Cosmos has 13 heavily illustrated chapters, corresponding to the 13 episodes of the Cosmos television series. In the book, Sagan explores 15 billion years of cosmic evolution and the development of science and civilization. Cosmos traces the origins of knowledge and the scientific method, mixing science and philosophy, and speculates to the future of science. The book also discusses the underlying premises of science by providing biographical anecdotes about many prominent scientists throughout history, placing their contributions into the broader context of the development of modern science. Cornell News Service characterized the book as "an overview of how science and civilization grew up together." The book covers a broad range of topics, comprising Sagan''s reflections on anthropological, cosmological, biological, historical, and astronomical matters from antiquity to contemporary times. Sagan reiterates his position on extraterrestrial life—that the magnitude of the universe permits the existence of thousands of alien civilizations, but no credible evidence exists to demonstrate that such life has ever visited earth.

Cosmos

The six Find-Outers are having a chance tea at a local gymkhana with Inspector Jenks and his goddaughter Hilary when a robbery occurs in a nearby large house. The mysterious robber disappears from the scene of the crime without a trace - as if he were invisible and cannot be found. The robbed house turns out to be that of Hilary, so the children have the perfect excuse to investigate as they take the upset girl home. The mysterious thief leaves only a few clues behind - enormous footprints, enormous glove prints, a strange criss-cross mark on the ground, and two torn pieces of paper. The clues do not seem to make any sense. Of all the Peterswood villagers, only policeman Mr Goon and Colonel Cross have feet big enough to fit the footprints, and the thief cannot be either of them. The Five Find-Outers and dog decide that they will find the culprit before Mr. Goon does. Fatty uses his disguises to gather important information, and in doing so outwits Mr Goon, especially when both go at the same time to see Colonel Cross to ask him about his large shoes. Mr Goon disguises himself three times but on each occasion the Find-Outers see through the disguise straight away. The thief strikes again several times, once in Fatty''s own shed,and on each occasion the same clues are found - but apparently nobody sees the thief. Finally, Fatty discovers the identity of the thief, and the reason for the enormous footprints. The thief is actually the baker, a small man, who used the boots to give the impression that he was larger than he was, thus planting a false trail and allowing him to use escape options such as climbing out a window and down a drainpipe that would have been impossible for a man of the apparent size of the thief.

The Mystery of the Invisible Thief

Twenty-year-old Stephen leaves his home in Hong Kong just as the Japanese are poised to further invade China, towards Hong Kong. He is sent to Tarumi, a small beach-side village in Japan, to recuperate from tuberculosis. There, he meets and develops friendships with three adults, Matsu, Kenzo, and Sachi, and a young girl, Keiko, who is his own age. Keiko becomes his first love, but it can''t be because she is Japanese and he is Chinese. The Japanese and Chinese were fighting a war at that time, and Keiko''s family had prejudiced opinions about Chinese people (especially Keiko''s father). Yet Keiko still sees Stephen. Then Keiko''s brother eventually dies fighting for Japan, and that causes Keiko to feel guilty for dating Stephen. She ends the relationship because of that. Also, there is a bitter love triangle between Sachi, Kenzo, and Matsu. Sachi is now an old woman with leprosy. Lepers are forced into exile and are said to dishonor their family, because of their disfigured bodies. Sachi says that society thinks of her as a monster, and those thoughts have obviously rubbed off on her self-concept. She always makes sure that no one can see the right side of her scarred face (the left is unblemished and considered to be the most beautiful face Stephen has ever seen). Such beauty existing next to the scars shows that beauty is in everything. Now, when Sachi was younger and "one of the most beautiful girls in Tarumi", she was engaged to Kenzo, another good looking boy who had promise for a great, successful future. But when Sachi got leprosy, Kenzo''s parents forbade his going to Yamaguchi, and Kenzo was also afraid of seeing what happened to Sachi. He never realized it, but he had fallen in her love with her beauty, and not the soul. In order to keep in some contact in the later years with Sachi, Kenzo sent messages through his childhood friend, Matsu. Matsu is one of the main characters in this book and housed Stephen. Matsu was Stephen''s grandfather''s servant, and is a very understanding, quiet man. Matsu taught Stephen many lessons about honor, the cruelties of humanity, and what it is to love someone. Matsu was the only person who was truly there for Sachi, and over the years he and Sachi had started a loving relationship. This was very understated throughout the book, as if Gail Tsukiyama wanted to point out how simple everything was then. Also, Stephen''s Ba-ba (father) had an affair with a Japanese woman, and even gave money to his mistress. This tarnished Ba-ba''s reputation in Stephen''s mind, and he felt betrayed by his father. Throughout the book there is an underlying sense of society being out place, what with their crazy ideas of honor and the fact that there was a war going on. The unwinding stories of his new friends, war, and family eventually bring him to the beginnings of wisdom, love, honor, and loss.

The Samurai’s Garden

The novel Graceling by Kristin Cashore follows the life of the 18-year-old Katsa. She is a Graceling, a person with a greatly advanced skill. (People with Graces are noted to have two different colored eyes.) Katsa has one green eye, and one blue eye, which are described to be very beautiful. Because Katsa''s Grace is thought to be killing, her cruel uncle, King Randa, uses her as a weapon to punish those who displease him. The king''s cruelty causes her to be feared by many in the seven kingdoms; almost everybody believes Katsa to be a savage monster who thirsts for blood. Katsa, disgusted with herself for allowing herself to be controlled by a terrible king, retaliates by making a secret organization called the Council to help all who are being wronged by corrupt kings all over the seven kingdoms. While on a mission with her friends Giddon and Oll for the Council - to rescue the kidnapped father of the king of Lienid - Katsa meets another Graceling. To her surprise, he is able to match her as they fight, but she knocks him out after he says that he trusts her. Not long afterwards, he visits Randa''s court and is introduced to Katsa as a Lienid prince, named Greening Grandemalion. He tells her to call him Po, after a tree in Lienid, and they strike up a friendship. Po remains at Randa''s court to spar and train with Katsa, while also secretly researching reasons as to why anyone would kidnap the father of the King of Lienid, or Po''s grandfather. After a refused marriage proposal from Giddon and some odd words, Katsa realizes that Po''s Grace is not fighting, but mind reading. She confronts him, and he tells her that his Grace is sensing things, and he can only hear thoughts if they are about him. Katsa is furious and storms off, scared of how he can get into her head. Po later comes to apologize and she forgives him. During their talk, she realizes that she is in control of herself, and she doesn''t have to follow Randa''s orders. She stands up to Randa and refuses to do his bidding anymore. Katsa then leaves court. Katsa and Po attempt to find who kidnapped Po''s grandfather. She is uncomfortable with him now that she knows he can sense any thoughts she thinks about him. They begin to gather information about the kidnapping, and Po starts to suspect that the King of Monsea, Leck, is the one to blame from kidnapping Po''s grandfather. There are very strange stories, but yet nobody suspects him. He has the reputation of a very benevolent king. Po thinks that he might be Graced, although it is impossible to tell because Leck is missing one eye. Along the journey, Katsa realizes she is in love with Po, but she refuses to acknowledge her feelings because she has sworn never to marry. As their feelings grow stronger, they come up with a compromise for Katsa''s sake, and become passionate lovers. Katsa and Po continue on their journey to Monsea. While traveling through the forest they see King Leck murder his wife. Despite her promises to believe Po, Katsa still falters when Leck bursts into tears and mourns his wife''s accidental death. When she refuses to shoot the supposedly innocent Leck, Po urges them to retreat, knowing that he is the only one who is able to see through his Grace. Katsa and Po search for and find Princess Bitterblue, who escaped from her father, King Leck and earn her trust in order to protect her. Po later tries to assassinate Leck, who is protected by only graced guards, but is chased off after he kills one of the guards. Po is injured by a fall into an icy lake as well as shot with an arrow, making him unable to ride a horse and therefore unable to escape from Leck. After Po''s urging, Katsa takes the princess Bitterblue - Leck''s daughter, and Po''s cousin - to Po''s castle in Lienid. While traveling, Katsa realizes that the only way to go is through Grella''s pass. Grella''s pass is named after Grella, who died while making the journey. The only thing wrong with that is this, no one has ever gotten through the pass alive. Leck arrives at Po''s castle before Katsa and Bitterblue, where he has charmed the entire Lienid royal family. Although initially confused, Katsa realizes that Leck is about to tell Po''s secret. She then pulls her dagger out of it''s hilt and throws it straight through Leck''s mouth and drives it through his neck and into his chair. The fog from Leck''s Grace still remains, but Katsa eventually goes back for Po, and discovers that the fall has blinded him. However, his Grace allows him to sense the world around him, letting him see where his eyes cannot. The two return to Monsea for Bitterblue''s coronation.

Graceling

The story begins when an earthquake in Antarctica uncovers ancient man-made remains beneath the ice. The US military powers in the area ignore international law and take over without reporting the discovery to any other countries at work on the continent. The general in charge, Griffin Yeats, calls in his son Conrad and the only woman Conrad ever truly loved (yet could never be with), Australian linguist and ex-nun Serena Seghetti. While each has their own reasons for being there, they both invite trouble when they discover that what they''ve uncovered at the bottom of the chasm is the top of a pyramid. When they find their way inside, they accidentally set off a trap meant to periodically destroy civilization in order to keep human beings in check and stop them from destroying themselves for good. As they race across the newly-revealed Atlantis, trying to find a way to set things right, they end up in the middle of multiple government and terrorist bids to seize control of the site. Many secrets of the past of not just humanity, but of the main character, Conrad, are revealed. The novel ends with Atlantis being once again lost beneath the ice, along with all of its information, technology, and proof of its existence. Conrad just barely survives the re-burial and wakes up being treated in the Australian-owned McMurdo Station with Serena nearby. Serena tries to convince him that nothing happened, while Conrad tries, unsuccessfully, to hit on her. Serena goes back to the Vatican to report to the Pope and deliver her evidence of Atlantis, only to discover that Conrad had been toying with her. He had tricked a nurse into switching her thermos (in which she had concealed the information) with an empty one. Unfortunately for Conrad, the information is inconclusive and offers no real proof of what he found in Antarctica. The Pope then proceeds to beg her to return to the church, not just for religion''s sake, but to use the information and connections within to save Conrad''s life. While the situation is, in the end, resolved, this story is a cliffhanger and leads into the next novel of the four, The Atlantis Prophecy.

Raising Atlantis

In the main plot of the Heywood/Brome play, an upright and hospitable gentleman named Generous discovers that his wife has a secret nocturnal life, as the leader of a coven of witches; his miller wounds her with his sword while she is in the shape of a cat. When one of her servants refuses to get her horse, Mistress Generous bridles him instead and rides him to her coven. The conventional male-dominated relationship between husband and wife is subverted as Mistress Generous seeks greater freedom &mdash; until she is arrested and brought to trial. In the Seely family depicted in the subplot, the upset of social norms is even more extreme: the father is cowed by his son, the mother by her daughter, and the children by the servants. The family''s butler and maid, Lawrence and Parnell (the only characters in the play who speak in Lancashire dialect), marry, determined to lord it over their employers; but Lawrence is rendered impotent on his wedding night by a bewitched codpiece, and once again the woman inverts the usual social order. It is with the discovery and prosecution of the witches that society''s norms are restored.

The Late Lancashire Witches

After fighting the Belgians in the northern part of Gaul, Caesar states that they are the bravest enemies he''s ever faced (historically this statement really was made by Caesar). His soldiers agree with him, to the point when they consider being posted to the camps outside Asterix'' village as a period of leave. Chief Vitalstatistix is aghast at the idea that his village, which has been the terror of the Romans for years, is now looked upon as relatively harmless. He is further outraged when he hears of Caesar''s remarks. He claims that his villagers are in fact the bravest men of Gaul, and travels to Belgium to prove his point. A reluctant Asterix and Obelix go with him after Getafix tells them not doing so could make the story come to a sticky end. After crossing the border, they encounter a village of Belgians who rely on brute strength (and a regular diet of meat and beer) to successfully scare off Caesar''s troops. These Belgians are led by two chiefs, Beefix and Brawnix (though Brawnix comes across mainly as a second-in-command). To prove that the Gauls are the bravest, Vitalstatistix proposes a competition. The contest consists of raiding and destroying Roman camps on either side of the village. The Belgians and Gauls destroy the camps, telling the soldiers who they are. By the end they have destroyed an equal number of camps, and word is sent to Rome. Meanwhile the Pirate''s ship is wrecked when Obelix throws a boulder catapulted at him too high, causing the Captain to complain, saying he and his men are neutrals. Word is sent to Rome, though the facts are exaggerated, talking about vast hordes of Gauls, a savage pack of hounds, and a mysterious fleet of neutrals. Caesar goes to Belgium himself to restore order unaware of the fact that the whole thing is to get him to decide once and for all which side is the bravest. Outraged at being reduced, in the eyes of the Gauls and Belgians, to a mere umpire (as opposed to emperor), Caesar furiously declares that he will meet them in battle. The Belgians tell the Gauls to stay away as it is now a purely local issue. Through the use of catapults the Romans get their way in the early stages of the battle. But then the three Gauls, and their magic potion, join the Belgians after they thwart an attempted attack on the Belgian lines from behind through a forest, and, by combining their efforts, the Gauls are the final victors. Caesar decides to leave for Rome. On his way he comes across the Gaulish and Belgian chiefs. Caesar proudly announces that he will lay down his life, but they say that they are there to remind him of their competition and want to know who is the bravest. Caesar angrily declares them simply all crazy and leaves. Vitalstatistix and Beefix laugh the incident off. They have to face the fact that they are all equally brave and, after a victory feast, part on good terms.

Asterix in Belgium

We are told at the beginning of the novel that Ariane is a figment of his imagination, yet we learn her life story in intimate detail and the lines between reality and imagination are blurred throughout the story. Named for Ariadne, the heroine of Greek myth who helps Theseus escape the Minotaur, Ariane begins as the promiscuous beauty of the fictional town of Babbington, Long Island. We follow as she tries to escape her demeaning job at a clam shack and bad-girl reputation, going through several phases of personal examination and reinvention. Ariane is an energetic storyteller, and she relates her story to Leroy and the reader through a series of funny and poignant episodes that explore the power of personal fantasy. In one sequence, Leroy''s grandfather, with Ariane''s help, comforts his dying wife by pretending their home is a ship making the journey to the tropical destination of Rarotonga. Later, we learn that much of Ariane''s life has been a public exhibition in a very literal way. As Ariane weaves her story, Leroy acts as a foil and guide, often finishing her sentences and filling in details.

What a Piece of Work I Am

Theo is an avid reader who lives in the slums of Vancouver with her young mother Mary-Rae, who is irresponsible and frequently mistreats Theo. She often fantasizes about an alternate life, her dreams fueled by the huge quantity of books she reads about perfect families. Rae starts dating a man named Cal, and eventually moves in with him, sending Theo to live with her aunt, Rae''s sister Sharon, in Victoria. While she and her mother are on the ferry to Victoria, Theo meets a "perfect" family,by the name of the Kaldors. She and the Kaldor children instantly make friends and play together on the ferry. Theo and the children see a new moon while on the ferry and each make a wish. Theo desperately wishes she belonged to the Kaldor family and then faints. Theo wakes up mysteriously and inexplicably living with the Kaldors. Theo originally believes there must be a mistake, but is delighted to find that the Kaldors simply accept her as a member of the family. Theo quickly begins to believe that as long as she remains with the Kaldors, nothing will ever go wrong again. Several months pass and then suddenly, Theo''s life begins to fade away - literally. Quickly after this, Theo blacks out again. Theo wakes up and finds herself back on the ferry with her mother, at the exact moment she left, much to her unhappiness. She begins to live with her aunt Sharon, but she cannot enjoy it as she keeps wondering if the Kaldors were real or just a dream. Theo eventually discovers that the Kaldors do exist, but is instantly disappointed when they do not remember her. She befriends them, but is frustrated that they aren''t "perfect" - they too have normal family issues. Theo is also frustrated that they simply view her as a friend, not as a member of the family. Meanwhile, Theo discovers a shadowy presence in the Kaldor''s house - the restless spirit of a dead author, Cecily Stone. Cecily lived in the house her entire life and remains there while she tries to settle the past. She feels she cannot die until she has created an idea for her ''great novel'' which she never wrote. Theo is stunned to find that Cecily''s idea consists of Theo coming to live with the Kaldors. Cecily explains that she first saw Theo on the ferry to Victoria, imagined a better life for Theo, but her idea faded when she could not come up with a conclusive ending. It appears that Theo''s longing for a family and Cecily''s idea for a book came together and made Theo''s dream, but when Cecily''s idea faded, so did the dream. Rae''s relationship with Cal fails, so she comes to live with Sharon and Theo in Victoria. Theo begins to enjoy her real life, not just her imaginary one. This is thrown into chaos when Rae decides to go back to Vancouver, much to Sharon''s refusal. Theo is so upset that she goes to Cecily for advice. Cecily sympathizes but knows there is nothing she can do, and instead gives Theo advice on how to continue with her life. Cecily now feels that she is able to move on and face the next stage of her journey. Theo returns home and stands up for herself, refusing to leave Victoria. She insists that Rae pull her act together and take care of her properly. Rae is stunned, but agrees. The novel skips forward several weeks to Theo''s tenth birthday. She and Rae now live together in a clean and comfortable apartment. Rae has a decent job and is taking care of Theo. It appears that Theo''s life is beginning to work out. She enjoys a birthday party with her friends, the Kaldors, and her family. She accepts that she doesn''t know if this life will last, but she will enjoy it while she can.

Awake and Dreaming

The family is allied with an alien, an octopus-like being who can survive in the new atmosphere. Humans must live in shelters with oxygen-generating plants, or use suitable breathing equipment. Some of Earth''s original life forms have mutated to survive in the changed atmosphere. Since almost no metals can exist in the corrosive atmosphere, any technology is based on ceramics or glass. Some humans are suspicious of the aliens, and even blame them for the change to the atmosphere, since they seem to be adapted for it. The family have an almost fatal encounter with a group of such people, who are holding another alien hostage. However, the two aliens are able to pool memories biochemically, so that they become the same personality in two bodies. Their combined knowledge and skills help the humans to escape. At the end the aliens reveal that they are basically tourists or scientists, and they travel from one system to another over thousands of years. Atmospheres "mature" when the nitrogen absorbs all the oxygen, the cause being the inevitable evolution of bacteria that use gold to catalyze the reaction. It is hinted, but not stated outright, that human mining of gold triggered this reaction.

The Nitrogen Fix

Anthony Monday and his family live in Hoosac, Minnesota, and, while not poor, are having money problems. Anthony is desperate to help with expenses and accepts a part-time job from Myra Eells, the elderly librarian of Hoosac Public Library. Working at the library allows Anthony to earn a little money, as well learn more about the man who built the library, the wealthy and eccentric Alpheus Winterborn. Rumor has it that Winterborn found something on an archeological dig many years before and hid it for safekeeping somewhere in the library, but no one believes the tale to be true. During his chores around the building, Anthony ultimately finds a clue that hints that the Winterborn treasure does exist and if clues, written by Winterborn himself, are followed correctly they will lead the lucky treasure hunter to the prize. Anthony knows that finding the treasure will result in money that can help with family finances and treatment during his father''s heart-attack recovery. But soon Anthony runs afoul of the greedy bank vice-president, Hugo Philpotts, who seems to know a little something about the Winterborn treasure, too. They both fight for the treasure and look for it. Anthony finds the treasure in the weathervane, a gold statue that was worth a lot of money; after which he sells it. He gave half of the money to Ms. Eells and kept half for himself.

The Treasure of Alpheus Winterborn

Lothair, a wealthy young orphaned Scottish nobleman (loosely based on the 3rd Marquess of Bute) has been brought up in the legal guardianship of his Presbyterian uncle Lord Culloden and of a Catholic convert, Cardinal Grandison (based on H. E. Manning). When he comes of age Lothair finds himself the centre of attention of three fascinating women, Lady Corisande, Clare Arundel, and Theodora Campion, representing the Church of England, the Roman Catholic church, and the Radical cause respectively. Wavering in his allegiances, he unsuccessfully proposes marriage to Lady Corisande, almost joins the Catholic church, and finally joins Theodora in Italy as a volunteer in the army of Garibaldi, which is fighting to take the Papal States for Italy. Theodora is killed at Viterbo, and Lothair is seriously wounded at the Battle of Mentana, but is nursed back to health by Clare Arundel, who tries to persuade him that he was saved by an apparition of the Virgin Mary. He takes refuge with the bohemian dandy Mr. Phoebus (a thinly disguised Frederic Leighton), who takes him to Syria, which, as the cradle of Christianity, seems the ideal place to reflect on the roots of the Faith. In Jerusalem he meets Paraclete, a mystic who teaches him that there is truth in many religions. Lothair decides in favour of the Church of England, resisting the attempts of Cardinal Grandison and other prelates, including Mgr Catesby (a thinly disguised Thomas Capel) to convert him to Catholicism, and returns to England where he marries Lady Corisande.

Over 8000 Takeaways For Your Brain!

Read - Listen - Learn

Cosmos

By Carl Sagan

The Mystery of the Invisible Thief

No Author Listed

The Samurai’s Garden

By Gail Tsukiyama

Graceling

By Kristin Cashore

Raising Atlantis

No Author Listed

The Late Lancashire Witches

By Thomas Heywood

Asterix in Belgium

No Author Listed

What a Piece of Work I Am

By Eric Kraft

Awake and Dreaming

By Kit Pearson

The Nitrogen Fix

By Hal Clement

The Treasure of Alpheus Winterborn

By John Bellairs

Lothair

By Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield