Life in the Universe: A Beginner's Guide (Beginner's Guides series- Astrobiology) [Paperback]

Lewis Dartnell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2007

Astrobiology, the study of life and its existence in the universe, is now one of the hottest areas of both popular science and serious academic research, fusing biology, chemistry, astrophysics, and geology. In this masterful introduction, Lewis Dartnell explores its latest findings, and delves into some of the most fascinating questions in science. What actually is 'life'? Could it exist on other planets? Could alien cells be based on silicon rather than carbon, or need ammonia instead of water? Introducing some of the most extreme lifeforms on Earth - those thriving in boiling acid or huddled around deep-sea volcanoes - Dartnell takes us on a tour of the universe to reveal how deeply linked we are to our cosmic environment, and shows why the Earth is so uniquely suited for the development of life.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An excellent book, comprehensive, authoritative, and well written." -- David Morrison - astrobiologist and recent winner of the Carl Sagan Medal of the American Astronomical Society for contributions to the public understanding of science.

"An excellent introduction into the newly emerging and exciting field of astrobiology." -- Gerda Horneck - author of /Looking for Life, Searching the Solar System/ and former Head of the Radiation Biology Section, at the German Aerospace Centre DLR in Cologne, Germany

"Well written and easy to read; it will become a bedside book for any inquiring mind." -- Andre Brack - president of the International Society for the Study of the Origin of Life and chairman of the Exobiology Science Team at the European Space Agency

"Wonderful and well-written." -- Dirk Schulze-Makuch - Chief Scientist of the GeoBiological Groundwater Research Group (GBiG) and founder of the Life-in-the Solar-System Discussion Group (former Titan Study Group)

"Dartnell's style is direct, easy to follow and the subject matter comprehensive." -- Stephen Lewis, The Biologist

"Few books are more wide-ranging and thought-provoking than Life in the Universe, an excellent introduction to the emerging science of astrobiology." -- Oxford Today

"If one were to read a single book on astrobiology, this would be an excellent choice... The book is a must for the newcomer to astrobiology and an excellent resource for anyone wishing to expand their understanding of the subject." -- Choice: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries, April 2008

"Quite simply, this is a fantastic book... I recommend it for anyone with an interest in astrobiology in particular, biology in general, life, the universe and everything." -- Lucy Goodchild, Microbiology Today, May 2008

An essential, enjoyable and highly readable insight into life in its cosmic context. -- Charles S. Cockell - author of 'Impossible Extinction' and Professor of Microbiology, Planetary and Space Sciences Research Institute, Open University.

Dartnell explores the latest theories for how life came to evolve on Earth, and adds fascinating speculations on the prospects for finding it elsewhere." -- The Times, 11/30/2007

About the Author

Lewis Dartnell is currently researching at CoMPLEX (the Centre for Mathematics & Physics in the Life Sciences and Experimental Biology), at University College London.

Product Details

• Paperback: 225 pages
• Publisher: Oneworld; 1 edition (April 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1851685057
• ISBN-13: 978-1851685059
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,069,677 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars wonderful little appetizer, July 31, 2011

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A. Scott - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Life in the Universe: A Beginner's Guide (Beginner's Guides series- Astrobiology) (Paperback)

This is an amazing little introduction that explains the basics of astrobiology, such as the definition of life, extremophiles, abiogenesis, the possibility of life on other planets, and how we can look for it. Despite having a hearty amount of information. LitU is written where someone with no knowledge of of the subject can pick it up and dive in.

Virtually everything made by Oneworld Publications is solid gold and this is no exception.

5.0 out of 5 stars nice little intro, August 6, 2011

By 

Tiger Ridge - See all my reviews

This review is from: Life in the Universe: A Beginner's Guide (Beginner's Guides series- Astrobiology) (Paperback)

This book is a very easy to read intro to astrobiology. It contains lots of information, but is made for anyone who is interested to pick up and breeze through. In the process, you will learn about the probability of life existing outside of Earth and about the fundamental aspects of life. This book wonderfully combines my interests of astronomy and biology and is much easier to get through than PCW Davies' The Eerie Silence.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars REview, November 24, 2008

By 

Dr. Nick Badham (UK) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Life in the Universe: A Beginner's Guide (Beginner's Guides series- Astrobiology) (Paperback)

An excellent book covering a subject with which I am fairly familiar. I think that the sections on what goes on inside stars and stellar nebulae are too long given that they are essentially speculative. More space should have been given to the factual aspects of life on Earth as deduced from fossils and rocks. The almost conclusive evidence that there is or has been until recently life on Mars deserved mention too. Apart from these criticisms I found the book well written, comprehensive and likely to be enjoyed by the interestd amateur as well as the professional.
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