X out of 10

If you can get past the dull-as-dirt title, Carl Sagan’s final book serves as a fascinating primer for those interested in delving into the mind of the late scientist/philosopher. The book, which is actually an edited-for-print version of Sagan’s 1985 Gifford Lectures at the University of Glasgow, draws parallels between theology and science, which, Sagan argues, have identical objectives but incompatible methodologies. He explores questions of cosmology, eschatology, anthropocentrism, evolution, and even finds time to discuss the possibility of extraterrestrial life as it relates to theology. Insightful and persuasive, Sagan’s measured skepticism ensures that even readers who treasure their faith above all will come away with something that changes their view of our incredible universe.

X = 7.5: an excellent primer for new Sagan readers, and a fair, honest, insightful discussion of theology from a scientist’s perspective. Dedicated Sagan readers should enjoy it too, but probably won’t find much here that the great scientist didn’t discuss in his 19 previous books.

Buy The Varieties of Scientific Experience: A Personal View of the Search for God from Amazon.com