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365
Book • Nonfiction
Publication era: 1980s
1980
Adult
16+ years
Carl Sagan's Cosmos narrates the origins of the universe, human evolution, and space exploration, exploring cosmic phenomena like the Big Bang, the formation of stars, and the potential for extraterrestrial life. Each chapter delves into significant scientific discoveries, the evolution of human understanding, and the prospects for humanity's future, encouraging a harmonious coexistence with the cosmos.
Informative
Contemplative
Inspirational
Mysterious
Fantastical
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Carl Sagan's Cosmos is widely praised for its engaging narrative and ability to make complex scientific concepts accessible to a general audience. Its poetic writing style and profound insights into the universe captivate readers. Criticisms are rare but include occasional scientific oversimplifications. Overall, it's considered an inspiring and educational read.
Readers who enjoy Cosmos by Carl Sagan are typically fascinated by astronomy, science, and the universe's mysteries. They appreciate accessible science writing and enjoy other works like Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time and Neil deGrasse Tyson's Astrophysics for People in a Hurry. These readers seek to understand complex ideas explained engagingly.
154,351 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Johannes Kepler
A seminal European figure in the development of modern science, whose detailed observations established foundational laws of planetary motion that influenced later scientific advancements.
Isaac Newton
An influential scientist whose laws of gravity and inertia were built upon the planetary laws established by Kepler, leading to significant progress in understanding cosmic mechanics.
Charles Darwin
Renowned for his theory of natural selection, which provides foundational insights into life on Earth and offers potential applications to life in the cosmos.
Albert Einstein
A pivotal 20th-century physicist who contributed the theories of relativity and special relativity, essential considerations for the possibilities of space travel.
Thales of Miletus
Acknowledged as the first Greek scientist, who innovatively used the sun and shadows to measure heights, a method that anticipates modern scientific approaches.
Anaximander of Miletus
An early scientific experimenter who contributed to the understanding that the moon shines by reflected light.
Pythagoras
A Greek figure known for his substantial contributions to mathematics, including the foundation of geometry and the Pythagorean Theorem.
Democritus
An ancient thinker who coined the term atom and hypothesized that the Milky Way consisted of unresolved stars.
Aristarchus
An ancient contributor who proposed the significant idea that the Earth is a planet.
Christiaan Huygens
A Dutch mathematician and scientist hailed for discovering the rings of Saturn and contributing pioneering theories in light waves and centrifugal force.
Tycho Brahe
A 16th-century Danish astronomer whose extensive planetary observations provided critical data used by Johannes Kepler.
Percival Lowell
An early 20th-century amateur astronomer who incorrectly theorized the existence of intelligent canals on Mars, illustrating the iterative nature of scientific inquiry.
365
Book • Nonfiction
Publication era: 1980s
1980
Adult
16+ years
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