Publisher’s Thoughts:
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.
Casting 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. 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. 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.
Staff Thoughts:
The Demon-Haunted World has been on my list for years, and I had multiple people recommend it to me. I regret that I waited so long! Sagan’s writing is personable, warm, and full of hope and touches of humor. His love of science, curiosity, and learning shines through each chapter, making the book hard to put down.
Sagan begins with his introduction to formal science, sharing his thoughts on ignorance and responsibility before discussing forms of pseudoscience around the world. From there, he expands into the hopefulness and wonder of science, especially how its strength lies in seeking out and testing its weaknesses, always probing for better answers. Sagan’s journey continues into some entertaining debunking of phenomena such as the “face” on Mars, alien abductions, Roswell, demons, and more. Peppered throughout each chapter, he shares personal stories, interactions with believers of the above-mentioned phenomena, the history of science, and the science behind events such as hallucinations – and even what he would ask an alien if he were to meet one. The later parts of the book focus on combating antiscience, the importance of scientific education, popularizing science, and sharing some of the feedback he has gotten from the public over the years.
An unexpected effect of reading this book was how deeply some of what he discussed affected me. For example, the account of the witch burnings in Europe really hit home as Sagan shared excerpts from records of the executions and quotes from the witch hunters themselves – much of it is gut-wrenching. In other cases, the extent to which some people have wasted their savings, time, relationships, and lives overall on pseudoscientific ideas – from medical treatment scams preying on sick people’s hopes, to conspiracy theorist believers, to cult members – evokes a deep sense of sadness, pity, and frustration as I think of how many people have fallen for these things. It underscores the vital importance of an education in science, logic, and critical thinking. On this note, Sagan even devotes a chapter to the idea that freedom comes through education.
Perhaps most relevant to the modern age is Sagan’s advice on how to find, avoid, and combat pseudoscience and antiscience attitudes. Much of this reads as if it could have been written last week, even though it was published about a decade before the rise of social media (this book came out in 1996). The Demon-Haunted World continues to be strikingly relevant, and I would recommend it to anyone interested in the history of science and logic, the battle against pseudoscience, or who is just looking for an interesting read.
