Synopses & Reviews
In the final book of his astonishing career, Carl Sagan brilliantly examines the burning questions of our lives, our world, and the universe around us. These luminous, entertaining essays travel both the vastness of the cosmos and the intimacy of the human mind, posing such fascinating questions as how did the universe originate and how will it end, and how can we meld science and compassion to meet the challenges of the coming century? Here, too, is a rare, private glimpse of Sagan's thoughts about love, death, and God as he struggled with fatal disease. Ever forward-looking and vibrant with the sparkle of his unquenchable curiosity, Billions & Billions is a testament to one of the great scientific minds of our day.
Synopsis
"Carl Sagan didn't live to see the millennium, but he probably has done more than any other popular scientist to prepare us for its arrival". -- Atlanta Journal & Constitution
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. [279]-283) and index.
Table of Contents
Billions and billions -- The Persian chessboard -- Monday-night hunters -- The gaze of God and the dripping faucet -- Four cosmic questions -- So many suns, so many worlds -- The world that came in the mail -- The environment: where does prudence lie? -- Croesus and Cassandra -- A piece of the sky is missing -- Ambush: the warming of the world -- Escape from ambush -- Religion and science: an alliance -- The common enemy -- Abortion: is it possible to be both "pro-life" and "pro-choice"? (cowritten with Ann Druyan) -- The rules of the game -- Gettyburg and now (cowritten with Ann Druyan)-- The