Cosmos Audiobook By Carl Sagan cover art

Cosmos

A Personal Voyage

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Cosmos

By: Carl Sagan
Narrated by: LeVar Burton, Seth MacFarlane, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Ann Druyan
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RETURNING TO TELEVISION AS AN ALL-NEW MINISERIES ON FOX

Cosmos is one of the bestselling science books of all time. In clear-eyed prose, Sagan reveals a jewel-like blue world inhabited by a life form that is just beginning to discover its own identity and to venture into the vast ocean of space. Cosmos retraces the fourteen billion years of cosmic evolution that have transformed matter into consciousness, exploring such topics as the origin of life, the human brain, Egyptian hieroglyphics, spacecraft missions, the death of the Sun, the evolution of galaxies, and the forces and individuals who helped to shape modern science.

Includes introductory music: "Heaven and Hell" by Vangelis from Cosmos: A Personal Voyage used with permission from Druyan-Sagan Associates, Inc. All rights reserved.

Praise for Cosmos

“Magnificent... With a lyrical literary style, and a range that touches almost all aspects of human knowledge, Cosmos often seems too good to be true.” - The Plain Dealer

“Sagan is an astronomer with one eye on the stars, another on history, and a third - his mind’s - on the human condition.” - Newsday

“Brilliant in its scope and provocative in its suggestions...shimmers with a sense of wonder.” - The Miami Herald

“Sagan dazzles the mind with the miracle of our survival, framed by the stately galaxies of space.” - Cosmopolitan

“Enticing...iridescent...imaginatively illustrated.” - The New York Times Book Review

An Audible for Dogs Pick: Make your dog's day. Cesar Millan shares how audiobooks can make dogs happier and calmer. Learn more.©1980 Carl Sagan Productions, Inc (P)2017 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved. Foreword © 2013 by Ann Druyan. “Reflections on Carl Sagan’s Cosmos” essay © 2013 by Neil deGrasse Tyson. Astronomy Astronomy & Space Science Atmospheric Sciences Biological Sciences Cosmology Earth Sciences Physics Science Interstellar Thought-Provoking Inspiring Suspenseful

Editorial reviews

Editors Select, June 2017

As a big fan of Neil deGrasse Tyson's recent documentary series Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey, which honors Carl Sagan's original work from 1980, I was excited to listen to Sagan's companion book - now available in audio for the first time. While I was a bit too young to catch Sagan's docuseries, LeVar Burton's Reading Rainbow did heavily influence my childhood, and this may be why my brain seemed primordially attuned to learn from Burton's voice. He's the perfect narrator for untangling complicated scientific subjects as well as highlighting their moments of majesty. I legit feel smarter for having listened to Cosmos, and I'll also never be able to forget why medieval Catholic monks first domesticated rabbits (hint: it wasn't because they were cute). —Emily, Audible Editor

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Carl Sagan's writings are amazingly still so current today, that I am again struck by how much we missed when this genius died so young. My only criticism is that the breathless, rapid "gee whiz" style the main narrator uses is so opposite to the thoughtful, slow, deep voice of Carl Sagan that I longed for a return to those nights when I sat spellbound in front of the television enraptured by Sagan's own narration. This narrator completely missed the liquidity and thoughtfulness of the original work.

Great except for the narration

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Carl Sagan's sense of wonder for the cosmos as well as his profound respect for all life in it come through brilliantly in this book. From the insights of the ancient Greeks and the library of Alexandria to the ideas of Keppler, Newton, Darwin and Einstein; from conjecture about how life started on Earth to how many other planets in the universe might have evolved technological societies, Sagan introduces everything as stories that almost anyone can follow and appreciate.

Essential listening

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amazing work, if everyone would listen to this and take it to heart I feel the earth would benefit greatly. Thank you Carl Sagan for this and all your works.

wait so long for this.

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Would you listen to Cosmos again? Why?

This is a tremendously fascinating and thought-provoking book! I'll definitely listen again. The narrator was perfect for the part!

Fantastic!!!!

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I have intended to read this book for years, and decided to honor it’s significance by making it my review #700.
Through this work, Sagan added meaning to the bare facts of science; and helped contract the imagined and artificial distance between science and religion. It makes me sad to think of how the power mongers in control of my Roman Catholic religious structure stifled knowledge and persecuted the greatest intellects. Unfortunately, the Protestant factions didn’t do much better. I don’t doubt that some of our older religions went through this same period; and let us all pray that the current torture of the people of Islam is not perpetuated in the same way.
I love the history of science and civilization covered by Cosmos, including language. The words based on astrology and astronomy really amused me. I appreciate that Sagan made efforts to include the origins and perpetuation of knowledge from across the world, not just the West.
Another important point he brings up is that “Science is a self-correcting enterprise.” What we now Know to be true was at some point considered fantasy or heresy. Who knows how much more we have to learn? aka The more we learn, the more we realize what we don’t know.
Thank you, Carl and Ann.
I appreciate the opening comments by Druyan and Tyson; and the narration really fits the book.

A must read; don’t wait any longer

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Sagan is exceptional in weaving together all of the sciences with society, religion, politics and human nature, in their finest details. He gives life and relevance to the origins of a single atom to vastness of the cosmos and everything in between. I can't recommend this book enough. something everyone should read

The finest atoms of thought and detail

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The subject matter of The Cosmos is fantastic, the narrator swallowed his ending words of each sentence to the point of unintelligible. I sadly had to return this fine book.

Great Book, Terrible Narrator

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If you enjoy learning about space and where we come from. Read this book now.

What a wonderful story!

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This is a beautifully, poetic plea for humanity to be better by engaging in the grand pursuit of searching science and history in curosity to be better.

a plea for humanity

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A truly stunning and mind blowing piece of literature. Everyone should read this book at least once

absolutely amazing

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