Billions & Billions: Thoughts on Life and Death at the Brink of the… (1997)

“Billions and Billions” reads as a collection of essays by Carl Sagan, grouped by broad themes.

Part one is perhaps the most eclectic, navigating topics from the evolutionary history of homo sapiens to discoveries of solar systems with potentially life-supporting planets. This part of the book also contains a very accessible but surficial overview of a handful of physical phenomena, such as electromagnetic radiation, and mathematical fundamentals, such as exponents and progressions – concepts that Sagan must have felt were essential to our understanding of the world.

Part two is an exploration of environmental crises facing humanity, with special attention given to ozone depletion and climate change. The information in these chapters, while as relevant today as when first written, will probably generate few surprises for anyone who hasn’t been hiding in a Rush Limbaugh cave in the past few decades.

Part two ends with a chapter discussing the role of organized religion in developing public awareness of environmental issues. A reader in the second decade of the 21st century will probably be jarred by the optimistic tone of this chapter given the frequency with which environmental “debates” in the United States are framed in political and quasi-religious terms. My own brief research into the handful of religiously based organizations, mentioned by Sagan in this chapter, formed with the ostensible purpose of promoting environmental education, leaves the impression that most have faded into irrelevance since the time of the book’s writing.

In the opinion of this reviewer, part three contains some of the most interesting essays in the book. The topics explored include the ethics of abortion, game theory, nuclear war, and finally Sagan’s very personal account of his terminal illness. The chapter on abortion is interesting both for its ethical arguments and the historical information, which describes the evolving views of abortion in the United States over the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, paralleled by changing legislation. Sagan also attempts to trace the causes of the changes. Finally, the epilogue by Ann Druyan is moving and adds many fine strokes to the portrait of Sagan himself.

This in short is a book that is easy to read, lucidly argued, and still highly relevant, even if the topics are acutely familiar. ( )

Okay, so I have a soft spot for Carl Sagan. His books, most notably Cosmos, The Demon-Haunted World, and Pale Blue Dot, ignited my interest in science and reason. He wrote with clarity and eloquence, with humor and candor, with compassion and humility. Reading his work always leaves me feeling inspired and hopeful.

But I'll admit I let him get away with some things I wouldn't tolerate in other writers. He occasionally engages in bad poetic science, political correctness, and romanticizing. Most of it I can overlook because Sagan was such a passionate advocate for science, truth, and a better future for our species, but he does tend to smooth over the rough spots. This book also feels a bit more dated and repetitive than his others. I still enjoyed it, but I can't recommend it over the titles I mentioned earlier.

I do, however, recommend Carl Sagan to anyone who isn't typically interested in science or nonfiction. You just might develop a lifelong fascination with our incredible universe. ( )

Very bright guy. I'm too young to know much of Sagan; however reading the book made me want to find out more. The end of the book was especially heartwarming as the reader is given a front seat at the end of Sagan's life. For anyone interested in space, the stars, why we are here, etc., this is a fun read. ( )

This was an interesting read. However, Sagan gets a bit monotonous in this one. Two thirds of the book discusses global warming and the depletion of the ozone layer. Although he explains these problems better than most, and gives clearer insights into the science behind these phenomena, at some point I found myself thinking "OK. Enough is enough. Next topic, please!"

His other views on nuclear weapons, abortion, and his own mortality redeem the book. If he never deviated from global warming and the hole in the ozone layer, I would've given it less than 3 stars. ( )

In his last published work Carl Sagan explores the beauty of quantification, the dangers humans pose to the environment, and human morality through his many speeches and essays. All the essays and speeches presented well reasoned arguments and simple explanations that made Sagan such a powerful spoke person and popular figure. While some of the material is dated and the dire warnings of ozone depletion, global warming, and all out nuclear war can get repetitious, they are still worthy of our attention. The last third of the book is in my estimation the most important. In this section Sagan argues for us as species to learn to cooperate with one another so that we can solve the issues that impact the planet we all share.

The most poignant of the essays in this collection was his last, "In the Valley of the Shadow," an emotional account of his struggles with the illness, myelodysplasia, that would ultimately take his life. Through all the bone marrow transplants and chemotherapy treatments, Sagan still manages to sustain his usual wit and optimism that we have all come to know and love. Sadly the treatments didn't work and we lost one of the greatest popularize of science we have ever known.

Ann Druyan, Sagan’s loving wife, adds a moving epilogue in which she describes Sagan’s last days and the courage Sagan exhibits while facing death without the comfort of faith in a world beyond our own. ( )