Cosmos by Carl Sagan

Carl Sagan is one of the most influential writers and philosphers that I have ever known. His books continue to inspire me, and his works with forever enlighten me for as long as I shall live. I can vaguely remember the extremely poplular thirteen-part television series, Cosmos, as a child, and it was modeled after his book Cosmos-which appeared on the New York Times bestseller list for 70 weeks and is the bestselling science book in the English language in the twentieth century. The television series was seen in 60 countries by approximately 3% of the people on the planet Earth. Other suggested books by Carl Sagan appear below.

Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors   by Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan

In his 1992 book Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors, Sagan and, his wife, Ann Druyan tell a unique story, that is very true. It 'starts with the origin of the Earth. It shows with humor and drama that many of key traits- self-awareness, technology, family ties, submission to authority, hatred for those a little different from ourselves, reason, and ethics- are rooted in the deep past, and illuminated with our kindship with other animals.' This book carries some of the most plausable proof of evolution and the origin of life that I have ever read- with an exciting voice and child's heart.

Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of The   Human Future in Space   by Carl Sagan

Besides the fact that this book has some of the most amazing photographs that I have ever seen, it describes the scale of the solar system, the inner and outer planets, and where we will possibly go in the future. This book was named for a symbolic photograph taken from the Voyager 1 spacecraft showing the Earth as a pale blue dot in a streaking, brilliant sunbeam, visible from beyond the orbit of Neptune, billions and billions of miles away.

The Demon-Haunted World:   Science as a Candle in The Dark   by Carl Sagan

I would consider this book the most valuable book anyone could ever read. Period. No one understood the importance of filtering out pseudoscience and superstition like Carl Sagan. These words will make you laugh, make you think about what you think, and simply convince you of how important science is in our world. Even if you don't buy this book from me, get it from the library and read it. Trust me, you'll never look at science the same way ever, ever again.

The Illustrated   A Brief History of Time   by Stephen Hawking

Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time sold over 9 million copies. However, in the Illustrated version of his book , he introduces 240 full-color illustrations, 'including satellite images, photographs made possible by technological advances such as the Hubble Space Telescope, and computer generated images of three- and four dimensional realities.' These are complete with detailed captions to clarify the information - much more explainitory than the old compilation. Although, this is hard reading- in the sense that it can be hard to grasp some of the concepts, as we tend to think more in 2 and 3 demensional. For this very reason, I have suggested the illustrated version. This one will keep you thinking for a long, long, long time. Stephen Hawking is widely regarded as the most brilliant theoretical physicist since Einstein.

God & The New Physics   by Paul Davies

Paul Davies takes a more philisophical point of view. He attempts to compare the differences between the religious aspects of creation and the scientific explainations. He serves an equal point of view and sides with both, in a way. You could say, he lets you decide. This book makes for interesting reading- with or without a religious background. He attempts to open your mind to both points and brings them together in a way that seems impossible at first, but has a way of changing the way you look at creation and the laws that govern our lives.

The Mind of God:   The Scientific Basis   For a Rational World   by Paul Davies

In his most recent book since God and The New Physics, Paul Davies explores the meaning of existence. (note: strictly science oriented.) As a twist from his earlier books, Davies questions the scientific reasons for the existence of the universe. The Washington Post writes, 'Intellectually cordial and wonderfully lucid....Meanders through dozens of concepts and findings....and then observes how the illuminate the ancient quandaries encountered by Plato and Pythagoras, Spinoza and Kant....and mind-bending experience.' Have you ever thought about the meaning of the universe, how it began, the origin of the Cosmos? The Mind of God sheds new light on what it means to say 'I know what life means and what it means to alive.'