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  • Pale Blue Dot

  • A Vision of the Human Future in Space
  • Written by: Carl Sagan
  • Narrated by: Carl Sagan, Ann Druyan
  • Length: 13 hrs and 18 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (159 ratings)

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Pale Blue Dot cover art

Pale Blue Dot

Written by: Carl Sagan
Narrated by: Carl Sagan, Ann Druyan
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Publisher's Summary

"FASCINATING . . . MEMORABLE . . . REVEALING . . . PERHAPS THE BEST OF CARL SAGAN''S BOOKS." --The Washington Post Book World (front page review)

In Cosmos, the late astronomer Carl Sagan cast his gaze over the magnificent mystery of the Universe and made it accessible to millions of people around the world. Now in this stunning sequel, Carl Sagan completes his revolutionary journey through space and time.

Future generations will look back on our epoch as the time when the human race finally broke into a radically new frontier--space. In Pale Blue Dot Sagan traces the spellbinding history of our launch into the cosmos and assesses the future that looms before us as we move out into our own solar system and on to distant galaxies beyond. The exploration and eventual settlement of other worlds is neither a fantasy nor luxury, insists Sagan, but rather a necessary condition for the survival of the human race.

"TAKES READERS FAR BEYOND Cosmos . . . Sagan sees humanity''s future in the stars." --Chicago Tribune

Introductory music from the original score for COSMOS: A SpaceTime Odyssey composed by Alan Silvestri, used with permission from Cosmos Studios, Inc. and Chappers Music. All rights reserved. Special thanks to Fuzzy Planets, Inc.

©1994 Carl Sagan (P)2017 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

What listeners say about Pale Blue Dot

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Read by Ann Druyan featuring Carl Sagan

I've read this before and heard the audio version before. every time it's awesome. this new audible version however is maybe 15% read by Carl. the rest is Ann Druyan. nothing against her, she did a great job, it's still a great listen, but she is not Carl. so it was disappointing that the audio was not good enough and we got so little Carl Sagan. they should be more up front about it. I clicked the preview heard Carl's majestic voice and then clicked buy.

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15 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
  • JC
  • 2020-03-12

Only a few chapters actually narrated by Carl Saga

Feel like I was tricked. I'm not a fan of Ann Druyan's narration. I get that this was probably a personal choice, but not for me.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Painful to listen to.

Great book, in dire need of a voice actor. All due respect to Ms Druyan's erudition, her voice is not suitable for this sort of performance.
I kept wanting to clear my throat all through this audio...

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

An Uncomfortable Listen

As much enthusiasm Ann Druyan has for the subject, she is not a trained speaker and her voice comes off as cartoonish. I respect her academic credentials greatly, but this title would have benefitted from a reading by a professional voice.

Also, the material is from the 1990s, and much has happened in the mean time. I would old like to see a updating and rewrite of this book.

That said, there are some timeless insights in this book. If you can get by the irritating voice, it is worth a listen.

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4 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Needed more Karl

Though there was lots of useful information and what could have been very inspiring stories and anecdotes. the narration of Anna duryan was too excited, too often, about too many things, ultimately muting any moments of significance in the book. I'm on chapter 16 and am having trouble justifying finishing the rest.

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3 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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  • Pat
  • 2020-07-30

excellent story

the parts that Carl narrates are excellent. the parts of the female narrator left me wondering if I was being read a bedtime story.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

an exploration of space and humanity

Very interesting assessment of humanity and overview of our solar system by the renound astronomer Carl Sagan. The book swings between wide brushstroke ideas to tedious details which makes some chapters more interesting than others

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Disappointed by the narrator switch over.

I bought the audiobook in great part to listen to the voice of Carl Sagan as heard online on social media.
Not far from the beginning of this book it changes to that of a very different woman’s acute tone, needless to say that thru me off completely and didn’t finish.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great book, ok narrator

This classic book on space technology and planetary exploration now serves as a record of the state of these endeavors late in the 20th century. A great listen now during the renaissance of rocket development and ambitions to return to the moon - and beyond.
My only disappointment is that more of the book isn't narrated by Mr. Sagan.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Terrible narration

Love Cosmos on audible but this book really suffers with the women narration. Just ruined it for me

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