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    The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark
    The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark
    The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark
    Audiobook17 hours

    The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark

    Written by Carl Sagan

    Narrated by Cary Elwes, Seth MacFarlane and Ann Druyan

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    A prescient warning of a future we now inhabit, where fake news stories and Internet conspiracy theories play to a disaffected American populace

    “A glorious book . . . A spirited defense of science . . . From the first page to the last, this book is a manifesto for clear thought.”—Los Angeles Times

    How can we make intelligent decisions about our increasingly technology-driven lives if we don’t understand the difference between the myths of pseudoscience and the testable hypotheses of science? Pulitzer Prize-winning author and distinguished astronomer Carl Sagan argues that scientific thinking is critical not only to the pursuit of truth but to the very well-being of our democratic institutions.

    Casting a wide net through history and culture, Sagan examines and authoritatively debunks such celebrated fallacies of the past as witchcraft, faith healing, demons, and UFOs. And yet, disturbingly, in today's so-called information age, pseudoscience is burgeoning with stories of alien abduction, channeling past lives, and communal hallucinations commanding growing attention and respect. As Sagan demonstrates with lucid eloquence, the siren song of unreason is not just a cultural wrong turn but a dangerous plunge into darkness that threatens our most basic freedoms.

    Praise for The Demon-Haunted World

    “Powerful . . . A stirring defense of informed rationality. . . Rich in surprising information and beautiful writing.”—The Washington Post Book World

    “Compelling.”—USA Today

    “A clear vision of what good science means and why it makes a difference. . . . A testimonial to the power of science and a warning of the dangers of unrestrained credulity.”—The Sciences

    “Passionate.”—San Francisco Examiner-Chronicle

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateMay 30, 2017
    ISBN9781531888169
    The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark
    Author

    Carl Sagan

    Carl Sagan (1934-1996) was the Director of Cornell University’s Laboratory for Planetary Studies. He played a leading role in the American space program and was an adviser to NASA since its inception. He briefed the Apollo astronauts before their flights to the Moon, and was an experimenter on the Mariner, Viking, Voyager, and Galileo expeditions to the planets. He helped solve the mysteries of the high temperatures of Venus (answer: massive greenhouse effect), the seasonal changes on Mars (answer: windblown dust), and the reddish haze of Titan (answer: complex organic molecules). For his work, Dr. Sagan received the NASA medals for Exceptional Scientific Achievement, and the Pulitzer Prize for The Dragons of Eden. His 1980 television series Cosmos: A Personal Voyage won the Emmy and Peabody awards. The National Science Foundation declared that his “research transformed planetary science… his gifts to mankind were infinite.”

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    Reviews for The Demon-Haunted World

    4.5/5

    1,756 ratings69 reviews

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    • 2/5
      i have great respect for Sagan as a thinker.
      based on the great reviews, i checked it out. but this book is boring & just goes on & on stating the obvious. the book had been shortened to 1/3 to 1/4 of the length, i may have found it much more interesting. i must not be his target audience .

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      This is one of the most important books I've ever read. In my opinion, it should be required reading, especially to any who hold public office.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 1/5
      The most dogmatic book ever written. Spanish Inquisition would be proud.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      One of the most important books ever written. If I could get everyone in the world to read the same book this would be on the shortlist.
    • 5/5
      This was immediately an all-time favorite. Such clear and rational logic.
    • 5/5
      So informative, It’s an appeal to reason. It’s a means to keep us from falling into a society of kings and slavery. The importance of educating everyone. Also the importance of science and how it relates to everything we do and need
    • 4/5
      I respect mr sagan and I love mr elways but a large chunk of this book is sagan complaining about american public schools and people not reading enough. Kinda "preaching to the converted" in that someone who picked up a book by Carl sagan probably already knows and agrees. Otherwise very good.
    • 5/5
      Anyone wanting to learn an introduction to Science and its place in society should listen to Carl Sagan. Science and the spirit of Scientific Enquiry makes you come alive with a fervour for truth and justice for the Scientific Method. Ridding one of ignorance and complacency. Spending the few hours listening is a breath of fresh air to the daily duldrums of ordinariness prevailing in this new millenium. Listen to how great the human scientist can become.
    • 5/5
      Truly a work of great insight and inspiration. We should all miss Carl Sagan
    • 5/5
      Could easily be set as required reading in schools. All the more necessary today to discuss scientific literacy in the public, human biases and critical thinking.
    • 5/5
      Carl Sagan was a brilliant scientist who could really tell a story! He cared about the well being of humanity and the importance of critical thinking. I wish more people were enlightened like he was.
    • 5/5
      Great read of the history of religion and science. Definitely thought provoking!
    • 5/5
      Everyone should read this book. If people could think this clearly our world would have far fewer problems.
    • 5/5
      Fantastic book. Thought provoking and based in historical context. Recommended to anyone wondering what we should do with the problems of misinformation, fake news, social media, and conspiracy theories. A tireless advocate for freedom of speech and conscience, and a scientific method.
    • 5/5
      Carl Sagan gives an excellent overview of the importance of skepticism and science in general.
    • 3/5
      This is a great book and helps you think through the difference between causality and correlation

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Wonderful book! Has a lot of information about important topics, including disease and vaccines, flying saucers and alien abductions, persecution and burning of 'witches' in the Middle Ages, Frederick Douglass and slavery in the United States, the Bill of Rights and development of Constitutional government in the US, fallacies of argumentation, James Clerk Maxwell and the discovery of electromagnetism, and the need for science education and critical thinking. I listened to the audible version and the readers were terrific, especially the main one. Worth rehearing or rereading.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      The book begins with Sagan's personal experiences with science, and how he first came to respect it for the infallible system of truth-finding that it is (my words). Sagan denounces religious fanaticism and superstition, old and new (and growing, unfortunately) because of its fallibility and supposed doctrines which even when proven to be false are adhered to just as ferociously by their fanatics. I couldn't agree more with Sagan's ideas in this book, and I think he presented them in a relatively non-hating way - not only of religion (the non-fanatical kind) but of the human beings who practice religion and stick to traditions that are not based on scientific research and discovery. Although, he really does call out the superstitious for their supposedly impractical and useless beliefs, and while I appreciate his intentions to expose frauds, I don't completely agree that anyone who sincerely believes the world was created 6,000 years ago to be a fraud by definition, or more broadly that a world without (granted, diverse factions of) religion would be a terrific place. I think the same people who abuse religion toward their own amoral ends would also (and do) abuse science for just as sinister purposes. This idea is of course downplayed as Sagan explains that many more people have been saved by "science" than have been victimized by it - and this is probably true (there are not many footnotes, but I can use my faculty of common sense), yet we can't assume that there is a hidden beneficial purpose of the hydrogen bomb. In light of this, I found ADHW to be a little skewed not just in its humanity but in refusing to properly acknowledge the potential dangers of scientific research, which Sagan even admits is funded mostly by governments.Another theme in Sagan's book besides the de-bunking is the current path that various countries in the world are taking regarding science. The United States is the focus of this book because Sagan is an American, and he takes issue with the dumbing down of the school system, the spread of fundamentalism among mostly Christians (the Creationists) in America, and most importantly the cause of these other problems, the fall of skepticism. Sagan devotes various chapters to actual letters he's received from everyday Americans responding to an article with the same ideas presented in this book, firstly 10th graders and then parents of school-age children. The letters from the high-school students are shameful, filled with misspellings and other grammatical errors that you have to wonder if Sagan chose the absolute worst-written letters to publish here, and where he could've found so many 10th-graders who could barely read or write at a 4th-grade level. Interestingly, all of the parents' letters are grammatically sound, which begs the question of where those letters came from that all "grown-ups" in that town could be so darn smart in comparison to the next generation (aka their own children). A little bias for the sake of making a point, it seems.And the last theme I'll talk about here before giving my verdict is the future of science, as seen by Carl Sagan. He asks: "How could we put more science on television?" knowing that television, as in the 1990's at the time of this publication, is pretty much every American's golden calf. What he comes up with are, on the whole, some either naive or terribly outdated ideas for educational programming a la the following. I ask if you could possibly imagine a TV show called Solved Mysteries with its "rational resolutions" on television; or a show about "coordinated government lie[s]". Does this make the book outdated or just naive? Hard to tell, just take this part with a grain of salt.In any case, I did enjoy reading this book for various reasons: I love the way Sagan writes so clearly and, well, reasonably, that you can't help but agree with him and wonder what the heck we're doing with ourselves if not being just as reasonable. Why is science a bad word to so many of us? Why are we so disenchanted with "reality", what can we do about it? I also loved Sagan's chapter The Fine Art of Baloney Detection, where he cites the various fallacies scientists contend with and how to recognize them in the everyday. Very helpful in debates, if that's your thing. And I really love pop science books (or any subject) that makes you want to go out and become a scientist (or whatever). For anyone interested in science, or just the real workings of the world, you can't find a better beginning than this, a great manual for skeptics and thinking folk of all shapes, sizes and even religious persuasions. But be prepared to pity Mr. Sagan somewhat for his lack of sympathy for others. He even beats himself up for his own harmless visions, of his deceased parents for example, and basically says we should too.emilysanecdotes.blogspot.com

      2 people found this helpful

    • 5/5
      This book made me question my conservative values in favour of more liberal ones. And other than the tone that element of the book came out explicitly only in the final chapter.

      2 people found this helpful

    • 2/5
      z u u hT jo Th I see derby Seder

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Carl Sagan takes on pseudoscience. This book extolls the value of skepticism, critical thinking, and the scientific method. It should be required reading in my opinion. Unfortunately, those that could benefit most from applying more rigor in deciding what to believe will likely never read it. Originally published in 1995, he has proven to be prescient, as pseudoscience is even more prevalent than ever in recent years. Witness the rise in the number of shows about ancient aliens and paranormal activity, not to mention fake news. Outrageous claims are made and spread from person to person, and people believe these claims without questioning or proof. Why does this happen and what can we do to prevent it? Sagan attempts to answer these important questions.

      This book is very readable. It does not require a deep understanding of science. Sagan writes in a way that is easily understood, while not becoming overly simplistic. He does not use jargon and, not surprisingly, presents evidence in a logical manner. He provides helpful analogies and treats his audience as bright and capable of understanding. He shows how scientific advances are fueled not only by hypothesizing, rigorous testing, and analysis of results, but also by curiosity and imagination.

      I was surprised by how many areas outside the specifics of scientific inquiry are covered in this book, including literature, history, politics, religion, communications, education, economics, ethics, social norms, culture, and more. Science touches on almost every aspect of our lives but is largely ignored by many. Sagan’s subject matter includes debunking of such issues as crop circles, alien abductions, ancient astronauts, ESP, UFO’s, astrology, New Age mysticism, and the like. He reminds us of the importance of not confusing cause and effect, questioning claims that cannot be tested, requiring evidence to support assertions, and remaining skeptical about authoritative statements, especially if monetary gain is involved.

      We are bombarded daily with outrageous claims (click bait, anyone?) urging us to simply believe without scrutiny, so healthy skepticism is becoming increasingly more important in our inter-connected world. Carl Sagan died in 1996, when the world wide web was in its infancy. One can only wish he were around today to help refute today’s absurdities, which are so obviously spurious in origin. I know I am “preaching to the choir,” since avid readers regularly engage in evaluative thinking. Even though some of the references are dated, this book contains an important and still relevant message on the value of critical thinking skills. I found it fascinating. Highly recommended.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 2/5
      A re-read, I remember being struck by it when first published. I am afraid it did not hold up - this feels like the last book published prior to the age of the internet. So many of the controversies explored here are just defunct. I was hoping for a more definitive 'how to be a reasoning human' that I could pass on to my coming of age sons, but I don't think that would be their take away.It is a shame, because in our age of youtube pundits and Q cults a handbook for critical thinking is more necessary than ever.
    • 5/5
      One of the premier books on skepticism. As relevant to day as it was when Carl Sagan wrote it.
    • 4/5
      Critical thinking is so important in today's world, and this book is all about critical thinking. From how ignoring it lead to mass murder of so many in witch trials, to today where it seems that more people believe the validity horoscopes then not. Being able to distinguish fact from "alternative fact" or drivel.
    • 3/5
      A good and relatively comprehensive look at the late 20th century‘s approach to science and the development of interest in science. This was wide-ranging, looking at issues such as witchcraft, aliens, and science education in the America of the 1990s. Inevitably such a book has aged somewhat with no references to social media, much reference to the Internet, and the further structural and societal change that has happened over the last 20 to 25 years. However, a lot of the references to earlier and in particular mid century American politics, collective delusion, and alien misinformation is still relevant and still pertinent. It is engaging and worthy of a listen.
    • 3/5
      While I understand the value of this book in general I just felt that a lot of it was slightly outdated.
    • 5/5
      Great read and reminder of logical, critical, scientific thinking.

      Sagan takes you on a journey of logic. This is a great reminder to those in the scientific community why our work is so important and a great introduction to those outside the world of science, its process and use.
    • 4/5
      “Some portion of the decision making that influences the fate of our civilization is plainly in the hands of charlatans.” –Carl SaganOur world is rife with superstition, pseudo-science, theological fraud, sound bites and a decay of substantive content in the media, a celebration of ignorance and anti-intellectualism, and a disdain of true science (the latter three are especially true in the United States). In The Demon Haunted World, Doctor Carl Sagan addresses these topics and much more, showing us the value of skepticism and scrutiny over mindless gullibility and immediate acceptance of statements from authority. In each chapter, Sagan cites numerous incidents throughout history of when large swaths of society and entire nations were deceived by unquestioned superstition and false beliefs, dangerous political and social propaganda, the suppression of ideas and opposing views, and yes, even unethical scientists who apply their knowledge toward the detriment of humanity rather than its benefit. Sagan also delves into cases of alien abductions, faith healing, telepathy, channeling spirits of the dead, and other “spurious” claims, even going so far as to include in the book correspondence from people throughout the country insisting on the existence of aliens, their visitations to Earth, their experimentations on, and in some cases impregnation of, unwitting victims, and their overall plans for humanity.He does all of this without hubris or vanity, merely stating that science—when applied properly—allows us to maintain a skeptical mind toward outlandish assertions, to question the validity of dogmatic teachings, to interrogate the natural world for answers, and to perform experiments in search of facts rather believing whatever the authority du jour dictates as “fact.” Sagan firmly believed that science and spirituality are not mutually exclusive and in fact, describes how and why each requires the other. Ultimately, as Sagan declared in his Cosmos television series and elsewhere, “Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.” The Demon Haunted World drives this point home eloquently and with great detail.
    • 5/5
      I read The Demon-Haunted World back in high school when I was on a Carl Sagan kick after seeing his 13-part Cosmos series (the original one, on VHS tape). It would be several more years before I would reform my own critical thinking skills into what they resemble today, but I have no doubt that this book planted a seed.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Always insightful, it seems that Sagan just wanted to watch the world learn. I should've read this at 14. Honestly, this should probably be required high school reading for everyone. It illustrates clearly the many and varied personal and societal benefits gained from applying the methods of science to every corner of our thinking. The methods are the important part, the findings are just icing on the cake. It covers the dangers of unchecked ideologies and the requirement for both objectivity and wonder. Almost no topic is left unexamined. I really can't recommend this book enough.

      1 person found this helpful