Are We Alone? : Philosophical Implications of the Discovery of Extraterrestrial Life by Paul Davies
As an answer to the title's profound question will transform the moral views of every person, physicist Davies has the widest possible readership for presenting the ramifications of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, SETI. That he is among the most accessible of science writers doubles the attention this book deserves. Less about SETI's strategy for detecting alien radio signals, Davies' narrative mainly dwells on the origin of conscious life and the philosophical probability that it could arise anywhere else, given that life is a supernatural miracle; that its emergence on Earth was a fantastically improbable accident; and that it is a common outgrowth of the existence of the universe. Though steadfastly in favor of the third view, Davies describes the factors supporting the two competing theories in his chapter aptly named "Against Aliens." But if a message is received, how should humanity respond, with feelings of puniness or of exaltation? In this pithy setting of parameters, the library is guaranteed another high-demand title, boosted by the author's customary cogency and even companionability.
(From Booklist)
Out There by Howard Blum
Written neither by a zealot nor a rabid debunker but a former New York Times reporter, Out There traces the actions of the Defense Intelligence Agency's UFO Working Group, charged with the mission to determine whether human life is truly alone in the universe. Triggered by a tip from an American spymaster in 1987 while researching his I Pledge Allegiance ... The True Story Of The Walkers: An American Spy Family, this work of journalism uncovers decades of government duplicity regarding its investigations of reported extraterrestrial visits. With 212 interviews and some 200 published sources, author Howard Blum's earnest reporting is a gripping and credible documentation of his journey from skepticism to belief.
(From Amazon.com)
Extraterrestrials, Where Are They? by Ben Zuckerman
Experts in astronomy, biology, chemistry, and physics argue that evidence points to the conclusion that technological civilizations are rare. Topics include NASA's high resolution microwave survey, stellar evolution, interstellar propulsion systems, and possible forms of life in environments very different from Earth. This second edition updates papers from a November 1979 symposium and includes three new papers.
(From Booknews, Inc) Planet Quest: The Epic Discovery of Alien Solar Systems by Ken Croswell
"Someday, astronomers knew, their great quest to find alien worlds would finally be fulfilled, and the first planets beyond those of the solar system would at last emerge from hiding, hailing a new era of astronomical discovery." It had not occurred to anyone with even the wildest imagination that these first extrasolar planets would be found in 1991 orbiting a pulsar 1,000 light-years away. Ken Croswell gives a remarkably clear exposition of what we know about planets in our solar system and elsewhere, how they are discovered, what kind of people have looked for them, and the exceptional number of embarrassing mistakes they've made--and how many surprises nature has dished out in a discipline that's still very young.
(From Science Editor's)
Worlds Unnumbered : The Search for Extrasolar Planets by Donald Goldsmith
In this golden age of astronomy, new discoveries have proliferated in the past year: life on Mars, an ocean on Europa, and planets around other stars. On the heels of Goldsmith's The Hunt for Life on Mars comes this exciting account of the new planets. Because they cannot be seen, sophisticated methods are being utilized to study these planets, methods that Goldsmith cogently explains in terms of the instruments and reasoning used to claim a new discovery. The burning curiosity, of course, is whether the newcomers could support life: the answer is no; most are gigantic and too close to their stars, and an earth-size planet found orbiting a pulsar would obviously be a crispy critter. Such facts surprised astronomers, upsetting their favored theory of planet formation, possible revisions of which Goldsmith reports with the enthusiasm and clarity essential to popular works. Two dozen colorplates, some imagining the appearance of the new planets, gussy up a wonderful science acquisition for libraries.
(From Booklist)
Other Worlds : The Search for Life in the Universe by Michael D. Lemonick
Lemonick surveys the scientists and the science involved in the topic that most energizes popular interest in astronomy: the possibility of life beyond Earth. The topic is now more interesting than ever because of the solid facts about planets orbiting nearby stars, and, closer to home, the frenzy about life on Mars or the Jovian moon Europa. Recently the discovery of the planets was revisited in two quality book-length presentations (Planet Quest by Ken Croswell and Worlds Unnumbered by Donald Goldsmith ); Lemonick covers the same ground but with a better journalistic eye for the scientists, their careers, quirks, and dedication. Allowed access to their labs and observatories, the author writes in tactile detail of what he sees, and plainly conveys the reasoning supporting astronomers' inferential methods. Bracketed by chapters on the Drake Equation, which abstractly estimates the odds of extraterrestrial life, and on future NASA missions, Lemonick's exposition will surely fire minds taken by the question of physicist Paul Davies' book Are We Alone? (1995).
(From Booklist)
After Contact : The Human Response to Extraterrestrial Life by Albert A. Harrison
After Contact focuses on the psychological, sociological, political, and cultural aspects of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. It provides a conceptual framework for organizing hypotheses about extraterrestrial life forms and civilizations, and explores likely human reactions to different search outcomes. After Contact establishes that the behavioral and social sciences are as important to the search as are the physical and biological sciences that have always played an integral role in SETI. Chapters include: The Enormous Challenge, Listening, False Alarms, Living Systems, Organisms, Societies, Supranational Systems, First Impressions, Initial Impact, Building Relationships, The Rocky Road to Utopia, and Betting With The Optimists. This book is intended to be serious psychology but also fun to read!
(From the Author)
