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Life Everywhere: The New Science Of Astrobiology
 
 
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Life Everywhere: The New Science Of Astrobiology (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "Nothing could be more familiar than life..." (more)
Key Phrases: galactic habitable zone, icy coating, hot biosphere, Rare Earth, Conway Morris, University of California (more...)
4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Are we alone? As the search for extraterrestrial intelligence comes more and more into the mainstream, scientists like David Darling step up to explain what we know and what's possible. His book Life Everywhere explores the history and current state of the field called, perhaps unfortunately, astrobiology. Devoted neither to organisms skimming the sun's surface nor to possible signs of intelligence among celebrities--though not explicitly rejecting these phenomena--astrobiology is concerned with the basic questions of life: What is a living organism? Is it common, or likely, elsewhere in the universe? Is it worth trying to communicate across light years? Darling, an astronomer and science journalist, has a knack for explaining complexities and fine details that carries his prose forward where other authors have foundered; the reader is swept up in the enthusiasm of the researchers Darling describes. Writing of the astronomical search for signs of life far off in the galaxy, he captures the thrill of this work:

Their efforts will revolutionize astrobiology, more so perhaps than spacecraft parachuting down out of the orange sky of Titan or roving the rock-strewn deserts of Mars. The world-shaking headlines of the next twenty years will likely come from giant instruments, on the ground and in Earth orbit, gazing with far sight at the planetary systems of other stars.

Since most research germane to the field has been done here on Earth, Darling explores such hot topics as heat vents and other geothermal mini-biomes, meteoritic dissection, and, of course, SETI's radio telescope arrays. Mars, Venus, and the moons of the outer planets are all major characters, and their stories will reinvigorate most readers' excitement about the prospects of having neighbors just down the cosmic street. Ending with a set of hypotheses and brief explorations of their ramifications if shown to be true, Life Everywhere is an outstanding and thought-provoking look at what could ultimately be the most world-shaking research ever conducted. --Rob Lightner



Review

"A page-turning primer to a subject that will only become more contentious as time goes on." -- -- Flaunt [ 5/1/01]
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Product Details

  • Hardcover: 224 pages
  • Publisher: Basic Books (April 5, 2001)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0465015638
  • ISBN-13: 978-0465015634
  • Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #788,860 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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More About the Author

David Darling
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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First Sentence:
Nothing could be more familiar than life. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
galactic habitable zone, icy coating, hot biosphere, extrasolar planets, habitable zones, greenhouse heating, neighboring worlds, interstellar grains
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Rare Earth, Conway Morris, University of California, Galactic Habitable Zone, Guillermo Gonzalez, Oxygen Revolution, The Intimate Mystery, United States, Geoff Marcy, Lynn Margulis, The Cosmic Community, University of Arizona, San Diego, Snowball Earth, Stanley Miller, Turing Test
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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Customer Reviews

15 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.8 out of 5 stars (15 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Life Everywhere?, October 14, 2001
The dust jacket quotes Lynn Margulis who suggests a question mark for the title. Cautioned by the question mark, this book is an excellent introduction to astrobiology. Having reviewed Rare Earth by Ward et al., and being unaware of the surrounding debate behind the book, I recommend this rejoinder as highly useful dialectic to put the full context of the argument in perspective, in fact Amazon is selling the two books together. The book also contains some interesting considerations on the issues of divergence and convergence in evolution, and might have been more explicit in suggesting or discussing the issue of the 'inevitability' of life beyond the question of natural selection.
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18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended book, June 9, 2001
By "seticentral" (Michigan, USA) - See all my reviews
David Darling's excellent new book does an effective job of presenting the main topics of astrobiology in a conversational writing style that is easy to read and understand. Without assuming prior knowledge on the part of the reader it clearly explains the very latest research with fascinating details and well-chosen examples that will hold the interest of experts as well as newcomers.
Life Everywhere explores the conditions assumed to exist on prebiotic Earth and the various explanations for how life arose. Supporters of the various hypotheses are lumped together as "surface, sunlight" guys (who believe in Darwin's "warm little pond") and "deep, dark" guys (who believe that life arose near hydrothermal vents). Each new discovery gives a new advantage to one team or the other. The book also discusses the possibility of life on other planets and moons in our solar system, and it gives the most convincing and clear explanation I've found for the possible role of comets in the origin of life's building materials.
The science in Life Everywhere is solid, and the treatment of opposing theories is open and even-handed, with the exception of the Rare Earth theory which, according to Dr. Darling, is a theory based more on theological conservatism than on scientific fact. Life Everywhere is not a large book, but it contains a wealth of up-to-date information about the new science of astrobiology. If you are interested in the scientific study of life's beginnings and limits and the search for life on other worlds, I strongly recommend Life Everywhere as the first book to read for anyone new to the subject. For anyone already familiar with the basics of astrobiology, this is still an interesting new look at a rapidly-evolving science.
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19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Superb!, May 14, 2001
By Michael S. Case (Mpls, MN, USA) - See all my reviews
This is the best book on the subject I've come across. It certainly lives up to the billing given by James Kasting, of Penn State Astrobiology Center, on the cover: "A lucid and surprisingly accurate introduction to the field of astrobiology and a thoughtful response to the Rare Earth hypothesis." Chapter 6 pretty well demolishes Rare Earth and exposes its surprising creationist roots. Elsewhere, Darling explains when and where we might expect to find extraterrestrial life, what methods we'll use to detect it, the missions and projects planned over the next 10-20 years, the latest on the controversies surrounding Mars, the Martian meteorites, Europa, organic matter in space, and extrasolar planets, and the principles that might govern life wherever it appears. He manages to cram a huge amount of information and ideas into a small space and yet it's so well explained you never get lost in the detail. It's hard to believe that the "reader" who gave the book only two stars actually read it at all. I can see how it might not be popular with those who want to cling to the belief that the Earth and humans are somehow special. But the fact is this is first-class science in a first-class package.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Good, but becoming dated.
Life Everywhere was undoubtedly a much more groundbreaking book when it was published in 2001 than it is today. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Ted Byrd

5.0 out of 5 stars Nice change of perspective from "Rare Earth"
I think this is a good book to read after reading "Rare Earth". The writing style is definately more casual and as if you are inside the mind of Darling, compared to the more... Read more
Published on March 25, 2006 by N. Pinto

5.0 out of 5 stars Includes a blistering critique of the "rare earth" hypothesis
Two things have happened in recent years to persuade most scientists that life beyond earth is not just possible, but likely. Read more
Published on January 11, 2006 by Dennis Littrell

5.0 out of 5 stars Is extraterrestrial life widespread?
This book is actually in the form of a long essay defending the hypothesis that life, at least in microbial form, is widespread in the Galaxy. Read more
Published on December 21, 2004 by Jill Malter

4.0 out of 5 stars "Politically Correct"
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. Read more
Published on October 17, 2003

4.0 out of 5 stars Must read... but beware...
I would definitely recommend to buy and read this book, but beware... this book is very thought provocing! Read more
Published on July 7, 2002 by Emmanuel Lambert

5.0 out of 5 stars a great introduction to a fascinating subject
Darling is a reader-friendly writer who introduces the subject of astrobiology with enthusiasm and clarity. Read more
Published on July 1, 2002 by selfconscious

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Introductory Overview
Astrobiology is THE science of the future... and the science of the past... and encompasses the study of genetics, microbiology, astronomy, evolution... and of course... Read more
Published on June 12, 2001 by Rhawn Joseph

5.0 out of 5 stars Engaging and authoratative
While there are many accessible books on SETI, surprisingly few have been written on astrobiology. This is undoubtedly one of the best and most current. Read more
Published on May 20, 2001 by Madeline McConnell

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Read for Beginners and Professionals Alike
How can David Darling's wonderful new book "Life Everywhere" appeal to both beginners who know nothing about astrobiology and seasoned veterans who have already read... Read more
Published on May 14, 2001 by Albert A. Harrison

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