Cosmos
Carl Sagan
20 people recommended it in 18 threads, 2007–2026.
2 of those were in the last year.
What people on Hacker News said
I didn't know there was a TV series for it at the time, where reading it truly blew my mind that there were other galaxies and stellar objects beyond the Milky Way, and how happenstance humanity's origin story began.
It's a world of discovery. It's a world of curiosity. It's a world of wonder and imagination. It's a world of exploration.
But the book that impacted my life most was Cosmos by Carl Sagan. Read it.
Cosmos was such a departure from anything else I read for school or for pleasure. It transformed my love of reading into a love of learning.
Cosmos - helped me fall in love with Physics, and the sciences.
"Cosmos" by Carl Sagan - that book was a life changer for me and has been with me ever since.
Where it comes up
- Ask HN: Books that changed your life? 2010 · 2 recommendations
- Articles, Ideas, Books and/or Concepts that have changed your life 2008 · 2 recommendations
- Ask HN: Books Recommendations? 2026 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: Favourite science history book of the 20th century? 2026 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: What's the "best" book you've ever read? 2024 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: What are the best books you've ever read? 2024 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: Do you recall any book or course that made a topic finally click? 2022 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: What book changed your life? 2022 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: Mind bending books to read and never be the same as before? 2020 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: What books changed the way you think about almost everything? 2019 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: What books have made the biggest impact on your mental models? 2017 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: Books you read in 2016? 2016 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: What good books have you read lately? 2016 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: What are your favorite books? 2016 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: What are the most thought-provoking books that you have read? 2015 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: Best book you read in 2011 2011 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: Best book you read in 2010 and briefly why 2010 · 1 recommendation
- Ask YC: favorite books 2007 · 1 recommendation