Product Description

Compiled by a team of experts, this textbook has been designed for elementary university courses in astrobiology. It begins with an examination of how life may have arisen on Earth and then reviews the evidence for possible life on Mars, Europa and Titan. The potential for life in exoplanetary systems and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence are also discussed. The text contains numerous useful learning features such as boxed summaries, student exercises with full solutions, and a glossary of terms. It is also supported by a website hosting further teaching materials. Written in an accessible style that avoids complex mathematics, this book is suitable for self-study and will appeal to amateur enthusiasts as well as undergraduate students. It contains numerous helpful learning features such as boxed summaries, student exercises with full solutions, and a glossary of terms. The book is also supported by a webstite hosting further teaching materials.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #103399 in Books
• Published on: 2004-05-24
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 364 pages

Review
"This book does an admirable job...excellent. This is perhaps the best book on the market as a course resource in astrobiology. Highly recommended." P.K. Strother, Boston College, CHOICE

"The diverse interdisciplinary threads that make up the fascinating science of astrobiology are brought together in this outstanding introduction to the science. The study of the planets in our Solar System, including the Earth, and the discovery of planets orbiting distant stars has forced us to try to understand life in its cosmic context. This book provides a beautifully illustrated and clearly described reference for existing and new scientists in the field of astrobiology." Dr. Charles Cockell, British Antarctic Survey (Chair, Astrobiology Society of Britain)

"Finally, an undergraduate level textbook on astrobiology that provides the perfect entry for students interested in this burgeoning field. The profuse and well-chosen illustrations, charts and tables, the clearly written text, and the comprehensive and balanced coverage make An Introduction to Astrobiology a standout...[this book] is certain to become the gold standard for introductory astrobiology textbooks." Professor John Scalo, University of Texas at Austin

Customer Reviews

More astro than biology
This is an excellent textbook, with straightforward problems ... and answers! There's plenty of solid material here and very little fluff. The information is well presented, up-to-date, and easy to read.

Three of the nine chapters are about the potential for life elsewhere in our planetary system, in particular on Mars, Europa, and Titan. Another three chapters are on extrasolar planets: how to find them, what we've discovered so far about them, and what signatures of life we might try to look for on them in the future. There's also a chapter on the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). That leaves two chapters for the definition and origin of life, the Earth's acquisition of the necessary water and carbon, and so on. I'd prefer to see quite a bit more on biology here. I'd like to see much more discussion of the development of multicellular life, the changes in the Earth's environment caused by the production of oxygen, and the evolution of humans.

That said, I really liked the chapter on the origin of life. It was illuminating to read about the origin of chirality, written by a specialist in organic matter in meteorites. And I also especially liked the chapters on exoplanets.