Worst narration, such a shame

Her voice is awful, had to stop listening after she took over from Carl. Can't believe somebody thought that was a good idea

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

14 people found this helpful

Needs a massive update!!!

great book when originally written, But is massively out of date due to the advances in space fight. Should also be described as read by Ann Druyan as only one chapter was read by Carl Sagan, which could be very confusing when she said I and Me referring to committees that Mr Sagan was a member of. it could benefit from updating as goes on about CFCs a lot.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

brilliant even if dated

an incredible mind's stream of consciousness, made no less awe inspiring by the fact many of the topics of discussion have come to fruition or not over the decades since it was originally written. Infact it's sobering at times that hopes he had have clearly been dashed by today's world

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

A deeply thought provoking perception of the Earth

This book offers a profoundly moving point of view of the fragility and vulnerability of the Earth and a humbling look at the human condition and the clear and present danger of the blind arrogance with which we continue to allow our recklessly destructive actions to steer us towards our own demise. Yet though this depressing and deeply troubling truth there is still hope and optimism that it is not too late and the ability to change exists within us. These profound sentiments are beautifully communicated in the inimitable poetic expressions of Carl Sagan himself for many of the chapters of this book, though sadly the recordings of most were lost and as such have been narrated by his wife.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

Superb Content.. dissappointed with narration

Wonderful thought provoking book.

Since I was a young teenager I've been a fan of Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan's partnership in producing wonderful works promoting science, and "baloney detection kits".

(If I could whisper this bit of the review I would, but I didn't enjoy Ann Druyan's narration unfortunately)

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

.

4.5/5

Following on from Cosmos, I decided to listen to Pale Blue Dot and it was amazing. Whereas Cosmos was more focused on the nature of the universe, Pale Blue Dot explores humanities relationship with the universe and how we have and maybe will in the future venture forth from Terra Firma.

- I very much enjoyed the balance between known science and speculation in this book. Originally published in 1994, certain things have come to pass since then but Sagan acknowledges the known limitations at time of writing. Still, the book is conservatively hopeful and I really liked that.

- As a sci-fi fan, the discussions around human colonisation of other planets and other space entities was fascinating. Terraforming, travel, communication: lots of ideas are covered with accompanying scientific principles that inspired my mind to dream of new worlds.

- The audiobook version I listened to was made up of a mix of the original tape recordings by Sagan and the missing portions reread by Druyan. To hear the wobble of analogue tape in Sagan's portions made my weird 90s kid brain happy. Despite the mix, the audio was well put together.

A wonderful follow up to Cosmos. I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in human exploration and potential colonisation of space.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

A True Masterpiece

One of the best books by Carl Sagan and on the subject in general. The performance is a little bit unusual, but the fact that you are listening to the author gives it a timeless touch.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Inspiring!

Some points are stretched out, but expected from an old book. Carl Sagan is brilliant and his wife does her best to read his words in the latter half since he died before he finished recording the vocals. Easy to see how such wonderfully crafted words inspired the likes of Neil deGrasse Tyson. Let's hope that Elon Musk and spaceX can continue the inspiration of apollo to the next generation of humanity!

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

Simply Brilliant journey in the Cosmos

I remember watching Cosmos as a Child and marvelling at the enormity of Space and what it meant to be Human. Hearing Pale Blue Dot brought back pleasant memories and the sense of wonder back in my mind. If only we could release our petty bickering aside and realise we are all living together on this Pale Blue Dot. Excellent narration and production values

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

The brilliant mind of Sagan still valid vision

Sagan's vision of a future and the history of space exploration is still superb and relevant today.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful