This is the latest book by the famous scientist and science popularizer Carl Sagan. In his characteristically lucid and visual manner, Sagan shows how knowledge in the field of natural sciences and mathematics is applied in our daily lives, and also examines the most important issues related to the environment and the future of humanity. His interests are wide and varied: he easily moves from the invention of chess to the possibility of life on Mars, from the origins of our passion for football to the relationship between the United States and Russia, from global warming to the debate about a woman’s right to abortion. The last essay, which the author wrote while struggling with a fatal illness, presents his revelations regarding his love for his family and his personal relationship with death and God.