The Demon-Haunted World
by Carl Sagan
★ Top 10 book of 1995 · #7 on Best Books of 1995
Astronomer Carl Sagan makes the case that scientific thinking protects both our search for truth and our democratic institutions. He picks apart pseudoscience, from witchcraft to alien abduction, and warns of what unreason can cost us.
Best for: Curious skeptics who want a defense of science against pseudoscience and conspiracy
The Demon-Haunted World is #7 on BookWard's Best Books of 1995, out of 28 1995 books that cleared our data bar.
What The Demon-Haunted World is about
Carl Sagan wrote this book to put the tools of scientific thinking in everyone's hands. He explains how the scientific method works and how to tell real science from pseudoscience, urging that any new idea be tested by skeptical questioning and be able to survive it. Along the way he takes apart old and new beliefs, including witchcraft, faith healing, demons, and UFOs.
His larger argument is that clear, critical thinking matters for finding the truth and for keeping democratic institutions healthy. The publisher presents the book as an early warning about fake news and online conspiracy theories. Four of its 25 chapters were written with Ann Druyan. It will help curious general readers, students, and anyone who feels buried under rumor and wants a calm, humane guide to weighing a claim.
The Demon-Haunted World on the Best Books of 1995
The Demon-Haunted World came out in 1995. Of the 28 books first published in 1995 that met BookWard's data bar, it ranks #7 on our Best Books of 1995 list.
Why it made the list: 452 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.2 out of 5 (44 ratings). The list ranks each year’s books on how many readers have picked them up, how highly readers rate them, and how many are reading them right now.
Nearby on the 1995 list
- Rose Madder Stephen King, #5
- Wicked Gregory Maguire, #6
- The Rainmaker John Grisham, #8
- The Diamond Age Neal Stephenson, #9
See all Best Books of 1995 Best books by year
More years: Best Books of 1994 Best Books of 1996.
The numbers behind it
- Readers: 375 want to read it, 15 are reading it now and 62 have read it, according to Open Library.
- Ratings: 4.2 out of 5 from 44 Open Library ratings.
| Signal | This book (0 to 100) | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | 75 | 55% |
| Reader love | 86 | 25% |
| Being read right now | 54 | 20% |
Questions about The Demon-Haunted World
When was The Demon-Haunted World published?
The Demon-Haunted World by Carl Sagan was first published in 1995.
Was The Demon-Haunted World one of the best books of 1995?
The Demon-Haunted World is #7 on BookWard's Best Books of 1995, out of 28 1995 books that cleared our data bar. 452 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.2 out of 5 (44 ratings).
Why is The Demon-Haunted World on the Best Books of 1995 list?
452 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.2 out of 5 (44 ratings).
More of the best books of 1995
- The Lost World Michael Crichton, #1
- Emotional Intelligence Daniel Goleman, #2
- Northern Lights Philip Pullman, #3
- Mindhunter John E. Douglas, #4
- Rose Madder Stephen King, #5
- Wicked Gregory Maguire, #6
See the full Best Books of 1995, the Top 100, or new books on Rising.
How we know
This page uses public data: Open Library reader counts and ratings, and Wikipedia page views for recent years. The description is paraphrased from real source text. Rankings reflect reading interest, not quality or sales, and can be affected by data gaps. Lists update monthly.
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