The Cosmic Connection: An Extraterrestrial Perspective (Coronet Books) Paperback – Import, August 1, 1977

I'm a big fan of the late great scientist/astronomer Dr. Carl Sagan. As a 40 year plus amateur astronomer and Life Mars Society member, I've bought and reviewed almost all his books. Almost all are 4 or 5 stars...see my reviews. Carl a Pulitzer prise winner was able to write on complex scientific topics for the average lay person to read and enjoy. His Cosmos series on TV was an epic enjoyment.Now to the Cosmic Connection.The book is an oldie but goody. I read the page burner book in a little over a day. There are some interesting B/W drawings by one of my favorite space artist Jon Lomberg ( I purchased a print from him "First Baby on Mars" absolutely great). Also some other drawings and pictures by others.The book was published before the two Viking spacecraft with their camera and organic matter collecting/analysing equipment landed on Mars. Sadly no definitive finding of organic matter found. May have been a false positive. We have learned much more about Mars after this book was published. He does show the interesting photo shots of one of Mar's moon Phobos via Mariner 9. Very interesting seeing all the cratering on this tiny but now know very ancient moon. This was like the sprinkles on an ice cream cone for me. I loved it, seeing some of the early history of Mars and Venus exploration.Carl mentions one of my favorite science fiction writers Edgar Rice Burroughs. In Princess of Mars, a Virginian is teleported to Barsoom (Mars). All ERB John Carter on Mars series books were 5 stars( see my reviews) plus Disney just came out in a 3D movie John Carter on Mars 4 1/2 stars.Carl also did his PHD work on Venus temperature, composition and the giant greenhouse effect of 900F on Venus with a poisonous, crushing atmosphere many many times that of Earth's. He helped predict this hot temperature and greenhouse effect before real data was received from USSR probes. Carl an extremely intelligent guy and one of the science giants of the 20th Century.Carl goes on about the chances of earlier visits to Earth by ETs and our chances of contacting beings as advanced or slightly more advanced then us using giant radio telescopes listening for signals. Also we see the drawing of a man and women and data like the composition of hydrogen, and Earth's location in the solar system referenced by Pulsar marker on an aluminum plate in Pioneer 10 slingshoted past Jupiter to gain speed into deep space. Like a note in a bottle cast out at sea maybe in the far future a race of beings will find it.Carl was very optimistic there maybe thousands of advanced civilizations in our Galaxy and billions of Galaxies. If these civilizations can get past their civilization destruction years( like us surviving our nuclear weapons age), some of these slightly more advanced civilizations might be able to contact us using "cheap resources" like sending signals like radio waves via radio telescopes.I too believe in extraterrestrial life ( Carl shows it will be almost impossible for them to look like us and their composition may not even be based on Carbon). Carl was much more optimistic than me in us finding life in some incredibly harsh space environments.A good older book showing a good history of older Mars and Venus exploration and the search for extraterrestrial life. 4 stars and proudly added to our Sagan books in our family library/observatory. Comment | Permalink

Carl Sagan is one of my personal heroes and this book did not disappoint. He was truly a remarkable human being and explained things in a way that no other person has yet matched. Nothing to complain about as far as the transaction goes. Book arrived brand new, well packaged, and in a timely manner. Overall very pleased with my purchase.

Oh, how I miss Sagan. No one waxes poetic about science like he does. This book is great. Obviously the science is a little dated here and there, but the philosophy is eternal.

Love this book!

I like it

Thoroughly enjoyed.

Excellnt

good condition

very good book.

Classic