Sagan C. The Cosmic Connection. An Extraterrestrial Perspective

New York: Dell publishing CO. - 1973. - 205 p. This book is divided into three major sections. In the first part I try in several ways to convey a sense of cosmic perspective - living out our lives on a tiny hunk of rock and metal circling one of 250 billion stars that make up our galaxy in a universe of billions of galaxies. The deflation of some of our more common conceits is one of the practical applications of astronomy. The second part of the book is concerned with various aspects of our Solar System — mostly with Earth, Mars, and Venus. Some of the results and implications of Mariner 9 can be found here. Part Three is devoted to the possibility of communicating with extraterrestrial intelligence on planets of other stars. Since no such contact has yet been made — our efforts to date have been feeble — this section is necessarily speculative. The astronomical discoveries we are in the midst of making are of the broadest human significance. If this book plays a small role in broadening public consideration of these exploratory ventures, it will have served its purpose.Cosmic perspectives
The solar system
Beyond the solar system
A Fable
A Future
The Cosmic Cheshire Cats