Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors By Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan

A National Bestseller and a thrilling saga of human origins.

World-renowned scientist Carl Sagan and acclaimed author Ann Druyan have written a Roots for the human species—a lucid and riveting account of how humans got to be the way we are. Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors is a thrilling saga that starts with the very origin of the Earth.

With humor and drama, Sagan and Druyan show that many of our key traits—self-awareness, technology, family ties, reason, and ethics—are rooted in the deep past and illuminated by our kinship with other animals. They conduct a breathtaking journey through space and time, zeroing in on critical turning points in evolutionary history. Astonishing in its scope, brilliant in its insights, and an absolutely compelling read, this book is a true triumph of popular science.

Praise for Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors:

• “A BIG book about BIG questions—‘Who are we? Where do we come from? Why are we this way and no other? What does it mean to be human?’ With all the Sagan/Druyan trademarks—crystal-clear exposition . . . eye-popping anecdotes . . . crack science writing for the masses.” —Kirkus Reviews
• “Dazzling . . . a feast. Absorbing and elegantly written... It is an amazing story, masterfully told.” —Financial Times (London)
• “Exciting and provocative . . . A tour de force of a book that begs to be seen as well as to be read.” —The Washington Post Book World

🔭 From the Desk of Paul Bracken:

When we look through a telescope, we are literally looking back in time. Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan do the exact same thing here, but they point the lens back at our own extraordinary evolutionary history here on Earth. If 'Cosmos' shows us where we are in the universe, 'Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors' shows us exactly how we became the creatures capable of asking these big, cosmic questions in the first place. It's the perfect book to round out your Sagan collection!