For Small Creatures Such as We: Rituals for Finding Meaning in Our Unlikely World

by Sasha Sagan

"What is the meaning of life? Sagan finds its meaning everywhere--with her family, around the world, and especially among the stars of the cosmos. Read her work; you'll have a deeper appreciation for your every step, every bite, and every breath." --Bill Nye

Sasha Sagan was raised by secular parents, the astronomer Carl Sagan and the writer and producer Ann Druyan. They taught her that the natural world and vast cosmos are full of profound beauty, that science reveals truths more wondrous than any myth or fable.

When Sagan herself became a mother, she began her own hunt for the natural phenomena behind our most treasured occasions--from births to deaths, holidays to weddings, anniversaries, and more--growing these roots into a new set of rituals for her young daughter that honor the joy and significance of each experience without relying on religious framework.

As Sagan shares these rituals, For Small Creatures Such as We becomes a tribute to a father, a newborn daughter, a marriage, and the natural world--a celebration of life itself, and the power of our families and beliefs to bring us together.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Philosophy, Memoir, Spirituality, Religion, Self Help

275 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2019

About the author

Alexandra Rachel "Sasha" Druyan Sagan (1982), is a native of Ithaca, New York and a graduate of NYU. She has worked as a writer, television producer, filmmaker, and editor in New York City, Boston and London. Her essays and interviews on death, history, travel and ritual through a scientific lens have appeared in New York Magazine, O. the Oprah Magazine, Literary Hub, Mashable.com and elsewhere. She is also a contributing editor for the British fashion magazine The Violet Book.

She lives in Boston with her husband and daughter. For Small Creatures Such As We is her first book.

Reviews

[Toni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful, honest, thoughtful... Sasha Sagan's For Small Creatures Such as We is a fascinating read for anybody who looks for spirituality in everyday life.

Full review to come.

Thank you to Edelweiss and G.P.Putnam's sons for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

My parents taught me that the universe is enormous and we humans are tiny beings who get to live on an out-of-the-way planet for the blink of an eye. And they taught me that, as they once wrote, "for small creatures such as we, the vastness is bearable only through love." pg 12, ebook.

Sasha Sagan, the daughter of celebrated scientist Carl Sagan, was raised to believe only what could be proven. Her father told her: "It's dangerous to believe things just because you want them to be true." pg 11, ebook.

But they also instilled a sense of wonder in Sasha about existence and humanity's place in it. For Small Creatures Such as We is an examination of religious and secular celebrations and rituals from around the world. I learned a great deal about the similarities of humanity's need to celebrate and recognize the seasons, rites of passage, and other universal milestones in life.

I wouldn't describe myself as religious, rather I'm very spiritual. In my opinion, Sagan's book could appeal to even those who may describe themselves as religious. She has a welcoming voice for every kind of reader.

"If you are devoutly religious, firstly, I'm delighted you're reading this. Thank you. ... This book is not intended to dissuade you, only to increase what there is to be joyful about." pg 14

I think she succeeds in drawing a clear picture of what rituals mean to humanity. And that brought me so much hope for the future. Some live lives of little meaning and less depth because there is no framework in place to support the creation of personal rituals outside of certain groups who may not share your vision of reality.

This book could be helpful for spiritual people who want to use rituals to instill a sense of wonder into their daily existence. It is also fascinating to learn about so many different cultures from around the world. Highly recommended.

[Olivia (Stories For Coffee) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A wonderful nonfiction discussing births, adopting, creating, and dropping rituals, appreciating daily rituals (even if it’s just getting a cup of coffee). Sagan manages to make me slow down and appreciate the smaller beauties of life as well as the momentous occasions that we have celebrated for centuries. A truly fascinating read.

[R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is lovely in some parts, and annoyingly new-age, hippie, and care-bears-like in others. The good: the first few chapters are an ode to life, and, if I am honest, reading that in the middle of a global pandemic was uplifting and inspiring. The love of the author for her parents is truly moving, and there are parts that I imagine were not easy to write. The emotions feel very raw in many parts, despite the fact that Carl Sagan died a while ago.

The bad: some chapters were rather annoying and I found myself eye-rolling. For example, the chapter about fasting and hunger needs a good ol' dose of Marxism. The author decides to fast once a year to force herself to think about global inequality and do 'more' about it: volunteer in a charity, or whatever. Although there is a vague criticism to how food resources are globally distributed, the author does not even mention the system that creates this brutal inequality (capitalism, maybe?). I am sorry but I am a Marxist sociologist, and fasting once a year to make yourself more aware of global inequalities sounds like total BS to me, pardon my French.

Overall, it is an easy read that can bring joy to many people during these uncertain times. The author is ok with uncertainty -to an extent- and there is an honest interest in exploring the nexus between religious and secular mythologies and rituals that is often engaging and interesting. I would just have dialed up the Marxism in the book, but hey that's just me :)

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is pretty much an autobiography whose main theme is how amazing the world/the universe/reality is from a secular, skeptical point of view. And it does a good job at those things! Sasha Sagan is a very good storyteller, making the events she writes about very engaging. She also conveys very well that reality, in all its unlikeliness, is wonderful and the cause of much awe.
The theme of rituals, though, is somewhat secondary, mostly the underlying context that ties the chapters together. Maybe the book's title (along with its description on the back cover) was a bit misleading; it made me expect more practical insights and tips of potential secular rituals or habits to incorporate in everyday life to make existence more beautiful. It does have a couple of ideas that the reader can adopt, but, as far as rituals go, the book mostly mentions costumes of different cultures, religions, and eras, as well as some of the author's personal rituals. This is, of course, really interesting, and the title ("Rituals for Finding Meaning in Our Unlikely World") does fit the book's content pretty well in hindsight.
Overall, the book is a pleasant, fluid read that gives you a sense of wholesomeness.

[Sarah Olson Michel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sasha Sagan's thoughtful examination of how rituals, both secular and religious, bring meaning to our everyday lives is simply impossible to put down - I read it in one evening. With a scientific perspective that encourages awe and wonder, her profound observations will resonate with readers religious, agnostic, atheist, or otherwise. Truly an unforgettable book you don't want to miss even if you've never read Carl Sagan or Ann Druyan's works (although you certainly should). It's an inspiring and wonder-provoking read that anyone would enjoy, and I'm already making a list of people I plan to give copies to this holiday season. It's certainly an astounding read I'd recommend to everyone seeking meaning in their everyday lives.

[Bruce Crocker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though this is NOT THE Earth-shattering, non-fiction book of the year. Even though sellers may find it hard to place - memoir, self-help, social science,...? - and sell. Even though part of my reaction is the happy curiosity of finding out how the kid of Carl Sagan and Anne Druyan turned out [I met her at the signing at Vroman's Books in Pasadena, CA], this is a really great book and I've already been recommending it to everyone. As a secular person - surprise, she's the kid of Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan - Sasha Sagan has had work to reconcile her love of ritual and the surprise and delight of meaningful coincidence - including some very churchy things - with her desire to remain the rational, secular person she was raised. I share these qualities with her - in my case I'm an atheist who likes many aspects of church and I don't discount my emotional response to random, but seemingly meaningful, coincidences. She talks about rituals from around the world, including ones she or her family have followed - she's a secular Jew, and includes some that she has helped to create on the way. Her discomfort, as an adult - at least initially - with Christmas has a similar path to the way Christmas began to feel for me as an adult. This book would make a great gift for a reader about to go through some big transition in life - graduation, marriage, the birth of a child, the impending loss of a parent or spouse - and that goes equally well for someone who is or is NOT religious.

[Subhasree · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. It is not one of the books I loved reading because it is written well; the writing is okay. But, reading this book is like going on a date (not necessarily romantic) with a person with whom you resonate so well that you finish each other's sentences but don't get bored because the other person has ideas to offer that hasn't struck you yet.

The author shares a very grateful and hopeful view of life. I subscribe to a similar world view hence loved reading this book. This however might not be to everyone's liking.

Some of the references to different rituals were overwhelming (because it was too many) but I liked that the author backed her ideas with historical facts and events. It helped me connect not only to the author but also to several communities that I have never visited and worse some communities that existed hundreds of years before I was even born.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book. The reader will realise really early in the book if it is going to be of their liking.

[S · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book really boring. In between snippets of the author's autobiography, this book glosses through hundreds of rituals the world over in areas such as "spring," "marriage," etc. It has moments of beauty and insight, but its almost encyclopedic in the way it lists these rituals, and in between these short snippets it often feels pretty sappy.

[Diane in Australia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars = It was okay.

Sasha is Carl Sagan's daughter. She talks about growing up in a very literal, secular, yet open-minded home. The book sets out to find the joy, and experience the significance, of rituals without relying on religion to do so.

“What an astonishing thing a book is. It’s a flat object made from a tree with flexible parts on which are imprinted lots of funny dark squiggles. But one glance at it and you’re inside the mind of another person, maybe somebody dead for thousands of years. Across the millennia, an author is speaking clearly and silently inside your head, directly to you. Writing is perhaps the greatest of human inventions, binding together people who never knew each other, citizens of distant epochs. Books break the shackles of time. A book is proof that humans are capable of working magic.” ~ Sasha Sagan

[Ms. McGregor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sasha Sagan's forthcoming book deftly combines memoir, history, theology, philosophy and science into an Atheist/ Agnostic guidebook for creating and celebrating rituals to enhance a meaningful, connected life. Sagan draws upon the legacy and lessons of her parents to make the case for the miraculousness of coincidence and the natural universe.

It is truly refreshing to read a book that makes the case for a humanist, atheist worldview that is not fatalistic or condescending but includes wonder, ritual, tradition and moral grounding.

https://upmygalley.com/
Published 9/5/19
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[Ruth · Rating 1 out of 5]

I... think I might be the wrong audience for this book. I could not get past the first few chapters. I’m a scientist because I’m fascinated by our universe, and it felt boring and preachy to read about somebody else trying to explain this philosophical outlook to me.

[Gregory Eakins · Rating 5 out of 5]

The biggest drawback to being secular is the lack of a shared culture. I can live without an afterlife, I can live without a god. But not without celebrations, not without community, not without ritual. There are no hymns about the testing of theories or mapping of genomes. No festivals to commemorate great inventions or medical breakthroughs. Since I long for ways to honor the wonder of life, I’ve found myself making up new rituals.

Carl Sagan seems not only to have been a competent scientist, author, and communicator, but also a great father. You can see in Sasha's writing the very same sense of wonder about our existence and place in the universe that Carl so often expressed.

By analyzing human religious and cultural rituals around the world, Sasha discusses why these behaviors came to be and distills lessons that, as non-believers, can help up make sense of the often nonsensical things people do for their Gods and help guide us towards meaningful rituals of our own.

For example, she looks at the coming-of-age rituals that seem to be pervasive in religions and cultures throughout history. The Mormons do their mission. The Jewish have a bar mitzvah or bat mitzvah. The Sateré-Mawé tribe put their hands in gloves full of pissed off bullet ants. What do these have in common? They are all gateways into adulthood - a time when you go from being a child, to being able to make one.

Sasha's clarity and enthusiasm for life are delightful. While most of the discussions have a secular reader in mind, I believe even religious readers would benefit from Sasha's discussions that might shed light on the rational reasons behind some of the silly habits of religion.

[Caity · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF’d at 190 pages
Life is too short to read books that you blatantly disliked.
This book had no original ideas to me. Sagan had nothing new or revolutionary to say. It felt like a lecture of her ideals. Also it felt like hearing from that annoying person that just can’t stop talking about themselves all the time. Like you just know if you told her something about your life, instead of actively listening she would come back about something in her life to bring the attention back on herself. I could be wrong but the way this novel can off so preachy without a moments break is the way I got this impression.
I also feel that she might be better off writing fiction. I felt like she knew the basic foundations of science but it would have been more interesting coming from someone who has actually studied it in depth. Just bad vibes all round.
Also that sex chapter was just weird, I felt uncomfortable. Let’s be clear, no one wants to hear about your sex life. It is not just a taboo or sin thing but it also just in general very uncomfortable. I literally cringed and got icky reading it.
That MANY times this woman says ritual makes you shudder, it is just very repetitive word vomit!

[Matt · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hate to do this to such a wonderfully written book, but I’m not a book reviewer.
I’m not here to unbiasedly say if it was well written etc etc without concerning myself if I enjoyed the book.
This is so well written, full of awe and romance of everything in the universe, but I’m such an anti-theist that I can’t look at religious activities, as Sasha does, with a warm - almost nostalgic - glow.
It feels like she yearns to be religious (what’s stopping her? Her parents’ legacy?) and it gets a little much.

For that very reason, while some of it was interesting, I just didn’t enjoy the book.

2 stars

[C.B. Daring · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is very little in here in terms of real deep dives into secular ritual and even the histories or explanations of dominant religions is scarce. It’s far more just a memoir of being Carl Sagan’s daughter, which is fine, but not how the book is marketed, and sadly not that interesting. Sasha Sagan claims to be devoted to scientific rigor but puts tremendous stock in things that don’t stand up to such a method like gender being important/innate or the moral panic around “obesity related illnesses.”

[Alexandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was sometimes nice but mostly this is just a list of what other cultures do to celebrate certain times in our lives. A google search would have sufficed, albeit a lot less eloquently.

[Tori Heroux · Rating 3 out of 5]

A perfectly nice little humanist book about making room for rituals and spirituality in a secular modern lifestyle. It's an important theme; these rituals have sustained humans with and without beliefs for centuries. They are important to living a full life. Sagan's approach in some ways mirrors my own attempts to remake my spirituality as someone who never took to Christianity, although I do tend to lean a little further into paganism/goddess worship. It's not that I believe in their literal existence, but archetypes are useful and as a writer I believe in the power of symbols. What do you want to call into being? What are you grateful for in this one short precious life? Rituals help us stay in touch with these concepts and ground us.

Sagan is more successful in her thoughtful if summary descriptions of the rituals different cultures hold dear than she is in some of her personal anecdotes, although I did appreciate the focus on her beloved father and the way her parents taught her to view the world.

Having said that, it bothered me that she wasn't more candid about the ways in which science is its own religion. The unswerving faith in the scientific method is its own ritual. There are so many magical things about the universe that science cannot (yet) explain to us, and the idea of 'objectivity' as a sacred ideal is nigh impossible when every choice we make and every conclusion we come to is colored by our individual biases. There are many ways of knowing, and science often proves the efficacy of traditional knowledge. I wish Sagan had delved into some of these limitations of her own belief system as she discussed the uncertainty of the universe.

Other little things bugged me, too--her goofy assessment that we 'just need to be more charitable with what we have' really glosses over the systemic evils of capitalism and global corporate dominion, and she oversimplifies the public health crises we face in a somewhat glib and offensive way by saying 'now we just have too much to eat!'
I was also stunned that while the death chapter reminds us that this sun will burn out and our species will inevitably end, Sagan never once mentions climate change and the ways in which we are hastening our own end. Despite these flaws, I did find this book inspiring and the prose was lovely.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a difficult book to rate. If I could do half stars it would be 3.5.

First the pros: As an atheist who was raised religious, this book would have helped me with that difficult transition in my early 20s. Instead I found Hitchens and Dawkins which were excellent writers, but not quite as gentle as Sagan. I appreciated the way she pulled out the aspects of religion that humans are naturally drawn to (and can have trouble letting go of) and showed how those rituals and transitions can be incorporated into a meaningful secular life.

I also appreciated the seasonal structure of the book. And by the end it becomes clear why that structure appeals to Sagan. The final chapter really struck me as someone who also lost her father at a young age. It was touching and raw, even after all these years. The grasp on loss and honesty in this chapter were qualities I craved through the rest of the book. On that note...

Now the cons: At times the language was beautiful. There were a few lines here and there that struck me - a big part of why I went with 4 stars instead of 3. Unfortunately over the course of the book, I began to feel that there were entirely too many sentences designed to stand out... which made fewer of them actually have an impact. I also grew sick of some of the syrupy sweetness in the writing. I am a realist with a hint of optimism and I get the sense from Sagan that she is a firm optimist... or pretending to be? After a while that got to be too much for me. A little more of the raw honesty from the last chapter would have helped to balance the sweetness.

Finally, I understood what she was trying to do by incorporating tiny, seemingly insignificant details from her life, but there were several points where I thought those passages could have been shortened or removed entirely and not been missed.

Overall I enjoyed this book enough to recommend it to a few people (but not everyone), which puts it in the 3.5-4 star range rather than the 3-3.5 range for me. It's flawed and at times a bit cheesy and overly sentimental, but it was also engaging and, in a strange way, therapeutic.

[Adele · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice mix of interesting tidbits of information, personal anecdotes, and suggestions for adding ritual to our lives. Sasha Sagan's philosophy of life is very harmonious with my own, as I expected it would be. The book is also a "love letter to her parents" and an effective one, because I was thinking about saying that in my review long before I read those exact words in the acknowledgements.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely book bringing a sense of humanity and ritual to people who might be more scientifically inclined and also bringing science and rationality to those who might not venture past their traditions and feelings. I think the book is aimed at people younger than me but I was moved in many places.

[Amanda Campbell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Books that are part memoir, part something else tend to be my favorites. With Sasha Sagan's book, I really wanted two separate books. I loved the personal stories and I loved learning about the rituals found in other cultures and faiths, but I wanted more of each.

[Jeff Koeppen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This gem of a book is Sasha Sagan's first, and is billed as a look in to the rituals that make us all human but is really partly about the rituals, part memoir, and part tribute to her famous parents, Ann Druyan and the late Carl Sagan.

Not surprisingly, this book is a well written and entertaining, and Sagan's personality really shines through. While not religious, she is culturally Jewish and celebrates sacred holidays, even Christian ones such as Christmas, without acknowledging spirituality or the supernatural aspects. In true Sagan/Druyan fashion she examines these events through secular and scientific lens. Her appreciation for religious holidays is very relatable, I think many of us non-believers still enjoy them. We do because it is fun and it is a ritual we were brought up on. It keeps us connected with our loved ones and traditions. Heck, most of these holidays have secular origins and are based on natural events such as changes in seasons or milestones in person's life.

In sixteen chapters she begins with birth rituals and ends with death rituals and covers everything in between including the seasons, coming of age, independence days, weddings, anniversaries, periods, daily rituals, and so on. She explains the historical or scientific background of each and how they are of importance in the human experience, and personalizes the subject with anecdotes about herself, her family (husband and new baby daughter), her famous parents, and grandparents who emigrated to the US.

My edition contained a recommended reading list, a discussion guide, and a conversation with the author. The postscript was especially neat. She relates the experience she had when asked to play her grandmother Rachel in the Neil DeGrasse Tyson / Ann Druyan Cosmos reboot in a scene with a boy who played her father. They recreated one of her father's childhood memories. Great stuff.

I found this to be a really good read. Not all chapters were as equally interesting but I learned something in each one. I really enjoyed and related to the way she talked about a non-believer's view of death. There were some great quotes throughout. Like her parents, she has a knack for expressing the profound. This is one of my favorite quotes:

“No matter what the universe has in store, it cannot take away from the fact that you were born. You’ll have some joy and some pain, and all the other experiences that make up what it’s like to be a tiny part of a grand cosmos. No matter what happens next, you were here. And even when any record of our individual lives is lost to the ages, that won’t detract from the fact that we were. We lived. We were part of the enormity. All the great and terrible parts of being alive, the shocking sublime beauty and heartbreak, the monotony, the interior thoughts, the shared pain and pleasure. It really happened. All of it. On this little world that orbits a yellow star out in the great vastness. And that alone is cause for celebration.”

[Barb Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recreating the rituals and holidays of my childhood belief system in a way that I can still celebrate, even though my beliefs are no longer the same, is a particular interest of mine. So I was really looking forward to this book, which is subtitled “Rituals for Finding Meaning in our Unlikely World.” The author, Sasha Sagan, is an atheist and the daughter of Carl Sagan. I had high hopes.

But after the beginning, where she establishes the joy and beauty of scientific knowledge and secular understanding of our amazing world, it never really lived up to its promise. There were long lists of the ways a specific holiday or event— like summer solstice or a wedding— has been celebrated throughout human history. That approach could have been interesting, but she never goes into enough detail about anything for you to even remember any of it— it’s just a long list.

She’s so dang sweet and charming that I don’t really feel like I can say the rest of what I think without being cruel, like kicking a bunny or something. So I’ll just stop. It didn’t work for me. I think it would work best for someone who is new to the topic.

p.s. edited to add: I forgot to say that for the first time ever, I received a free review copy in exchange for an honest review. Maybe I was too honest.

[Megan Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

“For small creatures such as we the vastness is bearable only through love." ―Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan, Contact.

I honestly feel honored to share with the world this debut book by Sasha Sagan, daughter of Carl and Ann, who taught their daughter that science reveals the wonder and majesty of a world greater than the limits of myth or fable. In For Small Creatures Such as We, Sasha writes with such reverence, beauty, and tenderness about how we can find meaning as humble humans on a pale blue dot through creating and participating in ceremony, celebration, and ritual. Part memoir, part guidebook, and part social history, For Small Creatures Such as We reminded me of the grandeur of the universe and the magic of finding our own place within it.

[Shelby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I downloaded this audiobook on a whim because I needed something to listen to. I'm surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Author Sasha Sagan is Carl Sagan's daughter. Despite their Jewish and Eastern European heritage, Carl Sagan's family was obviously secular, and this nonreligious tradition was passed down to his daughter. Enter this book, which is about the ways that secular nonbelievers should and can partake in traditions, celebrations, and rituals that have brought people together for thousands of years. By drawing on her family's past and her daughter's future, Sasha Sagan argues that rituals bring secular people a sense of wonder and awe, no matter their disbelief.

[Gendou · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I read non-fiction, I stick to science books. This isn't a science book. Sasha grew up with Carl Sagan for a father. This book is a testament to her love for him. It's also a biography of her life, chronicling her secular Judaism, marriage, giving birth, starting a book club, etc. I normally find biographies boring, but Sasha managed to keep my attention with her cosmic perspective. And we have her late father to thank for that. As well as her mother, Ann Druyan!

Sasha's easy going secular spirituality makes this book important. Her bravery and joyfulness are contagious. Her curiosity and skepticism give me hope for humanity.

[Alison S ☯️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a lovely book and just what I needed. The author explores how to find wonder and meaning in life from the atheist perspective. She writes about some key rites of passage, and stages in life, the history of how and why they've been celebrated, and explores secular ways of acknowledging them. It was moving, and beautifully written, and I especially appreciated the way she didn't denigrate or mock people who do have a religious faith, as this is a trap that atheist authors often fall into. Even though I would call myself an Atheist, it's always very jarring to me when someone seems intent on picking a fight with those who hold a different view.

[putri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whatever it is that we have yet to learn will be part of nature once we understand it. And when we do, I hope we can still feel wonder. In those revelations and the ways the randomness, the chance, the chaos sometimes, somehow works out. Still magical. Still beautiful.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing gift of a book this is, especially in a world where science is discredited daily. Sagan reminds us of the wonder and awe that surrounds us - in our existence, our natural world, our rituals that create meaning, community, patterns.