Markers and Detection

On our tour of the five most likely, or "plausible", places where extraterrestrial life might be found we learn a good deal about the markers for life and the technology that makes it possible to search for those markers. There's as much "biology" as there is "astro" in this treatment, which was fine by me.

Our tour includes not only Mars, (the only real candidate among the planets), but also Europa, Enceladus, Titan, and the exoplanets. This book presents a very informative and thorough update on what we know about each of those bodies, and for that alone I was pleased with the substance of this book.

My one caveat is that the book is awfully chirpy. All of the cute questions directed to the reader and the gee whiz tone of the responses is just a bit wearing after a while. I get that authors tend to think that popular science requires an element of entertainment, but here we go right up to the edge. It's not anywhere near the condescending humor of "Dummies" style books, though; just a bit too heavy on the enthusiasm.

That said, there's a lot to learn here and a good deal to think about. If this isn't your field, it's still accessible and informative. and that works for me.

(Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)