Carl Sagan: A Life in the Cosmos

Quick-name a scientist!. Was your answer Carl Sagan? It probably was-no other person has brought so much science to the public. His loss to a rare disease four years ago left a void still unfilled by anyone else. His life in science and the workings of science itself are worthy of exploration by any educated person, and two biographies that have appeared over the last year serve that purpose well.I sampled Carl's life through William Poundstone's Carl Sagan: A Life in the Cosmos (Henry Holt, 473 pages, paperback, $16) when it first appeared, just before the other book came to print. Having my appetite whetted, I purchased Davidson's book but let it sit on the shelf awhile-after all, how different could it be? How wrong I was!Poundstone's book indeed introduces the reader to all of the details of his life, but with a somewhat detached viewpoint, a workman-like effort. This is reflected in the chapter breaks arranged by years and location. Keay Davidson's Carl Sagan: A Life (Wiley, 540 pages, paperback,$18), on the other hand, gets emotionally involved with the story of Sagan's life, and weaves some themes among the details-not quite judgmental, but observant. Davidson makes his logical breaks at Sagan's projects and ideas. While this makes for some jumps and repeats, these are forgiven for his more interesting overall flow. Both authors are science writers of some note, and not scientists themselves.Read Poundstone for the science-it is complete and detailed. Particularly well done and relevant to recent NASA discoveries is the story of Carl's involvement in the Viking probes that looked for life on Mars in the 1970s. The disagreements on the choice of landing sites and the critical decisions on which experiments to repeat or change a bit between the limited number of runs reveal the tough choices that have to be made in science, often with insufficient information.Davidson's forte', however, is the flare for interpreting Sagan's vibrant personality and his personal life as revealed through both his public presence and private affairs. The author spends more time on Carl's books (including Pulitzer-winning Dragons of Eden), TV works (popular visits on Johnny Carson and his PBS hit, "Cosmos"), and movie (Contact, featuring a performance by Jodie Foster that would have pleased him greatly had he lived to see the film's completion). Yet, Carl's entry into the public arena was not always looked favorably upon by his peers. His having been rejected for tenure at Harvard and blackballed for membership in the prestigious National Academy of Science are certainly partially attributable to his limelight activities. I suspect his colleagues, with their nose to the grindstone of their often boring sub-sub-specialties were secretly envious of this rising star and generalist of science. Here was a man who studied the stars, warned of nuclear winter, got arrested in a protest, developed a "best of Earth" album to affix to the starbound Voyager probe, and debunked pseudoscience. He appeared in NASA press conferences as comfortably as on the Tonight Show. Published articles in the Astrophysical Journal and in the Sunday supplement Parade magazine.If you want a taste of how modern science operates, and of the personal hustle necessary for success, Poundstone's work covers the bases, and does so with more depth. Davidson appears to have more details with an extensive list of reference notes, but it is mostly in the form of quotations that are of low impact in the unfolding story. He also has an annoying habit born of the word processing age: familiar phrases, and other chunks of text that are repeated a bit too frequently to not be noticed.For the person intrigued with the romance of science, and romance in general, Davidson's A Life is for you. Not to be sexist, but if women are truly from Venus and men from Mars (and Sagan made fundamental contributions to the study of both planets), the female readers would want to read Davidson and the men Poundstone. I'm not sure whether Carl would approve of this advice-while he was obviously a chauvinist at home, at least with his first two wives, he was a promoter of female scientists at work!If you read them both, I would read Poundstone first, for the science. With that as a basis you can allow your self to be immersed in the personality developments presented by Davidson. In either book you will find rewarding reading about a man sorely missed by those of us who appreciate both doing good science and bringing it to the public.

I can hear his voice now saying BBB-illions and BBB-llions.Astrophysicist, cosmologist, author, science popularizer- Sagan was a superstar along with Einstein and Stephen Hawking. With that handsome face, that dazzling smile, that huge enthusiasm for Planet Earth and for the Cosmos, he was a pitchman for the glory of the universe. Sagan was selling the belief that there are extraterrestrials out there because statistically with millions of inhabitable planets with a star life must occur- somewhere. Sagan's version of snake oil was hugely popular on television and in his books and he seemed to have everything except for a long life. Sagan wrote:: "Science is not only compatible with spirituality; it is a profound source of spirituality". He offered his readers a sort of magic carpet which conveyed them on a voyage admidst the stars. But Sagan's superb showmanship rankled in the minds of many scientists who felt he was less after the truths to be found in research than projecting himself, an egotistic publicity seeker concerned with his image.There was probably involved a lot of just plain jealousy. He had his fingers in many pies almost obsessively, taking on many projects. Perhaps the failure of his first two marriages occurred because he simply did not have time for family life. Author Poundstone does not get emotionally involved in Sagan's private life, however. He is even-handed and somewhat cool.Sagan was distracted by science and his place within it. Perhaps in spite of that dazzling smile he was lonely. He was obsessed- he wanted to save the world- our world. Poundstone's scientific biography is very comprehensive but you might come away wondering if you understand Carl Sagan. Poundstone does not try to probe too deeply into Sagan's psyche. Sagan was a man with flaws but a Titan.

grand daughter had to read a biography this summer before school. she checked online and found the book she wanted. it arrived in time for her to read before school started.

The book is not the book I actually wanted.

A really good biography, covering all aspects of Sagan's life, including his weaknesses. I strongly recommend this book for those who really have enjoyed reading his books (Cosmos, Pale Blue Dot, Comet, Billions and Billions, The Demon- Haunted World, Contact-the novel, etc.). This book allows the reader to understand how Sagan came up with the ideas he so clearly developed and expressed in his books and novel. The book also shows how he hold to the belief of extraterrestrial life. This aspect of his life is presented and explained in detail throughout the book, and therefore, a good reading for those interested in SETI. I was, until I read this book.

An excellent book!

Glory. Sagan says, 'Esir Enots', and I feel validated as a child hoping for much more to the world than there seems to be. That being said, it's a heartening biography. Sagan is shown as arrogant, chauvinistic, etc. And also confident and inspired, and of lyrical tongue. So I keep coming back to this as a comfort book every now and then. Beautifully written. Divine.

Sagan was the most famous astronomer who popularized this science by writing a dozen books or so. All are best sellers. But many readers do not know much about his personal life which was a bit ofa shock. Two Marriages failed,was considered egoistic and selfish.Ann Druyan was his third wife with whom he finally had a very productive life. But what a miserable suffering he had to endure at the end of a relatively short life !!