Terraforming: The Creating of Habitable Worlds (Astronomers' Universe) [Hardcover]

Martin Beech (Author)

Book Description

Series: Astronomers' Universe | Publication Date: January 15, 2009

This book proposes a sound and realistic exploration on the topic of terraforming. Often used as the narrative premise in science fiction novels, terraforming is the process by which an uninhabitable planet might be converted into one capable of supporting life. This book presents what is physically possible today and hints what might conceivably be put into practice in the next several hundred years. The author works within the realms of current technology and known physics, although speculation on future advancements inevitably enters the discussion. Introductory chapters establish why terraforming will be of great benefit to human kind, and also put in place the basic physical arguments necessary to the terraforming process. The following parts look at various proposals that have been made for terraforming the planets Mars and Venus. The book concludes with a glimpse to the much deeper future when humankind will explore and colonize the outer solar system and possibly the newly discovered exoplanets.

Editorial Reviews

Review

From the reviews: "Earth will not last forever; it will take many human generations for most of Earth’s problems to manifest, at the very least. One may consider these the problems of far-off generations or, as Beech … does in Terraforming, one might consider how to begin to create new homes on Mars or Venus. Beech describes our modern view of the solar system, emphasizing the resources available to us on the familiar planets … . Summing Up: Recommended. General and academic audiences, lower-division undergraduate and above." (C. Palma, Choice, Vol. 47 (1), September, 2009) “‘The ultimate aim of terraforming is to alter a hostile planetary environment into one that is Earth like, and eventually upon the surface of the new and vibrant world that you and I could walk freely about and explore.’ … nicely produced and illustrated book, then carries on with a mixture of just enough actual scientific detail to make the extensive science fantasy, not science fiction but science fantasy, plausible to many readers. … interest to scientists and engineers … .” (Gary J. Long and Fernande Grandjean, Belgian Physical Society Magazine, Issue 2, 2011)

Language Notes

Text: English, German (translation)

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Springer; 1 edition (January 15, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0387097953
• ISBN-13: 978-0387097954
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,084,135 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hard science for the academically inclined, February 12, 2010

By 

Jao Tuanis - See all my reviews

This review is from: Terraforming: The Creating of Habitable Worlds (Astronomers' Universe) (Hardcover)

I purchased this book thinking it was part of a series for science fiction writers and fans. I was wrong, of course, as it actually belongs to a series on academical discussions on cosmology and space science. If you are not into this kind of topic, the reading will be sure to put you to sleep in seconds. If, on the contrary, you enjoy learning about the science behind the possible engineering of planets in order to make them habitable by humans, this book will provide an excellent introduction to the subject. Even though the author (Martin Beech) tries very hard to make the book accessible to a wider audience, and even attempts to produce some fragments of literature, I must say he fails, though not terribly so. The average reader will not enjoy it, and only a handful will read through till the end, but if you take your science seriously, it is worth the effort.

--JAO

5 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very exciting Futurism, June 15, 2009

By 

R. B. Cathcart (Glendale, California United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Terraforming: The Creating of Habitable Worlds (Astronomers' Universe) (Hardcover)

I enjoyed this scientific book very much. It is full of futuristic, yet useful, terraforming ideas. Very forward-thinking philosophically too.