It covers a wide range of scientific subjects, including the origin of life and a perspective of our place in the universe. This book was written shortly after the ground-breaking documentary series of the same name also presented by the author. To quote the first line of the first chapter: "The cosmos is all that ever is or ever was or ever will be.

However, the message is very clear: the methods developed by science are the only way to understand the cosmos. The journeys of the Voyager probes are put in the context of the Netherlands in the seventeenth century, with a centuries-long tradition of sailing ship explorers, and its contemporary thinkers (such as Constantijn Huygens and his son Christian).

Cosmos is a popular science book written by astronomer and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Carl Sagan. The worldwide success of the documentary series put Vangelis' music in the homes of many, and brought it to the attention of a global audience.

He reminds readers that "we are all star stuff," and, though it seems humans are currently alone in space, the universe was not created for our race to thrive, but that we are a product of something much larger. Although Project Orion was discontinued as a result of nuclear disarmament treaties, Project Daedalus pioneered the idea of using nuclear fusion rather than fission for a viable interstellar spacecraft. On many topics, the book encompasses a more concise, refined presentation of previous ideas about which Sagan had written. The unprecedented success of Cosmos ushered in a dramatic increase in visibility for science-themed literature.

He introduces other discussions and areas without you as the listener noticing until you realise - hey what's that was interesting. Sagan provided a real understanding of what is known about the universe, and an idea of what is left to be discovered. I also recommend watching Sagan's documentary series and indeed the recently released new version of Cosmos presented by Neil deGrasse Tyson. Some 26 years ago (1980) these programmes were relatively rare and a classic 13 one hour episode science programme entitled the Cosmos was presented as a personal view by one Carl Sagan ( sometime participant of various NASA space programmes and cosmological investigations then Director of Planetary studies at Cornell University) . Carl does a very good job in providing explanations on the subject matter in a way that is generally easily understood, although for some of the more advanced concepts you will need to concentrate and have a presence of mind.

In 1994, RCA Records reissued the original soundtrack compilation on compact disc and, in 2002, reissued it on its Collectables label (RCA 07863 54003-2 USA; Collectables COL-CD-6293 USA).The score is often referred to as Comet, as "Comet 16" is used during the opening and closing credits of each episode. In ancient Greece, some philosophers ( Aristarchus of Samos, Thales of Miletus, Anaximander, Theodorus of Samos, Empedocles, Democritus) freely pursue scientific knowledge, while others ( Plato, Aristotle, and the Pythagoreans) advocate slavery and epistemic secrecy. The content is more up to date but many still prefer the older Sagan version with less reliance on CGI. Sagan leads every chapter with a philosophical quote to remind readers that the universe is not simply stars and planets, but a link between all things.

He also discusses the underlying premises of science by providing biographical anecdotes about many prominent scientists, placing their contributions in the broader context of the development of modern science. Cosmos sold over 900,000 copies while on these lists, [19] and continued popularity has allowed Cosmos to sell about five million copies internationally. This truly uplifting masterpiece written by Carl Sagan should be taught to all children in school as one of humankind's finest literary works.I am a little depressed after finishing to realize our global society has changed so little since he released this book in 1980, but if you ignore the 37 year interval, it will give you a hopeful outlook on our future as a single species in a global society.