本书浓缩了诗词歌赋、书画碑拓、成语典故、民间传说等中国文化的元素，按照三垣四象二十八宿的顺序，以文图交融、古今贯通的编写方式，揭开了中国古代星宿系统的秘密，同时辅以中西对照的星座比较，既饱含文化色彩，又不失趣味性和生动性。

本书以中国古代星座体系为线索，讲述了大量与中国星座有关的神话传说、人物、典故、民间习俗等。通过这些故事，青少年读者会学到许多在评议和历史课中学不到的知识。在讲述这些故事的同时，本书还通过生动的事例说明中国古代天文学的种种重要社会作用，行文中还在适当情节里穿插介绍了现代天文学的有关常识。
本书以中小学生为主要读者，适应素质教育的需要，综合历史、文化、中国传统天方学、现代天文学等内容，图文并茂，文字通俗流畅、清新自然，内容生动活泼，涵义隽永。是一本弘扬中国传统文化的中学生课外读物，亦可作为大学生和成年人的休闲读物。

FASCINATING . . . MEMORABLE . . . REVEALING . . . PERHAPS THE BEST OF CARL SAGAN'S BOOKS.
--The Washington Post Book World (front page review)
In Cosmos, the late astronomer Carl Sagan cast his gaze over the magnificent mystery of the Universe and made it accessible to millions of people around the world. Now in this stunning sequel, Carl Sagan completes his revolutionary journey through space and time.
Future generations will look back on our epoch as the time when the human race finally broke into a radically new frontier--space. In Pale Blue Dot Sagan traces the spellbinding history of our launch into the cosmos and assesses the future that looms before us as we move out into our own solar system and on to distant galaxies beyond. The exploration and eventual settlement of other worlds is neither a fantasy nor luxury, insists Sagan, but rather a necessary condition for the survival of the human race.
"TAKES READERS FAR BEYOND Cosmos . . . Sagan sees humanity's future in the stars."
--Chicago Tribune