ASTROBIOLOGY PB (Smithsonian's Natural World Series) [Paperback]

Grady M (Author)

Book Description

Series: Smithsonian's Natural World Series | Publication Date: March 17, 2001

The Question of whether we are alone in the universe is one that has fascinated humankind since early times. But, as Carl Sagan once said, "The search for extraterrestrial life must begin with the question of what we mean by life." Astrobiologists today focus on the origins of the earliest and simplest life forms, bacteria and other single-celled organisms. Using Earth as a prototypical environment, they and other scientists tackle the question of life in the universe.

Beginning with the Big Bang and formation of the universe, this richly illustrated book discusses the emergence of life on Earth and beyond. Monica Grady discusses the factors necessary for the development of microorganisms on Earth, including chemical building blocks like carbon and water as well as an atmosphere that protects from ultraviolet radiation. She considers the possibility of life on other planets in the solar system, describing the conditions and diverse habitats that make Mars as well as some of Jupiter's and Saturn's moons ideal candidates for research. In a final chapter she looks beyond the solar system, searching for Earth-like planets or dusty disks of preplanetary material surrounding stars.

Beginning to answer the question "Are we alone" Astrobiology summarizes what is known and can be extrapolated from our studies of Earth, the solar system, and the galaxy.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The broad expertise involved in astrobiology is always a challenge and even 'experts' will benefit from such an informative overview. -- Nature, June 28, 2001

Product Details

• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Smithsonian (March 17, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560988495
• ISBN-13: 978-1560988496
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 8.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #923,124 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very nice introduction, May 20, 2001

By 

David Darling, science writer and astronomer (Dundee, Scotland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: ASTROBIOLOGY PB (Smithsonian's Natural World Series) (Paperback)

This may be only a small book but the text is accurate and the illustrations well chosen. Indeed, it's an ideal introduction to the subject for a young person interested in science or for a layperson wanting to know the basics of our quest to find life in the universe. I think the earlier reviewer was being unkind and a little mischievous in questioning the author's credentials. Monica Grady is actually head of petrology and meteoritics at the Natural History Museum in London and has carried out extensive research on the Martian meteorites and interstellar grains - topics of central importance to our understanding of what life might be like elsewhere. The truth is that astrobiology is a multidisciplinary science and its experts are drawn from fields as diverse as oceanography, planetary astronomy, origin of life research - and meteoritics.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Brief But Wonderful Little Book, June 12, 2001

By 

Rhawn Joseph (The Brain Research Laboratory) - See all my reviews

This review is from: ASTROBIOLOGY PB (Smithsonian's Natural World Series) (Paperback)

Monica Grady is a world renowned expert and is probably best known for her edited volumes, Catalogue of Meteorites, which have generated rave reviews. Dr. Grady's text, Astrobiology, is a wonderful little book, which provides an excellent overview of the field and which contains numerous photos. It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words, and is this book is well worth reading and would be of interest to anyone desiring a brief but thorough introductory overview of the field of astrobiology. -Rhawn Joseph, Ph.D. author of: Astrobiology, the Origin of Life, and the Death of Darwinism

7 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Safe & Satisfying, October 17, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: ASTROBIOLOGY PB (Smithsonian's Natural World Series) (Paperback)

This is one of eight books on Astrobiology which were rushed out after the publication of Joseph's revolutionary and ground breaking text, in May of 2000. Like the other seven competing volumes, this text differs from Joseph's, in that it strictly holds to the "party" line, as approved by the United States government, and repeats, without any critical analysis, mainstream scientific dogma. It you are interested in a very short book, with admittedly, amazing pictures, that provides a "safe" and "politically correct" and very brief overview of standard mainstream scientific dogma, then this is the book for you.