Broca's Brain: Reflections on the Romance of ScienceBroca's Brain: Reflections on the Romance of Science
Score Classic
What it's about
Carl Sagan, the astronomer, gathers essays on science and the romance of discovery: the preserved brain of a 19th-century scientist, the planets of our solar system, the search for life elsewhere, robots, and how to tell real science from claims like astrology and ancient astronauts.
Why it's worth reading
It was a National Book Award finalist. Sagan is a wonderful guide to thinking clearly and wondering widely.
You'll love it if you liked
Cosmos
Astrophysics for People in a Hurry
Bad ScienceGood to know
It's from 1979, so some of the science is dated.
By the numbers
- Readers54 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics28 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller3 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #102 of the 119 science and ideas books we rank
- #556 of the 762 classics we rank
- #1937 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story, Thought-provoking
More by Carl Sagan
If you like this, read next
Ender's Game
The Making of the Atomic Bomb
Dune
The Lord of the Rings
How to Win Friends and Influence People
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Science and ideas booksTop 25 · 119 ranked
Classic booksTop 25 · 762 ranked
Books of the 1970sTop 25 · 131 ranked
Fantasy booksTop 25 · 459 ranked
Mysteries and thrillersTop 25 · 555 ranked
Literary novelsTop 25 · 309 ranked
Memoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 ranked
Science fiction booksTop 25 · 313 rankedQuick answers
Is Broca's Brain: Reflections on the Romance of Science worth reading?
Yes. It was a National Book Award finalist. It ranks #1,937 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 64.5 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Broca's Brain: Reflections on the Romance of Science about?
Carl Sagan, the astronomer, gathers essays on science and the romance of discovery: the preserved brain of a 19th-century scientist, the planets of our solar system, the search for life elsewhere, robots, and how to tell real science from claims like astrology and ancient astronauts.
How long does it take to read Broca's Brain: Reflections on the Romance of Science?
About 10 hours (398 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Broca's Brain: Reflections on the Romance of Science?
If you liked it, try Cosmos by Carl Sagan, Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson or Bad Science by Ben Goldacre.