“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
Only $3 on Amazon right now, this is one of the best books you can read if you’re wondering why religion had such a strangle hold on humanity, and how we’re going to move past it.
At the end of the book, Dr. Sagan includes a section called “a BS detector kit”, or some-such. Man, oh man alive, would that be useful to have in both politics and the public health space right now. I’m really not quite sure how so many of my fellow citizens decided that fantasy and science fiction are more useful than reality. Micro-circuitry in vaccines? REALLY? REALLY? THAT’S what you’re going with? JHFC.