Book review
The Dragons of Eden
Sagan considers the evolution of intelligence through anthropology, biology and psychology, making room for both intuition and reason. An enjoyable book, though parts of its account of intelligence and brain evolution are dated.
The Dragons of Eden by Carl Sagan looks at life, intelligence and evolution, while sometimes wandering back into space. The original book appeared in 1977.
I really enjoyed it, but it was the most outdated Sagan book I had read. I think that is partly its age and partly because ideas in psychology can change the narrative more sharply than the cumulative picture I had found in his books about space. It still showed his broad interest in science and love of learning.
Sagan also argues for a balance between what he calls the left and right sides of the brain. In these notes, I took that as a case for both creative conjecture and reasoned testing. The book's neuroscience belongs to its 1977 context.
For a general overview, see The Dragons of Eden.