Pale Blue Dot

Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space by Carl Sagan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a brilliant volume by Dr. Sagan, full of facts, wisdom, and foresight. The subtitle "A Vision of the Human Future in Space" is perfect. It is filled with hope, cautions, challenges, and inspiration. In just one sample of the multitude of wisdom contained in this book, speaking of our descendants who will make their homes elsewhere in our solar system, he writes:

"I do not imagine that it is precisely we, with our present customs and social conventions, who will be out there. If we continue to accumulate only power and not wisdom, we will surely destroy ourselves. Our very existence in that distant time requires that we will have changed our institutions and ourselves. How can I dare to guess about humans in the far future? It is, I think, only a matter of natural selection. If we become even slightly more violent, shortsighted, ignorant, and selfish than we are now, almost certainly we will have no future."

I highly recommend this treasure as required reading for all who are able to read it.  Loved it. Six stars!

ps. inspired to read it by this quote: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pale_Blue_Dot#Reflections_by_Sagan

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