About the Author

ABRAHAM (AVI) LOEB is the Frank B. Baird, Jr., Professor of Science at Harvard University, chair of Harvard's Department of Astronomy, founding director of Harvard's Black Hole Initiative, and director of the Institute for Theory and Computation (ITC) within the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. He also chairs the Advisory Committee for the Breakthrough Starshot Initiative, and serves as the science theory director for all Initiatives of the Breakthrough Prize Foundation, as well as chair of the Board on Physics and Astronomy of the National Academies. Author of four books and over 700 scientific papers, Loeb is an elected fellow of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, the American Physical Society, and the International Academy of Astronautics. In 2012, Time selected Loeb as one of the twenty-five most influential people in space. Robert Petkoff is an actor and audiobook narrator who has won a prestigious Audie Award and multiple AudioFile Earphones Awards. He has appeared on Chappelle's Show, Law & Order, and Quantum Leap. His Broadway credits include Sir Robin in Spamalot, Perchik in Fiddler on the Roof, and Tateh in Ragtime.

Reviews

[A] thought-provoking work of popular science.-- "Publishers Weekly"

A tantalizing, probing inquiry.-- "Kirkus Reviews"

Fascinating and persuasive.-- "New York Times Book Review"

In this passionately argued, visionary book, astrophysicist Avi Loeb urges us to abandon the arrogant fantasy that we are the only sentient life form in the universe...The clues, as Loeb carefully reviews them, are fascinating.-- "Stephen Greenblatt, Pulitzer Prize winner and New York Times bestselling author"

Part graceful memoir and part plea for keeping an open mind about the possibilities of what is out there in the universe...[from] one of the more imaginative and articulate scientists around.-- "New York Times"

Provocative and thrilling...Loeb asks us to think big and to expect the unexpected.-- "Alan Lightman, New York Times bestselling author"

Well written and compelling.-- "Forbes"

Will provoke you to think about the possibility of intelligent life elsewhere in the universe in new and stimulating ways.-- "Sean Carroll, New York Times bestselling author "