Customer Reviews

Alien Lifesearch: Quest for Extra-Terrestrial Organisms (Megatech)

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I am involved in the SETI@Home project, where idle computer time is used to process data from radio telescopes. That processing is a search for structured signals that could be a message from extraterrestrial civilizations and my children have seen the images on my computer screens and have asked questions about it. While I have explained most of the theories about extraterrestrial intelligence, I also went to our community library looking for a book for them to read. This is the one I found.
The level of writing is just right for children whose age is in the early double figures and the coverage is surprisingly thorough for 32 pages. Images drawn from many areas are used to reinforce the text, and they are appropriate and effective. My only objection to the material is the section called "The UFO Mystery." Not because there is any support for the theory that they are piloted, but because there is no coverage of the serious difficulties interstellar travel presents. One additional paragraph regarding the enormous distances and power requirements of moving from one star to another would have been appropriate.
I generally liked this book and my children learned a great deal from it. I recommend it for anyone who wants to learn the basics of what the search for extraterrestrial life involves.