DISCLAIMER: THIS REVIEW IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH CARL SAGAN OR BALLANTINE BOOKS IN ANY WAY. ANY OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THIS REVIEW ARE NOT MEANT TO OFFEND THE READER OR EXPRESS THE BELIEFS OF THE AUTHOR OR SAN MARIN STEM IN ANY WAY SHAPE OR FORM.
One hundred million neurons in the brain allow humans to do amazing things. In Dragons of Eden by Dr. Carl Sagan, the structure, evolution, and future of the brain are investigated in depth. Dr. Sagan reaches a variety of interesting conclusions, for example, animals with a higher brain mass to body size ratio are usually smarter than critters with a lower ratio. Based on this evidence, scientists believe dolphins to be the smartest creature after humans. Dr. Sagan also investigates which parts of our brains were inherited from which ancestors such as homo habilis, homo erectus, and australopithecus. Dr. Sagan also includes personal experiences he has had in his book, which make it more interesting at times. Despite containing many interesting facts, theories, and studies, this novel is not without problems. At times, the text is hard to follow without a large dictionary to look up the tricky words. Also, Dr. Sagan does not always back up his claims with evidence, which really detracts from the credibility of the novel. Overall, I would recommend Dragons of Eden to high school students who have a passion for evolutionary biology and like a good read.
One hundred million neurons in the brain allow humans to do amazing things. In Dragons of Eden by Dr. Carl Sagan, the structure, evolution, and future of the brain are investigated in depth. Dr. Sagan reaches a variety of interesting conclusions, for example, animals with a higher brain mass to body size ratio are usually smarter than critters with a lower ratio. Based on this evidence, scientists believe dolphins to be the smartest creature after humans. Dr. Sagan also investigates which parts of our brains were inherited from which ancestors such as homo habilis, homo erectus, and australopithecus. Dr. Sagan also includes personal experiences he has had in his book, which make it more interesting at times. Despite containing many interesting facts, theories, and studies, this novel is not without problems. At times, the text is hard to follow without a large dictionary to look up the tricky words. Also, Dr. Sagan does not always back up his claims with evidence, which really detracts from the credibility of the novel. Overall, I would recommend Dragons of Eden to high school students who have a passion for evolutionary biology and like a good read.