Reviews

Review: Broca's Brain

Editorial Review - Kirkus Reviews

Sagan is a dedicated and persuasive expositor of ideas, and not afraid to try out new ones. In particular, he passionately defends the motives and style of science as an objective seeker of truth. This collection offers a number of hard-fact pieces along with philosophical musings, the common theme being the human mind as curious explorer, ever motivated to find order in nature. ""Broca's Brain,"" the title essay, describes Sagan's emotional reaction to the vials of preserved brains in a Parisian museum. A sense of awe is conveyed, along with a disquieting grisliness. There follow essays on ""good"" science--reactions to Einstein, reflections on a grain of salt, etc.; and then comes a major section of hoaxes and hucksters, from mediums to the von Danikens and Velikovskys. The sections dealing with space exploration and cosmology are fine summaries of present knowledge which underscore the major role played by manned and unmanned space vehicles in making astronomy an experimentally verifiable rather than a purely theoretical science. The concluding sections, in turn, speculate on the future of astronomy and on man's need to believe. Sagan amusingly records events that made the astronomical journals 75 years ago and ponders what an equal time leap will make of us today. And in the last, extraordinary essay, he suggests that a common basis for all religion may be the birth process with its watery Eden, followed by pain, the dark tunnel, and then light and the world. A mixed, often surprising bag of treats by a scientist who merits applause and attention.

User reviews

Review: Broca's Brain: Reflections on the Romance of Science

User Review - Larry Cunningham - Goodreads

Somewhat dated in many ways today. On the other hand, Sagan's contemplations are always worth considering, and his writing is always eloquent. Read full review

Review: Broca's Brain: Reflections on the Romance of Science

User Review - John - Goodreads

Because the collection of material here is so eclectic, there is no over-arching theme or narrative. Consequently, While I really enjoyed some parts, breezing through them in a heartbeat, others were ... Read full review

Review: Broca's Brain: Reflections on the Romance of Science

User Review - Matthew Timion - Goodreads

The content in this book is great, even if it's a bit dated. It illustrates the genius that was Carl Sagan. Keep in mind that this book can be a bit technical, and it is NOT to be read like a story ... Read full review

Review: Broca's Brain: Reflections on the Romance of Science

User Review - Bijan K - Goodreads

Read this book more than 30 years after it was published ... but it was difficult to put down ... had read COSMOS before and both of them are good books. Should appeal to the layperson. Most of the contents are still relevant today ... Highly recommended. Read full review

Review: Broca's Brain: Reflections on the Romance of Science

User Review - Peggy Bechko - Goodreads

A great book on the joys of science - of discovering how the world works - sort of. Carl really brought it out. I'd have given it more than three stars - the info is great, the point of view ... Read full review

Review: Broca's Brain: Reflections on the Romance of Science

User Review - Mary - Goodreads

Written in 1974-1975 this work by Carl Sagan is dated in terms of some of its information. Still the book did not disappoint. I learned alot about the flaws in the theory of Catastrophism, the ... Read full review

Review: Broca's Brain: Reflections on the Romance of Science

User Review - Jay - Goodreads

I really love Carl Sagan! His mission to popularize science is admirable and I thought that the Cosmos Series and the film Contact are both wonderful works. That being said... I found Broca's Brain to ... Read full review