Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors by Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan stands as a testament to their brilliance as synthesizers of facts into story. Sagan and Druyan piece together myriads of biological facts to recreate the narrative of natural creation accessible to the non-scientific reader. Starting from the birth of the solar system and ending with the rise of apes, the reader will be left in awe at the beauty of life. The only requirement before reading this book is a curiosity about the natural world and a desire for understanding. (ISBN-13: 978-0345384720)

Sadly, Sagan passed away before the duo could complete a sequel.