Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read the book. This is an interesting read I had a hard time putting down. Highly recommend

I'll start with a caveat - I think the publisher's blurb, in particular the following, is quite misleading: "even before it arrives we can anticipate what life elsewhere will be like by examining the ecology and evolution of life on Earth". Because of it, I approached this book expecting pretty much all of it to be speculation about what forms, behaviours and cultures we might expect of extra terrestrial life. But actually, that's only about 10% of the book (if that). Most of the page count is dedicated to the following questions: What are the probabilities of finding ET life, and the different types of ET life? What are the likely planetary conditions for life? And HOW will we find it?

The book in general is fascinating, although as someone whose weak point has always been physics (as opposed to my strong point of biology), I read much of it with the fatalistic assumption that I will have forgotten it within a week or so. What I will retain is the certainty that we are not alone in the universe, even if we never prove this - whether because of our primitive technology, or because our timeline does not intersect with the timeline(s) of ET life on planets within reasonable reach.

Aside from the author's academic credentials, the book represents a huge amount of research and broad thinking. There really is a lot to commend. That said, I wish it could have felt a little less dry to read - and the structure seemed quite random at times too (quite early on in the book, we are provided with the author's rationale for why ET life is likely to be cell-based and use skeletons; however, this is quickly pushed aside in favour of further discussion of the kinds of planets where we are likely to find life).

So - a bit of a slog at times, but undeniably fascinating.

(With thanks to NetGalley and Cambridge University Press for an ebook in exchange for an honest review)

This book is just as demanding as it is rewarding. It is not an easy read that a layperson will easily grasp. There are percentages, hard science and even equations. I doubt that I would have understood it at all had I not read many other more approachable books first. There is astronomy, physics and chemistry. What is it about? Well, the fascinating world of astrobiology, a new branch of science that deals with the possibility of extraterrestrial life. It may not be Vulcans or Daleks, but even finding bacteria on other planets would be amazing. Where to begin though? Wallace Arthur starts with what he knows: life on Earth. To be honest, some of his calculations went over my head, but it’s clear that he’s not speculating more than is needed with something that can’t be proven easily right now. There is a solid base to all his theories. I always wondered if there could be life based on, I don’t know, Sulphur? Arthur explains how that would be very unlikely, since chemistry and physics are the same all over the universe. That’s how he narrows down all the infinite possibilities into a single plausible theory. A fascinating read with scientific and philosophical implications, The Biological Universe will make you think.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Cambridge University Press!