Screaming Penguin - Source Does Matter

Billions and Billions is the final book in a long series of fantastically written and wonderfully interesting bodies of work by Carl Sagan. Dr. Sagan died near the end of this book. The acknowledgments were finished by his wife and the book itself was subsequently published posthumously.

This book is a collection of insightful essays more than a cohesive book, but that alone is its only potential drawback and even that is arguably not an issue. The book covers a range of scientific possibilities and quandaries and deals with many of the most difficult and pressing human problems. These problems include things as simple as scientific research and spending and as complex as global warming, ozone depletion and abortion. In a style that is unassuming, non threatening and amazingly clear, Dr. Sagan identifies, addresses and proposes solutions for many of humanities most plaguing problems. This book is by no means light reading, but is also not at all difficult to understand even though the subject matter is of profound importance.

This book continues in the direction of explanation that almost all of Dr. Sagans previous work also pursued. He was unquestionably a brilliant scientist whom made many incredible contributions to science itself, but in my opinion, his greatest gift was not science at all, but communication itself.

I highly recommend this book. In fact every decision maker and politician in the world should be REQUIRED to read it. It is well written, interesting and important.

5.7 penguin afros out of a possible 5.2 on our scale. Get it, read it, do something about it.

Mini Reality RANT

I also feel like it is necessary to respond to some of the critics of this book whom proclaim that Dr. Sagan is somehow trying to project his own views onto these important subjects.
The truth is that that is simply untrue. If you have ever read anything by Carl Sagan you will understand the importance he places on science and on critical thinking and on truth. This book is about what is real, what is true and what are known facts. The subjects Dr. Sagan addresses are admittedly difficult, but he approaches them with clear and unbiased reality as his guide. Reality is very often elusive to most of humankind (as described by Francis Bacon several millenia ago, Novum Organum, 1620, "human understanding is" . . . "infected" by personal beliefs that "one had rather" were true.) Dr. Sagan goes out of his way to be as neutral as possible and provide the truth, while that may be difficult for many of us to deal with, it nevertheless remains the truth and knowing it, understanding it and then dealing with it is the only true solution to any problem.
Again, this is a great book, sorry about the mini truth dissertation but people whom read this book and then think that it is about opinion have missed the point and are flat wrong (well, at leasts that is my "infected" opinion!.)
  Billions and Billions: Carl Sagan