Carl Sagan's Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark is one of the most interesting books I have ever read. Books like this raise my interest and are therefore, easier to read. This book is worth reading for anyone, because his points are relative to just about everyone's life, due to his broad range of subjects.
Sagan's general view denounces pseudoscience and beliefs in supernatural beings other than religious realm. This list of superstition that Sagan dispels includes: alien abductions, the Loch Ness monster, ESP, the foresight of Nastrodamus, tea leaf reading, numerology, near death experiences, remains of Noah's Ark, palm reading, Oiji boards, and scientology. This is not even half of the topics covered. Not all of the areas he covers are superstition though. Sagan also dispels beliefs in the scientific areas such as astrology and physics.
Sagan's introduction briefly talks about his parents and the event that sparked his interest in the field of science.
Carl Sagan photo in 'Contact'
Part of Image:Planetary society.jpg Original capti...
Carl Sagan with a model of the Viking landerIn 1939, his parents brought him to the New York World Fair, where he was offered a vision of a perfect world made possible by advances in science. It was this event plus his parents' skepticism that made Sagan wish to pursue a better world through science.
One of Sagan's larger sections in the book is on UFOs and aliens. As an astrologist, many of his days were spent trying to find a reason for how people came to believe in extra-terrestrial beings. He points out the answers to such things as crop circles and abductions. He found it quite revealing that many cases of abductions came about only after books and movies had been written about aliens. Many peoples vision of their abductors are exactly as they appear in many movies and book, making Sagan believe that people only...