well after Sagan's death. These writings were obviously not meant to be similar, or build on each other. That's not the point of this book. But it is a very personal and touching collection of writings by a truly brilliant scientist and gifted writer.

+++++

This book by scientist, professor, and author Dr. Carl Sagan is his last of thirty books that was published posthumously. It is a compilation of selected previously published articles (some of them revised) that he wrote for the publication "Parade" (which is one of the most widely circulated publications in the United States).

This book is foremost an expression of Sagan's "thoughts" (a word in the book's subtitle). What he does is express his thoughts on various social, political, religious, and scientific issues.

These selected articles are divided into three parts that make up nineteen chapters. The epilogue makes up the fourth part. Below I shall state the "nuclei" of each chapter or article (as I see it) and give for selected articles a sample thought in quotation marks.

(I) (6 chapters)

(1) The meaning of big numbers and their importance when dealing with complex issues.
(2) Exponentials and their relation to complex issues.
(3) The human hunting instinct, a remnant from our past.
"[I]f we're stranded a few hundred centuries from when we long to be--if...we find ourselves, in an age of environmental pollution, social hierarchy, economic inequality, nuclear weapons...with [ancient] emotions but without [ancient] social safeguards--perhaps we can be excused for [liking rough, contact sports] like...football."
(4) The physics of waves, sound waves & human communication, and light waves & human sight.
"[T]he elegant machinery of the evolutionary process...has brought us into ...superb harmony with our physical environment."
(5) Four cosmic questions. Sagan explains the details behind these questions that are as follows:
(i) Was there ever life on Mars? (ii) Is Titan a laboratory for the origin of life? (iii) Is there intelligent life elsewhere (iv) What is the origin and fate of the universe?
(6) Expresses the idea that because there are so many stars or suns in the universe, then there are probably many planets.

(II) (7 chapters)

(7) Draws a parallel between a shrimp's world in an aquarium and our world.
"With acid rain, ozone depletion, chemical pollution, radioactivity...and a dozen other assaults on the environment, we are pushing and pulling our little world in poorly understood directions. Our...advanced civilization may be changing the delicate ecological balance that has...evolved over the 4-billion-year period of life on Earth."
(8) Environmental concerns.
"Nearly all our [environmental] problems are made by humans and can be solved by humans."
(9) The job of the policymaker.
"[P]olicymakers need--more than ever before--to understand science and technology."
(10) Thinning of the ozone layer.
"It's hard to understand how "conservatives" could oppose safeguarding the environment that all of us--including conservatives and their children--depend on for our very lives. What exactly is it conservatives are conserving?"
(11) Global warming.
(12) Solving the global warming crisis.
(13) An alliance between science and religion to solve the environmental crisis.

(III) (6 articles)

(14) The relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union. Illustrates "the common enemy."
(15) Abortion (co-written with his third wife, Ann Druyan). An excellent article that considers the science involved.
(16) Looks at codes of ethics. Sagan asks, "[C]an we explore the matter scientifically?"
(17) Examines the technological advances in the art of mass murder from the projectiles used at Gettysburg to the nuclear weapons we have today. Co-written with A. Druyan.
"Today [1992], the United States and the Soviet Union have booby-trapped our planet with almost 60,000 nuclear weapons...[that] could destroy the global civilization and possibly even the human species...nuclear weapons remain our greatest danger."
(18) Examines the twentieth century in three categories: (i) Saving, prolonging, and enhancing human life (ii) Totalitarian and military technology and (iii) The revelations of science.
"Only in the twentieth century has technology made killing on...a [large] scale practical...Whether we will acquire the understanding and wisdom necessary to come to grips with the scientific revelations of the twentieth century will be the most profound challenge of the twenty-first."
(19) An account by Sagan of his bone marrow disease. I admired him for looking at "Death in the eye." The postscript of optimism for this chapter he wrote in October 1996 was probably his last published words.

(IV) Epilogue by A. Druyan (Feb. 1997). She gives an account of Sagan's fight with complications due to his disease that he succumbed too in late Dec. 1996.

There are more than fifteen illustrations in this book. I found most of them quite helpful and informative.

A problem I had with this book is that many times it does not seem to flow from chapter to chapter. The reason for this is that the chapters are actually articles that Sagan wrote at various times for the publication "Parade." I feel he should have let the reader know this at the beginning of the book (in order to prepare the reader). Instead he leaves this explanation until the end of the book (in the acknowledgements).

As well, I noticed that chapters 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 16, and 18 have no references. As well, chapters 1, 4, and 17 only have one reference each. Anyone familiar with Sagan's works knows that he always extensively references. The major reason for not properly referencing (I think) is that he was so hampered by his disease that he could not properly complete these (which is understandable).

Despite these oversights due to overwhelming circumstances, this book provides much insight into social, political, religious, and scientific issues. This is all done in Sagan's characteristic easy-to-read style.

Finally, before reading this book, I suggest that a potential reader examine a photograph of the Earth as seen from 3.7 billion miles away. (Such a photo is found in Sagan's 1994 book "Pale Blue Dot.") This will increase the impact of what is said in this book.

In conclusion, this is a fascinating and important book. I realized after reading it why the National Science Foundation awarded posthumously Dr. Carl Edward Sagan (Nov. 1934 to Dec. 1996) their highest honor since "his gifts to [humankind] were infinite."

**** 1/2

(first published 1997; 3 parts or 19 chapters; epilogue; main narrative 230 pages; acknowledgements; references; index)

+++++

I have read this book a couple of times and I think it's value lies in making you want to go out and protect the enviroment, work for peace, increase science education, etc..... I liked it because he was a wonderfully eloquent person and really made you want to understand more about the enviroment. I also enjoyed demon haunted world and would recommend either book.

It's very hard to put into words how brilliant this man truly is. I recommend pretty much everything from him. A great role model. A great teacher. And an amazing human being. It's Really sad to see people giving this book 1 or 2 stars because their feelings got hurt once Sagan's opinions on politics were revealed. Seriously grow up guys. It's monkey behavior like that that preserves the out dated institutions that are currently holding man kind back. I wonder if they even realized there was a section in the book all about them and their primitive evolutionary baggage...

THANK YOU CARL. SERIOUSLY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO MAN KIND. GREAT RESPECT!

No doubt Carl Sagan will go down in history as the greatest science writer ever. Who else can compare? Well, probably nobody. The man was science personified! Though this book wasn't as great as, say, Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors, or Cosmos, it's still in a league all its own-- as is every book by Sagan.
Billions & Billions is more about Sagan's philosophy than anything else. He talks about "the beauty of quantification," the ozone, sports, abortion, and the twentieth century in general.
Overall a great book, and a must have for anyone interested in his works.

This is the first book by Sagan that I've read. Simply said, it's written brilliantly ! I was amazed when I read the chapter on abortion. Sagan leads you to start thinking about issues in a different plane altogether. His systematic, analytical & scientific approach to solving problems would help anyone with a little logical bent of mind. The chapter on '20th century' seemed to cover environmental issues (again !) though Sagan had dealt with those exhaustively in earlier chapters.
All in all, definitely worth reading. Pity that we don't have him around to share his views on what is going on in today's world !

Carl Sagan is one of those authors on the store that has a bit of a cult following. You know, the one's where if you rate anything of his books below four stars, they come out of the woodwork to drag your 'helpful' votes down in the gutter and feel the need to comment on how wrong you are? So, let me say up front that this is only the second book I've read of Sagan, so I am definitely not an expert on his writings, but from what I've read, I get the jist. I must say that a simple comparison of B&B with the only other Sagan/Druyan work I've read (Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors) that this work pales in comparison. SFA was very interesting and intriguing, and although I found it to be lacking in explanatory scope, it is definitely worth having. B&B, on the other hand, is just flat out boring to read ... at least to me.

Essentially what we have here are various journal (?) articles here that are compiled into four parts. Part One seems to be classic Sagan, writing on what he knows best, astronomy. The articles there aren't great, but they're not too bad. He discusses topics such as exponentials and quantification, as they concern astronomical bodies etc., and delves into some topics on Mars and other things. Nothing really here is centered on one topic. It's more of an amalgamation.

The rest of the book (Parts Two and Three) really comprise the heart of the book. Most of the book deals with Sagan's personal ethical beliefs. Part Two delves into environmental issues, while Part Three talks about such things as abortion and nuclear proliferation.

The best part of the book is the final article on Sagan's perception of life as he neared his death and his wife's epilogue of the personal stories of their family during this time.

So, part one is classic Sagan. It's not that great, and there's nothing really holding them together so far as subject matter goes (other than just the broad category of astronomy). The epilogue is the most interesting, but it's the shortest part of the book. I view this book as really dealing with Sagan's personal belief in ethics (which, oddly enough, seem to be objective ethics and not subjective). But, unless you really like reading about environmental issues from twenty years ago, you will find this section very boring. The chapter on abortion is also nothing special either. Frankly, I don't find Sagan to be that great of a thinker outside of his own expertise. For example, he seems to find something wrong with the pro-life position because Hitler was pro-life. Somehow he never seems to mention how Hitler was an environmentalist and animal rights activist. Isn't it odd that Sagan never renounces his stances that favor Hitler's beliefs but is willing to denounce the pro-life movement because Hitler was pro-life? But I digress.

The real Sagan fan might be interested in Sagan's articles on nuclear proliferation and environmentalism. I can't imagine the casual reader of Sagan really getting into this work. But I do see that I'm in the vast minority on my opinion of this book. Bottom line as far as I can tell: Sagan was never really able to actually see the world he lived in, in the sense of putting it all together. Sagan never was able (at least to my knowledge) to come to terms with the moral relativism and postmodernism that resulted from the humanism of the last century. In that sense, he remained sort of an odd duck - a staunch modernist in a postmodern culture. He was somewhat of a dinosaur. Sagan has no ground for objective moral values as an atheist, yet never seems to put his philosophy hat on when thinking about moral issues. Somehow, just because our species has evolved the brainpower to think about environmental issues and nuclear proliferation we are supposed to now think about these in prescriptive terms, rather than just descriptive terms. Sagan, like all other modernists, seemed to want too much imho. He wanted to live like those in the Enlightenment (only with fancier technology), dismiss the silly religious undergirding of culture as many Enlightenment thinkers did, yet still inconsistently hold onto that objective status of moral values. He was also a classic American. His ethics are a form of pragmatism, as far as I can tell from this book (that's assuming that he actually really thought about 'what' ethics and moral values 'are'). He values survival of the human species without being able to tell you why he values anything at all, why YOU should value what he values, or why he doesn't reduce what he values to irrational emotional ejaculations or random chemical impulses in his brain that he likely has no control over. Thus, being a pragmatist, he values what works at achieving this end. So, no nukes, and don't screw up the environment. He critiques various ethical principles by what works. Critiquing the golden rule, he writes, "With so many different rules, how can you tell which to use, which will work?" (186). Of course, only a sheer American pragmatist finds debating moral issues by which ones 'work' as somehow the end all and be all of ethics. But honestly, Sagan can't really live this out consistently, either. When he discusses the thousands of nuclear warheads that exist in the world, and how they could destroy billions of lives, do you really think Sagan just means that these bombs are simply not good because they reduce survival value? No, of course not.

Finally, we have the epilogue, which touches on a very interesting personal story of Sagan as he battled trips in and out of the hospital with his wife and family, seeking bone marrow transplants, hoping that it would help cure him. Here we see the avoidance of living out Sagan's worldview. While he writes that "Much of biology is reducible to chemistry and much of chemistry is reducible to physics" (211), he never seems to carry that logic over into how he loved his family. When Sagan told his family that he loved them as he approached death, does anyone really think he meant "My brain chemistry (often controlled by physical laws ultimately) make these good feelings in me towards you."? Of course not.

So, take this long-winded review for what it is. I am a casual Sagan reader. I found B&B to be rather boring. I'm not personally interested in reading Sagan's twenty year old environmental beliefs nor his stance on nuclear proliferation. And though it was a decent look into his ethical beliefs, it also showed that Sagan could never truly live out his worldview. Of course this is true with all of humanity. All people don't live what they say they believe. It's just that most people don't get to write books and influence millions of other people on the subject. If you find Sagan's opinions on these ethical issues interesting, then maybe this book is for you.

I grew up watching Carl Sagan on television and for some reason, I always felt a great fondness for him. Unlike other scientists, he seemed human, very human. This book proves that this man is far more than just someone who popularized science by presenting it in lay men's terms. In this book, he presents science and logical thinking as a basis for his passions(his passions being the betterment and survival of the human race). Sagan always had the gift of presenting complex ideas in ways that almost anyone can understand and it's no different here. Reading this book, I found myself missing him more than ever. Billions and Billions is a beautiful, enlightening piece of work. Sagan's mixture of intelligence and compassion are unmatched.

I think this book needs to be read mindful of the time frame in which it was written...Sagan was in the ever growing shadows of his looming demise. Despite this, he remains optimistic and compelled, as always, to share his many fascinating insights into the wonders of life in its broadest sense. As a Sagan admirer, I was touched by the unusual introspectiveness of this book which makes it unique amongst his prolific writings. True, this book does not represent the author at his critical and imaginative zenith, but he still presents many wonderful insights into a dazzling array of subjects. This is Carl stepping back and smelling the roses of a remarkably productive and brilliant life. This book is all the more remarkable considering that his awe and optimism reverberate even as he became aware that his time was drawing to a close. A worthwhile read.

A brilliant book, but he is preaching to the converted. I found myself nodding to the words on the page and putting down the book to mentally expand on the ideas and predictions of this great popular writer.The book is sectioned into several clear cut responses to world human problems,and after each one you just have to know his thoughts on the next world dilemma.The end chapters are devoted to his illness and impending death he mentions the afterlife and re-incarnation but just as fanciful wishes,it will be just his luck to come back as a Phsycic ,spoon bending,mind reading alien abductee.

In his last book, Sagan sheds some light on Earthly matters--especially with our global environment's condition. Anyone who gives a hoot or not for our environment should read this book! It may change those that do not care into aware and concerned individuals.

I had purchased this book as a Christmas present for a friend of mine who was a Sagan fan and science teacher. Before giving the present to him, I decided to read the book.
I never gave the present. I could not, in good conscience, wish the book on anyone. The first few chapters are interesting, as is the chapter on abortion and Ann Druyan's epilogue. Everything else was not just disappointing, but much worse: logically fallacious.
I never thought I would say that about Dr. Sagan's work. He taught me so much about science, logic and reasoning through his works. His chapters on global warming had the potential to be interesting, but instead of focusing on telling us the facts (as he did in Cosmos, for example,) instead, Carl gives us a synopsis of it that could easily have been gleaned from skimming any newsmagazine. He then presents us with what he thinks the appropriate government response should be. All of his arguments for government action (i.e., government controls, restrictions on freedom, etc.,) can be destroyed easily simply by examining them critically. As Carl would've wanted us to do. I became almost physically sick as I read the book; this wasn't a case of bad editing, or bad writing. The ideas that Carl was supporting simply were incorrect. Wrong, if you will.
This is a horrible legacy for Carl. If you have never read anything by him before, please do not buy this work--instead, I strongly recommend Cosmos, Broca's Brain, or A Demon-Haunted World (my personal favorite--his TRUE legacy.)

This book blew my mind. I've read it 3 times, each time learning something new.
This is a complete mind-ride of a book covering a plethora of intriguing topics- explained in an intriguing-and easy to grasp- fashion.

I think Brett Williams felt attacked by this book. It is certainly true that it challenges a lot of modern ideas about the world and how we all fit into it. It is jam packed with facts to back up his thoughts. This is not a book I would reccommend for my parents generation- the sixty something's and up- but I wish that GW Bush would take a good hard look at it someday really soon before it's too late.

In terms of life and the contributions and destruction through neglect that humanity has given our world, this book is the most informative I've read. Sagan points out facts about what terrible destruction we are causing to this great Earth, but offers insightful warnings and remedies. A great man, Dr. Sagan's death is a significant loss. The book has had a huge impact on the way I look at life. Highly recommended!

This is one of the most exceptionally moving books I've ever read. It is an affirmation for anyone who looks at the world, the universe, and the life in it with wonder, compassion, curiosity, and joy.
Unlike the shallow representation of the men and women of science in popular fiction, Carl was proof that a great man of science can also be a great man.

Carl Sagan, in words only he could choose, enchants the reader with every page. Dr. Sagan gives a fresh, abstract, and optomistic approach to everything from our universe, to the very faults and triumphs that capsulize our very humanity. If you have ten books in your library, this should be one of them.

Carl Sagan has been one of the greatest scientific thinkers of our epoch. In this great book, he desribes our mistakes and offers solutions to them.We must be always aware of the dangers of our societies and our cultures. This book speaks to us: We may be small, but we have the potential to be great.

Para todos los que habalkn español, le escribo esta critica, este fue el primer libro que lei de Sagan, y me demostro lo facil que explica las cosas de la ciencia, este es un libro exelente, donde Sagn salta con facilidad de un tema a otro, y nos enseña lo grandiosa que es la ciencia.

I'm a big fan of Carl Sagan. I loved the `Cosmos' series, I thought `The Demon Haunted World' was an outstanding treatise on really important subject, and I really dug the movie `Contact'. I have only respect for his views the role and value of science and rational thought in everyone's daily life. So I looked forward to `Billions and Billions', his last work before his sad death a couple of years ago.
Well, while much of the book is true to form, in parts I was a little disappointed. For the first time, and maybe exactly because of his own dreadful circumstances, Sagan allows himself to stray from his stock material, - matters scientific and logical, where he's pretty unarguably right - to matters where, to my mind, he isn't - matters moral and political. So his chapters on the crises facing the world, all of which start out nicely enough, start introducing solutions which have a cloying, left wing, aroma to them.
To my reading of it, Sagan's basic thesis is that we (the proles) can't sort out the world's problems by ourselves, so we need a panel of wise men to legislate them away for us. That's a pile of old rope. Frankly, I have yards more confidence in the judgment (collectively) of the "man on the Clapham omnibus" than of any politicians (and I don't think the latter in any meaningful way represents the former), so I don't buy Sagan's argument at all.
But what bugs me is the unspoken intellectual imperialism of it. "Not only are there Wise Men who must make critical decisions for you", implies Sagan, "but they are people like Me." Well, sorry, but as anyone who has done a Bachelor's degree will know, the only people worse equipped than politicians to make judgments on behalf of the rest of us are people who spend their lives hanging out at places like Cornell University.
As a result Sagan starts sounding less like the completely dispassionate scientist and more like your common or garden sci-fi writer - his conceptions of how useful an idea government is aren't far off the loopy ones Arthur C Clark used to trundle out in his potboilers: you know, where, in five hundred years, finally the human race will Get It Right and we'll all live happily ever after.
Call me cynical, but it don't work like that. Given the history of science, a scientist of Sagan's calibre ought to know that.

This book should be given to every student in the world. It is the ultimate proof that scientific thinking is the best way to overcome the religious nonsense that seems to be taking over, especially among the leaders in the USA.

This is a great book, for learning a little more as to the insight of the brilliant scientist that Carl Sagan was. Billions and Billions will not let you down. Unless you're hoping there will be a positive mention of his search for God, you won't be let down. I am a Christian, but I still wanted to read this book, to get an idea of his ideas, his rationale, and the science behind it. This doesn't tell you everything and by no means is it an autobiography, however it is a good read. If you know what you're looking for/looking at, you won't be let down.

And interesting to those of a similar "inquisitive" state of mind. I had to give it 3 stars because even though the man was a brilliant scientist, he could not find blatant consistency in his search through the cosmo's of God's existence. I would think that a smart man would know better, after so much examination of the minute and astounding parts of our lives, and that which mankind only barely understands. There are fingerprints that have been left all over the universe. Billions and Billions is a interesting read. If you are religious, you can still read this book, and walk away not feeling bad about it. Insight is insight. This book is nothing less than a good read and very "insightful."

I only gave my review two stars because the beginning of the book was thought provoking and interesting. I now understand exponentials more than ever before! But this is where it ends for me. I am 3/4's of the way through and don't think I can stomach the rest. I am a HUGE Sagan fan. I have watched Cosmos since I was a child and have enjoyed his other books. But if I had to sum this one up in two words it would be: political indoctrination. He blames conservatives for everything. His apparent disdain for conservatives and Reagan are glaring and at times offensive. His political bias screams at you. In this one book, in my mind, he has gone from a thoughtful, brilliant scientist to an unabashed political partisan. Yes, he tries to mitigate his bias by seemingly proposing middle ground but in the end his "final solutions" are blatantly liberal and at times even illogical and a bit silly, by proposing the United States take over responsibility for the rest of the "underdeveloped world" in becoming energy efficient! Ridiculous. I file that suggestion right under Obama's Global Poverty Act. Why/how do we have to fix the world? He just says over and over, "we need to do something" but the only ingenuity he can provide is solar energy and in doing so doesn't miss an opportunity to slam President Reagan and coddle President Carter.

I hope to forget ever reading this book. I may, as some have suggested on this page, chalk it up to his brain being affected by his illness. I am giong to do my best to not let it shadow my original respect for him as a scientist and cosmologist.

I remember watching Cosmos on television when I was a kid. I didn't question him then or for some time after. The book is entertaining, with good story telling. Sagan makes many excellent points and he is easily understood. These are his final words before his death. If you are looking for hard science, this isn't the book. Politics and propaganda enter a few chapters. Carl was a brilliant mind but dangerous.

Carl discusses society, ethics, morality, rules to live by, and gives us a feel for large numbers. Life maybe not that scarce? His philosophy on a better world is all well and good, but he forgets or ignores there is true evil in the world. He concludes that God and the supernatural as myth, but falls in the same trap by treating theory as fact. What is the amazing brain of evolution, where does it come from? He gives us no real answers. He does not realize or purposely ignores problems with his theories. The new fear is the environmental and climatic warnings. According to Sagan, at the time this book was written, we should be in dire straights in the near future--are we? Is life as fragile as he says? His thoughts come from a secular humanist mind. I still recommend the book.

How does he propose such world wide changes, except by government intervention?

"Our ancestors came from the trees"------------what???????

Wish you well

Scott

Billions and billions of stars in the universe but only one for this book. Why? Because Carl Sagan was totally ignorant of the subatomic world and the possibility of multiverses. He saw only one star in the sky, and its name was Sagan. He was a sophist who appealed mainly to a pop culture that looked for easy-to-digest science in support of its secular morality.