After Contact (Hardcover)

by Albert A. Harrison (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"An unusually level-headed study of a controversial subject" -- Publishers Weekly

"Beautifully argued and warm-hearted" -- Nature --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description

Albert Harrison examines in detail the psychological, sociological, political, and cultural dimensions of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. By so doing, he firmly establishes that the behavioral and social sciences are as integral to the search as are the physical and biological sciences that have dominated the field up to now. This book offers a useful conceptual framework for rational discussion of extraterrestrial life forms, and provides a detailed analysis of likely human reactions to the detection of extraterrestrial life. Among the many examples that Harrison develops are: how psychological, social, and cultural factors shape people's views about the likelihood of intelligent extraterrestrials and the value of undertaking the search; how our understanding of life on Earth provides a useful framework for thinking about life elsewhere in our galaxy; how historical precedents give us a basis for forecasting human response to "contact"; how agencies such as the CIA inadvertently strengthen the impression of "government cover-up"; and why there is little risk that we will run afoul of an "evil empire." Harrison sketches our responses to the discovery of extraterrestrial intelligence as individuals, as nations, and as humanity, and concludes that we have good reason for cautious optimism about the progress of the search and the aftermath of contact.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 363 pages
• Publisher: Basic Books; 1 edition (August 21, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0306456214
• ISBN-13: 978-0306456213
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,919,777 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Facinating Book!, June 28, 2000

By A Customer

Professor Harrison's treatment of this topic was excellent and the book was really fun to read! As a psychology student I really enjoyed this book, not because I'm a fan of SciFi, (I am), but because Harrison's points are so well supported and tied in to existing research in psychology and many other fields. By the end of the book, you start to think you'd want Al Harrison to be on the team that made first contact with ET. (I wonder if the writers of the movie Sphere where aware of this book.) Harrison's After Contact made me consider many practical aspects of contact with intelligent life from another world. Even as a long time Star Trek and Sci Fi fan, this book was full of new and facinating ideas to consider, all the more facinating because the decisions outlined in the book that we'd need to make regarding contact are real. Bravo.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book to get your brain buzzing!, April 13, 1999

By A Customer

Everyone who has ever glanced at the starry sky on a clear night has wondered if other, alien eyes were staring back from far across the Galaxy. After thinking about that many people develop an interest in SETI, and take a trip to a real or online bookstore in search of further information. Many, perhaps most of the SETI books they find there concentrate on the actual search hardware and its history, past SETI searches, SETI personalities and the chances of eventual success. Most of the books are content to finish neatly, with an optimistic message and a declaration of how wonderful the detection of an alien signal would be. AFTER CONTACT is different: as its title suggests it looks at what will happen *after* that momentous day. After working steadily through our preconceptions about ETs and examining the psychological aspects of SETI - the book is very heavy on psychology in places, and although some sections are very "challenging" they provide invaluable insights into our collective hopes and fears for finding life Out There - it explores the possible nature of aliens, and considers the immense difficulties two - literally - alien civilisations would come up against when trying to communicate. But the most impressive section of the book examines what impact Contact could have on Mankind, its effect on our technology, military, poliical structures, religions and civilisation as a whole. This section is very hard to drag yourself away from and demands to be read in one sitting... and then again, immediately, because your head is so full of ideas it's impossible to sit still! Basically, AFTER CONTACT is a book for people who have already accepted the existence of ETs, and who want to know what will actually happen when there's enough proof to convince everyone else. Anyone interested in the technical, psychological and intellectual challenges facing the SETI community and Mankind will find it a remarkably thought-provoking read. It contains the answers to all your questions... and to millions of questions which hadn't even occurred to you. The only problem with the book is that it will turn you into a sleep-starved insomniac, because a) there will be such a fireworks display of ideas bursting in your head you'll be unable to sleep, and b) you'll be standing in your garden every clear night just looking up... and Wondering...

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A well-written, engaging, yet professional treatment., April 14, 1999

By A Customer

I am both pleased and impressed with Harrison's book, After Contact: The Human Response to Extraterrestrial Life. Commonly efforts to deal with topics like the possibility of contact with extraterrestrial life are either one-dimensional, or they are so general and watered down that they lack substance. In contrast, Harrison's book is a very well written and authoritative review of issues surrounding possible contact with extraterrestrial intelligence. Further, while Harrison's primary expertise is in the area of psychology, he does a fine job of dealing with the possible technological and sociological consequences of such contact. Indeed, as well as including well reasoned and provocative speculations on future possibilities, the book provides an excellent review of some of the best scholarship in this area, including much that has been derived from isolation and small group studies.

One of the blurbs on the book jacket observes that it is a valuable contribution to the field and a very good read. I second that assessment, and would recommend it both to professionals, and to any intelligent interested party.

Douglas Raybeck Hamilton College