10 Books That Anyone Who Cares About Science Needs to Read
10. Cosmos - Carl Sagan
The nitrogen in our DNA, the calcium in our teeth, the iron in our blood, the carbon in our apple pies were made in the interiors of collapsing stars. We are made of starstuff. - Carl Sagan, Cosmos Cosmos was written and co-developed as a compliment to the documentary series of the same name and has a similar structure throughout. Similarly, the book contains 13 chapters across a broad scientific spectrum which ranges from the concept of space time to abstract questions about certain beliefs regarding heaven and hell. Meanwhile, the book thoroughly discusses concepts such as the fragility of Earth and is as relevant with climate change today as it was almost 40 years ago in cold-war America. The very humbling view of the universe through the eyes of Carl Sagan provides an insight into the wonders of the cosmos on an almost spiritual level. It succeeds at removing the coldness that maths and science can sometimes provide, instead reminding us all that the universe around us truly is a wonder. Despite being written in 1980, the message of this book still stands as true as ever today.
