From the Inside Flap
Maybe we really are alone.
That's the thought-provoking conclusion of Rare Earth, a
book that is certain to have far-reaching impact in the
consideration of our place in the cosmos.
While it is widely believed that complex life is common,
even widespread, throughout the billions of stars and
galaxies of our Universe, astrobiologists Peter Ward and
Donald Brownlee argue that advanced life may, in fact, be
very rare, perhaps even unique.
Ever since Carl Sagan and Frank Drake announced that
extraterrestrial civilizations must number in the millions,
the search for life in our galaxy has accelerated. But in
this brilliant and carefully argued book, Ward and Brownlee
question underlying assumptions of Sagan and Drake's model,
and take us on a search for life that reaches from volcanic
hot springs on our ocean floors to the frosty face of Europa,
Jupiter's icy moon. In the process, we learn that while
microbial life may well be more prevalent throughout the
Universe than previously believed, the conditions necessary
for the evolution and survival of higher life---and here the
authors consider everything from DNA to plate tectonics to
the role of our Moon---are so complex and precarious that
they are unlikely to arise in many other places, if at all.
Insightful, well-written, and at the cutting edge of
modern scientific investigation, Rare Earth will fascinate
anyone interested in the possibility of life elsewhere in the
Universe, and offers a fresh perspective on life at home
which, if the authors are right, is even more precious than
we may ever have imagined.
