For Small Creatures Such as We: Rituals for Finding Meaning in Our Unlikely World
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- Create Date：2021-11-04 10:50:57
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Sasha Sagan
- ISBN：073521879X
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Summary
A charming book， ringing with the joy of existence。 --Richard Dawkins
The perfect gift for a loved one or for yourself， For Small Creatures Such as We is part memoir， part guidebook， and part social history， a luminous celebration of Earth's marvels that require no faith in order to be believed。
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， and 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 a religious framework。
As Sagan shares these rituals， For Small Creatures Such as We becomes a moving 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。
The perfect gift for a loved one or for yourself， For Small Creatures Such as We is part memoir， part guidebook， and part social history， a luminous celebration of Earth's marvels that require no faith in order to be believed。
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， and 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 a religious framework。
As Sagan shares these rituals， For Small Creatures Such as We becomes a moving 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。
Reviews
Judith
，
I think this is a wonderful book， a love letter from Sasha Sagan to her famous father and mother， and so much more。 I was moved to tears more than once， but it also gave me so much to think about。
Rachel
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Beautiful and thought provoking。 I can relate to so much of what she observes。
Zack
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This lovely little memoir explores the beauty of the routines， rituals， and rites that punctuate our short time on Earth。 It was such a wholesome and savory read， one that I look forward to reading again。
Cade
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Love these types of books。 A fun look at the history of people through the lens of our rituals。 Fun， easy， educating and leaves you feeling optimistic about people。 Doesn't get much better。 Love these types of books。 A fun look at the history of people through the lens of our rituals。 Fun， easy， educating and leaves you feeling optimistic about people。 Doesn't get much better。 。。。more
Kris
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This book brought me joy。 It recognizes the importance of ritual and tradition and wonder in the secular world， and in fact， celebrates the sheer marvel that is the world around us。 Sagan encourages all to take step back and really notice the amazing fact that we are here， now。 There are so many people who think that there is no transcendence and appreciation of the sacred outside of religion。 I am not religious at all， but there is something sanctified in nature and love and the universe。 It is This book brought me joy。 It recognizes the importance of ritual and tradition and wonder in the secular world， and in fact， celebrates the sheer marvel that is the world around us。 Sagan encourages all to take step back and really notice the amazing fact that we are here， now。 There are so many people who think that there is no transcendence and appreciation of the sacred outside of religion。 I am not religious at all， but there is something sanctified in nature and love and the universe。 It is rare to find a book that explores that。 。。。more
Meghan Keaney
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Great concept with beautiful writing and lots of anthropological and societal details you’ll carry with you。 Only complaint is the structure get repetitive after awhile but I definitely recommend the read。
Broodj3ham
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3。5*This is a very personal account of Sasha on how she and her secular family approach traditions that almost always have roots in religion。I enjoyed reading it， especially as I am reading The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins at the same time （which is just a coincidence by the way）。 That latter book comes across to me as very cold and rational， and therefor it’s nice to have this book next to it， to remind you that an atheist’ life doesn’t have to be like that （and isn’t， in my experience）。The 3。5*This is a very personal account of Sasha on how she and her secular family approach traditions that almost always have roots in religion。I enjoyed reading it， especially as I am reading The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins at the same time （which is just a coincidence by the way）。 That latter book comes across to me as very cold and rational， and therefor it’s nice to have this book next to it， to remind you that an atheist’ life doesn’t have to be like that （and isn’t， in my experience）。The descriptions and histories of traditions related to nearly every aspect of life are discussed in a clear way and without a strong Western focus， as a result of which the book is full of interesting facts and anecdotes。 At the same time though， so many cultures and traditions are discussed， that it sometimes felt like I was reading a bullet-point list of traditions around the world。 The book could have been a bit longer in my opinion！Nevertheless， it has definitely changed my perception of traditions and made me realize how important they are。 。。。more
Nick Luchetti
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While Sasha provided some interesting ideas about celebrating life， much of her book includes quoting her father， Carl。 While Carl’s wisdom is always welcome， i would of enjoyed a bit more of his daughter’s own ideas。 Worth a read， regardless。
Arung
，
For Small Creatures Such as We by Sagan is a book on how rituals are made by humans across the ages to commemorating life's biggest milestones in the midst of a grand， chaotic， and unknown universe。 A lot of these rituals are derived from religious observance， but Sagan's try to deceiver the scientific source codes of a lot of these traditions。According to Sagan， science has a potent tendency to demystify the wonder of how nature works。 This both is a curse and a blessing。 For her， an explanatio For Small Creatures Such as We by Sagan is a book on how rituals are made by humans across the ages to commemorating life's biggest milestones in the midst of a grand， chaotic， and unknown universe。 A lot of these rituals are derived from religious observance， but Sagan's try to deceiver the scientific source codes of a lot of these traditions。According to Sagan， science has a potent tendency to demystify the wonder of how nature works。 This both is a curse and a blessing。 For her， an explanation for some natural phenomena by science sometimes takes away the strange and sublime nature of the phenomena， but it's shouldn't be。 By making rituals with a renewed understanding that is based on truth from science。 。。。more
Chelsea
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I felt extremely emotional the entire time I listened to this
Pete O'Hare
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Thought-provoking， inspiring。 Highly recommended！
Eleanor Kallo
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Such an incredible book that I suggest for everyone
Sunny
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'Lovely' is not in my everyday vocabulary list。However， while reading Sasha Sagan's book， I was keep thinking 'this is lovely'。Perhaps it's the kind of naive idealism or positivity about being alive （because of inevitable end we all face） that seep through the essays that made me think of the word， 'lovely'。I think the subtitle of the book really explains well what's this book about; how to mark and celebrate many aspects of life， so we can find meaning of our small existence。 Hearing about her 'Lovely' is not in my everyday vocabulary list。However， while reading Sasha Sagan's book， I was keep thinking 'this is lovely'。Perhaps it's the kind of naive idealism or positivity about being alive （because of inevitable end we all face） that seep through the essays that made me think of the word， 'lovely'。I think the subtitle of the book really explains well what's this book about; how to mark and celebrate many aspects of life， so we can find meaning of our small existence。 Hearing about her famous father， Carl Sagan up close in person was a big bonus to the story as well。I am a secular immigrant; both factors put me in big disadvantage on keeping rituals。 Not having religious faith rub off meaning of many holidays。 As an immigrant， many of rituals from my home country had faded without people and context to share with。 And the new ones found at new home will always be little foreign。 I think being a pragmatist does not help in this matter as well。 However， while reading this book， I got to think about rich meaning of all these yearly， monthly holidays and rituals。 How my existence on the earth can feel so small， trivial and meaningless。 How these rituals and markings can help us to make meaning of each day， making the short stay beautiful and hopeful。I am convinced by the author's idea that you don't have to be religious to have festivals and rituals。 It is ok to make your own rituals， as long as I put efforts to make meaning and share。 。。。more
Sherri
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I started this as an audiobook， which was challenging。 The author has a lisp （honestly， a lot like her father） and a very nasal sounding voice， and it put me off a bit。 So I switched to the print book and I’m glad I did。 This book was just what I needed — a meditation on death， grief and， essentially， everything that makes up life。 And while that may sound depressing， it was the exact opposite — hopeful and inspiring and even a little bit life changing。
Julie
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Brilliant celebration of life and everything
Sissy Sassafrass
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Easy readBroad reminder of what makes the human world so minute in the grand scheme of things。 A bit autobiographical considering it is written by the daughter of a very famous man。
Sarah
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This was due back and the library because someone was waiting for it so I returned it before finishing it。 I am definitely not the intended audience and I likely will not finish the book because it was starting to drag for me。 But it is well written and some bits were quite interesting。
Melissa Wells
，
An interesting read。 I would recommend for people like me， who grew up religious， but now atheist and wanting to still capture the feeling of traditions and rituals without the superstitious elements。
rosie m。
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i treated this book more as a daily devotional， so it took me a little longer to read， but i’m glad i did！ i cried a lot while reading it （in a good way） because it does a great job of reminding you how profound life is。 i appreciate how hopeful it was while still remaining true to life/science/etc。
Haley Larymore
，
So beautiful。 So comforting。 So awe-inspiring。
Jerome Ng
，
Long overdue review because I didn’t and still don’t know if I have the words to do this book justice for what it’s done for me。 But this is my favorite book of all time， and Sasha Sagan is my favorite author of all time， so I might as well try。It’s hard to judge objectively because of how personal this feels to me。 Growing up with Chinese superstition and religious practices at home in a largely （and overly） Catholic country， I was raised in a very ritualistic environment that I did not believe Long overdue review because I didn’t and still don’t know if I have the words to do this book justice for what it’s done for me。 But this is my favorite book of all time， and Sasha Sagan is my favorite author of all time， so I might as well try。It’s hard to judge objectively because of how personal this feels to me。 Growing up with Chinese superstition and religious practices at home in a largely （and overly） Catholic country， I was raised in a very ritualistic environment that I did not believe in， identify with， nor felt like I belonged to。 I identified and identify as secular and agnostic， as rationalist and pragmatist， so Sasha Sagan’s point of view and experience as the same but in a Jewish community resonated very deeply with me。I’m also a bit biased because we share the same worldview， which can be understood in a couple of excerpts from the book: “We needn’t resort to myth to get that spine-chilling thrill of being part of something grander than ourselves。 Our vast universe provides us with enough profound and beautiful truths to live a spiritually fulfilling life。”“Science demands a tolerance for ambiguity。 Where we are ignorant， we withhold belief。 Whatever annoyance the uncertainty engenders serves a higher purpose。 It drives us to accumulate better data。”The difference between Sasha’s beliefs and mine at the time of reading was that Sasha had a profound respect for religions and their practices， whereas I found them senseless and absolutely detested the existence of religion at all。 I believed that the lack of empirical evidence of any deity， the arbitrary nature of religious rituals， and the destruction of societies and civilizations from religious wars rendered the existence of religion deplorable。 Yet Sasha， despite being a secular herself， roots religious rituals in history， biology， and astronomy。 She answered for me what I’ve struggled for so long to understand — why should religion exist？ And through a thorough discussion on natural， celestial， and human cycles， I not only understood others’ need for religion， but I appreciated the myriad ways that humanity has come to design and celebrate rituals based on their interpretations of beliefs that guide them through the awe and terror of being alive。 She also guides seculars like myself in building their own rituals to compensate for the lack of institutionalized religion。 One thing I’ve overlooked prior to reading were the mental and spiritual benefits of certain religious rituals， like prayer， confession， and fasting。 Thankfully， Sasha offers secular alternatives to spiritually beneficial rituals for anyone to practice， with the point being that we don’t need to subscribe to any belief to reap the benefits of their rituals。 Rituals don’t need to be specific to religions， they can be shared and celebrated by all of humanity depending on how they best enjoy it。 For Small Creatures Such as We has enriched my worldview and perspective of religion with two things Sasha Sagan had that I didn’t — knowledge and kindness， and I couldn’t be more thankful。 One of few books I personally consider life-changing， so for the degree of understanding， spirituality， and wisdom this has endowed me， I give it a 5/5。 。。。more
Denise
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I feel like I witnessed the debut of one of the next great atheist thinkers， I’m excited to see if she keeps writing and publishing。 This is atheism 2。0， kinder and gentler， not here to argue with you， comfortable in a 3rd generation of religionlessness and respectful of other people putting crystals on their head if they want to。 With the remaining “Four Horsemen” tarnishing themselves as quickly as they can on Twitter and podcasts， it’s way past time for new people to get called up as Big Name I feel like I witnessed the debut of one of the next great atheist thinkers， I’m excited to see if she keeps writing and publishing。 This is atheism 2。0， kinder and gentler， not here to argue with you， comfortable in a 3rd generation of religionlessness and respectful of other people putting crystals on their head if they want to。 With the remaining “Four Horsemen” tarnishing themselves as quickly as they can on Twitter and podcasts， it’s way past time for new people to get called up as Big Name Atheists。 I particularly liked a part where she argued with a person about crystals at a party， thought everyone was enjoying a spirited debate， and the next day realized that she was actually a tremendous asshole， and called the person to apologize and buy them lunch。 Dawkins would NEVER。 The writing itself is sentimental， feel-good， and generally unchallenging， but I liked that。 She loves her parents and was raised in a kind and loving atheist household， and is here to tell you about what she thinks about rituals and finding meaning in life。 As a first generation atheist， it was nice just to peek into the mind of what my grandchildren might be like， and I certainly hope they come out as kind and smart as she is。 A few pet peeves: she constantly uses the term “girlfriends” to talk about her female friends， which makes her sound like my 66 year old mother。 If you’re born after 1984 that term is reserved for romantic relationships， find a new way to segregate your friends。 Two， she doesn’t know the difference between archivists and librarians which made me sad: she sent someone at Library of Congress on a wild goose chase looking in her dad’s papers for an essay he apparently never wrote， and called her a “nice librarian” for her efforts。 Dang that stings， knowing someone values your work preserving their family legacy so little as to not even get your job title right… 。。。more
Shannon
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I recommend this book for any human。
Margaret
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I didn't connect with this book the way I'd hoped。 It's a shame when I think the best thing about a book is the Recommended Reading list at the end。 I didn't connect with this book the way I'd hoped。 It's a shame when I think the best thing about a book is the Recommended Reading list at the end。 。。。more
Darin Bratsman
，
Sasha Sagan， being the daughter of Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan， had the privelege of being raised by parents who encouraged her to question everything。 She wrote this book both as a tribute to them and a celebration of all aspects of life。 While her landed belief system is purely secular， she has thought deeply on all aspects of life and finds great meaning in rituals。 She demonstrates considerable knowledge of world religions and shows respect for their teachings。 Her writing is honest and vulner Sasha Sagan， being the daughter of Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan， had the privelege of being raised by parents who encouraged her to question everything。 She wrote this book both as a tribute to them and a celebration of all aspects of life。 While her landed belief system is purely secular， she has thought deeply on all aspects of life and finds great meaning in rituals。 She demonstrates considerable knowledge of world religions and shows respect for their teachings。 Her writing is honest and vulnerable。 The book remains uplifting throughout and is an excellent and life affirming read。 。。。more
Britney Bartz
，
Adorable， informative， and so full of soul。 You can hear the inspiration from her parents in the book as she examines the world around her。 Sagan paints a beautiful tapestry of how we practice various traditions， what they symbolize， and why tying it into history of various culture and our species。
Cath
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3/5I rarely read Non Fiction but I liked this。 Not amazing but still a very refreshing read。 You can really tell Sasha is Carl Sagan's daughter by how she talks about the universe。 I really liked her writing。 :） 3/5I rarely read Non Fiction but I liked this。 Not amazing but still a very refreshing read。 You can really tell Sasha is Carl Sagan's daughter by how she talks about the universe。 I really liked her writing。 :） 。。。more
Valentine
，
Loved the stories of her upbringing。 Stories of her beloved father。 Lots of great quotes and it was helpful to hear how she was raised and how she is raising her daughter secularly。
Gax
，
This book is so wholesome 😭 I want to celebrate more things in life， create rituals with my friends and be more aware of the beauty of being alive！
Tori Heroux
，