Preaching to the Choir

Being a very short review of what could have been a much better book.

As I’ve mentioned before, Carl Sagan is one of my favorite authors. Unfortunately, this is not one my favorite of his books. It is an important and compelling work, but its most significant passages are buried deep within long tracts of meandering anecdotes and impenetrable prose. This book seems to have gained a renewed popularity among those who are undoubtedly well educated and who have already embraced science as a natural part of life, but it fails spectacularly to speak to the broad audience that most needs to hear its message. He’s preaching to the choir in Latin while the congregation shrugs in disinterest and goes on sinning. This is especially disappointing (and surprising) since, as the most famed popularizer of science who ever lived, he could have done far better.