Cosmos

Anyone who engages these texts will either revolutionize their worldview to a more accurate picture of the universe around us; or at the very least will have his/her worldview fleshed out with most of the major contours that direct our lives.

Cosmos – Niel DeGrass Tyson or Carl Sagan (TV Show)
A Theory of Everything – Ken Wilber (Book)
A Short History of Nearly Everything – Bill Bryson (Audio Book)
The Great Ideas of Psychology – The Great Courses (Audio Lectures)
12 Essential Scientific Concepts – The Great Courses (Audio Lectures)

Why these five pieces of information are so powerful in enhancing our big picture view:

Anyone who hasn’t read, listened to, or watched these four pieces of information should short track them to the top of the reading and watching list. Personally, I would recommend these different works be taken in through different mediums for optimal benefits.

1. Cosmos – This is simply a masterpiece whether you start with Carl Sagan’s original version or the 21^st century updated edition. Of course the newer version takes full advantage of the most modern production, but this is probably the quickest and most enjoyable way to upload an up-to-date model of what’s going around us.

The benefits here are that it walks us through the fundamentals of science and what we know about the universe and life. It also adds a glimpse of the history behind how we came to know what we know. It brings some of the great figures from history back to life. It’s entertaining and inspiring. Almost undoubtedly the best use of television since the history of the invention.

Limitations – This might sound like splitting hairs, but as incredibly excellent as Cosmos is, there are inevitable shortcomings. Primarily, this show focuses on what we can objectively prove with the hard sciences. It discusses some social factors and history that influenced how and why our knowledge has developed as it has. But it leaves out the social sciences almost completely: psychology, sociology, economics, philosophy, and spirituality are glossed over. But no single source has all the answers. That’s why we’ve got four texts to overview here.

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