Table of Contents

Preface & Acknowledgments.- Introduction: The Astrobiology Revolution and the Rare Earth Hypothesis.- Why Life Might be Widespread in the Universe.- Habitable Zones of the Universe.- Building a Habitable Earth.- Lifes First Evolution on Earth.- How to Build Animals.- Snowball Earth.- The Enigma of Cambrian Explosion.- Mass Extinctions and the Rare Earth Hypothesis.- The Surprising Importance of Plate Tectonics.- The Moon, Jupiter, and Life on Earth.- Testing the Rare Earth Hypothesis.- Assessing the Odds.- Cultural Implications.- References.

Reviews

..".likely to cause a revolution in thinking..."
The New York Times ..".[the book] has hit the world of astrobiologists like a killer asteroid..."
Newsday (New York) ..".a sobering and valuable perspective..."
Science ..".a startling new hypothesis..."
Library Journal ..".Peter Ward and Donald Brownlee offer a powerful argument..."
The Economist
..".provocative, significant, and sweeping..."
Northwest Science & Technology ..".a stellar example of clear writing..."
American Scientist

..".likely to cause a revolution in thinking..."
The New York Times ..".[the book] has hit the world of astrobiologists like a killer asteroid..."
Newsday (New York) ..".a sobering and valuable perspective..."
Science ..".a startling new hypothesis..."
Library Journal ..".Peter Ward and Donald Brownlee offer a powerful argument..."
The Economist
..".provocative, significant, and sweeping..."
Northwest Science & Technology ..".a stellar example of clear writing..."
American Scientist

From the reviews
.,." Their paradoxical finding ... has hit the world of astrobiologists like a killer asteroid ..."
"New York Newsday"
"Now, two prominent scientists say the conventional wisdom is wrong. The alien search, they add, is likely to fail ... "Rare Earth,.".is producing whoops of criticism and praise...(some) call it 'brilliant' and 'courageous'."
"The New York Times"
"Its brilliant ... courageous ... It's rare in literature and science that a stance goes so far against the grain."
"Dr. Geoffrey W. Marcy, UC at Berkeley (Quoted in the NY" "TIMES)"
The author says
.,." there could be billions of of planets with intelligent, alien species. It's a breathtaking concept. But is it credible? In our book "Rare Earth," Don Brownlee and I argue that even the simplest forms of animal life are exeedingly rare in our Galaxy, and in the Universe beyond."
"Peter Ward, New Scientist"

From the reviews
., ." Their paradoxical finding ... has hit the world of astrobiologists like a killer asteroid ..."
"New York Newsday"
"Now, two prominent scientists say the conventional wisdom is wrong. The alien search, they add, is likely to fail ... "Rare Earth"...is producing whoops of criticism and praise...(some) call it 'brilliant' and 'courageous'."
"The New York Times "
"Its brilliant ... courageous ... It's rare in literature and science that a stance goes so far against the grain."
"Dr. Geoffrey W. Marcy, UC at Berkeley (Quoted in the NY" "TIMES)"
The author says
., ." there could be billions of of planets with intelligent, alien species. It's a breathtaking concept. But is it credible? In our book "Rare Earth", Don Brownlee and I argue that even the simplest forms of animal life are exeedingly rare in our Galaxy, and in the Universe beyond."
"Peter Ward, New Scientist"

From the reviews
..." Their paradoxical finding ... has hit the world of astrobiologists like a killer asteroid ..."
"New York Newsday"
"Now, two prominent scientists say the conventional wisdom is wrong. The alien search, they add, is likely to fail ... "Rare Earth..".is producing whoops of criticism and praise...(some) call it 'brilliant' and 'courageous'."
"The New York Times"
"Its brilliant ... courageous ... It's rare in literature and science that a stance goes so far against the grain."
"Dr. Geoffrey W. Marcy, UC at Berkeley (Quoted in the NY" "TIMES)"
The author says
..." there could be billions of of planets with intelligent, alien species. It's a breathtaking concept. But is it credible? In our book "Rare Earth," Don Brownlee and I argue that even the simplest forms of animal life are exeedingly rare in our Galaxy, and in the Universe beyond."
"Peter Ward, New Scientist"