With his wife, Ann Druyan, he was co-producer of the popular motion picture, ' Contact,' which featured a feminist, atheist protagonist played by Jodie Foster (1997). Sagan was author, co-author or editor of 20 books, including The Dragons of Eden (1977), which won a Pulitzer, Pale Blue Dot (1995) and The Demon-Haunted World: Science As a Candle in the Dark (1996), his hardest-hitting on religion. A book of the same title came out in 1980, and was on The New York Times bestseller list for 7 weeks. A great popularizer of science, Sagan produced the PBS series, ' Cosmos,' which was Emmy and Peabody award-winning, and was watched by 500 million people in 60 countries. He became professor of astronomy and space science and director of the Laboratory for Planetary Studies at Cornell University, and co-founder of the Planetary Society. After earning bachelor and master's degrees at Cornell, Sagan earned a double doctorate at the University of Chicago in 1960.

'Passionate.In 1934, scientist Carl Sagan was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. A testimonial to the power of science and a warning of the dangers of unrestrained credulity.' - The Sciences 'A clear vision of what good science means and why it makes a difference.

Rich in surprising information and beautiful writing.' - The Washington Post Book World A stirring defense of informed rationality. As Sagan demonstrates with lucid eloquence, the siren song of unreason is not just a cultural wrong turn but a dangerous plunge into darkness that threatens our most basic freedoms. And yet, disturbingly, in today's so-called information age, pseudoscience is burgeoning with stories of alien abduction, channeling past lives, and communal hallucinations commanding growing attention and respect. How can we make intelligent decisions about our increasingly technology-driven lives if we don't understand the difference between the myths of pseudoscience and the testable hypotheses of science? Pulitzer Prize-winning author and distinguished astronomer Carl Sagan argues that scientific thinking is critical not only to the pursuit of truth but to the very well-being of our democratic institutions.Ĭasting a wide net through history and culture, Sagan examines and authoritatively debunks such celebrated fallacies of the past as witchcraft, faith healing, demons, and UFOs. From the first page to the last, this book is a manifesto for clear thought.'- Los Angeles Times A prescient warning of a future we now inhabit, where fake news stories and Internet conspiracy theories play to a disaffected American populace

The demon haunted world by carl sagan