Publisher Description
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
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“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
About Carl Sagan
Carl Sagan (1934–1996) was professor of astronomy and space sciences and director of the Laboratory for Planetary Studies at Cornell University. He played a leading role in the Mariner, Viking, and Voyager spacecraft expeditions, for which he received the NASA medal for Exceptional Scientific Achievement. He received the Pulitzer Prize and the highest awards of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Science Foundation, as well as many other awards for his contributions to science, literature, education, and the preservation of the environment. His book Cosmos, the companion book to his Emmy– and Peabody Award–winning television series of the same name, was a #1 New York Times bestseller and the bestselling science book ever published in the English language, and his bestselling novel Contact was turned into a major motion picture.
About the Narrators
Cary Elwes
is a celebrated English actor who starred in The Princess Bride before moving on to roles in Robin Hood: Men in Tights, Glory, Days of
Thunder, Twister, and Saw, among
many other acclaimed performances. He will always be indebted to The Princess Bride, he says, for
changing his life and giving him a career that has spanned decades. He lives in
Hollywood, California, with his family.
Seth MacFarlane is an animator, writer, producer, director, actor, and singer. He is the creator of the show Family Guy and co-creator of American Dad!, for which he also voices many of the shows’ various characters. He is the executive producer of the television series Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey. MacFarlane’s film Ted is the highest-grossing original R-rated comedy of all time, and he is the co-writer, producer, director, and star of the film A Million Ways to Die in the West. As a singer, MacFarlane has released a Grammy-nominated album of American standards, Music Is Better than Words. He is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design.
Ann Druyan is an author, writer, and television producer. She was the co-author with Sagan of the New York Times bestseller Comet and was co-writer with him of the Emmy- and Peabody Award-winning television series Cosmos: A Personal Voyage. She also served as creative director of NASA’s Voyager Interstellar Message Project, designing music, images, and ideas for possible alien civilizations which was placed aboard the Voyager 1 and 2 interstellar spacecraft. She has been the recipient of several awards, including the title of “Humanist Laureate” by the International Academy of Humanism. The asterooid 4970 Druyan was named after her.