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Sagan’s Demon-Haunted World- A Review

 


THE DEMON-HAUNTED WORLD

Science as a Candle in the Dark

By  Carl Sagan

 

Reviewed by

  Geoffrey W. Sutton

Carl Sagan injects readers with two treatments followed by booster shots throughout the 25 chapters of The Demon-Haunted World. In the end, enlightened readers will see science, not as a mere candle, but as a brilliant search light in the murky world of opinions, conspiracies, and myths. The first repeated treatment is a healthy dose of skepticism aimed at beliefs that led so many of our ancestors astray or worse, led to horrendous unnecessary deaths. The second treatment is the inspiring and hope-filled vial of scientific discovery catalyzed by curiosity and wonderment and guided by the light of the scientific method.

For the most part, Sagan moves us quickly from one topic to another but there were times when I wished he’d cut some of the UFO stories. I get it. People are gullible and believe all sorts of things about aliens. Of course there’s more. People seek magical cures at great expense. Some still deny the scientific findings about the age and evolution of the universe and life on earth.

It's not just fanciful thinking and denial of evidence that’s been a problem for humankind. We can live with people doing their own thing. But the failure to think critically about beliefs can be incredibly painful and ultimately lethal when religious people seek to purge their territory of those alleged to be witches. Stories of excruciating torture abound. Lives were literally at stake. Fear covered the era in darkness.

Sadly, since the book was published in 1996, we still learn that many people deny the sage advice of scientists regarding the spread of disease and the value of experimentally validated vaccines and treatments. Some Christians still teach students that the universe is only a few thousand years old and deny the evidence supporting evolution. Some religious people continue to deny themselves and their children access to psychological assessments and interventions in favor of spiritual leaders who aim to relieve mental anguish by delivering troubled congregants from demons.

As scientists emerged in an atmosphere of freedom of speech and freedom from oppressive anti-science religions, astounding discoveries came in waves. I’m pretty sure even 62-year old Carl Sagan would be amazed at what we’ve learned since he left the planet the year my copy of the book was published. And we still need the skeptical tools found in his Baloney Detection kit.

 

References

Sagan, C. (1996). The demon-haunted world: Science as a candle in the dark. New York: Ballantine Books. Available on AMAZON

-cite this post-

Sutton, G. W. (2023, January 14). Sagan’s Demon-Haunted World- A Review. Interdisciplinary Journal of Book Reviews. Retrieved from https://suttonreviews.suttong.com/2023/01/sagans-demon-haunted-world-review.html



Geoffrey W. Sutton, PhD is Emeritus Professor of Psychology. He retired from a clinical practice and was credentialed in clinical neuropsychology and psychopharmacology. His website is  www.suttong.com

 

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