Astrobiology: A Very Short Introduction

As an astrobiologist myself, I found this book to be an absolute joy to listen to and read. It was my constant companion on a few long drives, and the result was a significant reshaping and polishing of the way I deliver my own spin on the astrobiology perspective to both professional and lay audiences. Although I have picked up all of this material in the course of my own studies, listening to this little book was so helpful in (a) remembering many things I'd forgotten or perhaps never fully considered certain details of and (b) witnessing a certain flow in how all the pieces can fit together into a coherent story both for myself and for sharing with others. In a field so broad and deep, we rely heavily on each other for good examples in interpreting and communicating the latest findings. Dr. Catling also does a fantastic job at conveying certain points of disagreement and past or ongoing debate (three examples I can think of off hand are: the interpretation of ALH84001 "biosignatures," the rare earth argument and counterpoints, and the habitability of planets orbiting M stars). I think this is a valuable find for both interested laypeople and professionals. What a great book!

The book provides very well written introduction to the currently most probable scenario of evolution of Earth and life on Earth. From the first chapter containing the definition of the astrobiology, the author continues with brief description of evolution of the whole Universe, stars, the solar system, Earth and Earth's life. Other chapters contain discussion on possibility of life on other bodies in the solar system and exoplanets generally.Overall, the book provides basics information on theory how life on Earth become and evolved. It is easily readable and understandable with only a little background in natural sciences. The book ignited a couriosity about the astrobiology in me, so I think I will buy some more advanced book to expand my knowledge further.

I'm a wannabe scifi writer and I read this mostly for ideas of what hypothetical alternative biochemistries on other worlds might look like. The book certainly addressed that in detail and in a way that was accessible to the educated layperson. If I was disappointed after that section, it was certainly not the fault of the author; for complex life, carbon/water based life might be the only game in the universe.Another section of interest to me was the discussion of possible abodes of extraterrestrial life in our own solar system, particularly the icy moons of our gas giants. I read almost every article about Europa and Enceladus I come across so there wasn't much new information for me, but if you are interested in the possibility of extraterrestrial life and have not heard about the exciting discoveries concerning these two bodies, then this book is a fine place to learn about them. Prepare to have a new obsession.In short, this book covers star and planet formation, possible origins of life, biochemistry, atmospheric chemistry and planet detection in a compact, accessible package. If you're interested in more than one of those subjects, you ought to pick it up.

The book is just what it claims to be: a very short introduction to the topic. However, it is jammed full of important concepts and recent research from the field of astrobiology, so it is quite interesting and useful. This series of books are kind of like highly literate Cliff Notes for upper level college students. A great buy considering the information content and excellent science writing.

Reading it for an Astrobiology course. All of the questions that arise within my mind are later answered in this text as I grew closer to finishing. Loved how insightful this text was!!

Excellent introduction. The key take-away: The search for extraterrestrial life and the search for the origin of life on earth merged into a single science, astobiology.

I was scheduled to attend a world-wide scientific conference on the Origin of Life.I needed a quick refresher on this subject, which is a part of Astrobiology.Dr. Catling knows his subject, and presented a comprehensive review.Thanks for publishing on this topic.

This little book is great! Learned a lot about my new major for college, I used this book to help me learn more while I took a semester off to move across country. Very easy to read if you’re a science buff!