The Crowded Universe : The Search for Living Planets
One of the world's leading authorities on the formation of stars and planets, Alan Boss is a research scientist at the Carnegie Institution of Washington Department of Terrestrial Magnetism. He has been elected a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Meteoritical Society, and the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. He lives in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Debra Fischer, Professor of Astronomy, San Francisco State
University
"Alan Boss is widely respected for his scientific research and for
his ability to clearly convey forefront research to the public. The
Crowded Universe is a delightful read that chronicles the twists
and turns of the birth and evolution of the rapidly evolving field
of exoplanet discovery."
Debra Fischer, Professor of Astronomy, San Francisco State
University
"Alan Boss is widely respected for his scientific research and for
his ability to clearly convey forefront research to the public.
"The Crowded Universe" is a delightful read that chronicles the
twists and turns of the birth and evolution of the rapidly evolving
field of exoplanet discovery."
Michel Mayor, Professor of Astronomy, University of Geneva
"The discovery of exoplanets has transformed modern astronomy. In
"The Crowded Universe," renowned expert Alan Boss offers an
exciting insider's account of the quest for other Worlds."Sir
Martin Rees, Astronomer Royal of Great Britain
"The search for life beyond the Earth, and the study of planets
orbiting other stars, are surely among the most fascinating topics
in 21st century science. Alan Boss offers a clear and masterly
guide to these exciting and fast-moving subjects."Dr. Paul Butler,
Carnegie Institution of Washington
"In the past decade we have gone from complete ignorance of
extrasolar planets to the verge of finding habitable planets. In
"The Crowded Universe," Alan Boss gives an extraordinary inside
look at the people and events that have shaped the field. The
excitement of discovery shines in Boss's elegant prose, and the
work of centuries is seamlessly assembled for the non-expert
reader."Professor Geoff Marcy, Center for Integrative Planetary
Science, UC Berkeley
"Rarely is the history of science so accurately told as in this
lively and authoritative book. Alan Boss offers insights about our
terrestrial origins, our extraterrestrial brethren, and our destiny
in the Galaxy, placing our Earth in the cosmic context for the
first time."Dr. Frank Drake, Director, Carl Sagan Center for the
Study of Life in the Universe, SETI Institute CIRC
""The Crowded Universe" is a thorough depiction of the events and
people involved in one of the greatest milestones in the history of
science: the detection of other planetary systems in the Milky Way.
The author is one of the primary players in this ongoing saga, and
he tells the story with commendable detail. If you want to see how
science works at its best, read this book."Neil deGrasse Tyson,
Astrophysicist, American Museum of Natural History and author of
"The Pluto Files"
"The search for planets outside our solar system has become a
cottage industry. In "The Crowded Universe," Alan Boss weaves a
'you are there' narrative that reaches behind the scenes of this
thrilling new field, exposing the reader to the people, the
politics, and the sheer joy of doing science.""Kirkus"
"Solid coverage of one of the most exciting topics in
science.""Scientific American"
"Astronomer Alan Boss of the Carnegie Institution of Washington
predicts that CoRoT and Kepler will discover abundant Earths. These
telescopes are poised to prove him right or wrong, and his book
provides essential and fascinating background as the drama
unfolds.""Discover"
"The space race is on. No, not back to the moon. The next great
achievement for humanity will be to find alien life on another
planet. Astronomer Boss gives an inside view of how new space
telescopes like Kepler and Corot are on the verge of finding
Earth-like worlds around other stars.""New Scientist"
"Boss recounts the exhilarating tale of the race to discover the
first truly Earth-like exoplanet. As "The Crowded Universe"
unfolds, it brings alive the thrills and disappointments of
bleeding-edge science, the fierce competition between American and
European planet-hunting teams and the politics of billion-dollar
research. Along the way we learn the latest theories on how planets
form and just how astronomers detect distant worlds too faint to
see.""BBC Focus Magazine"
"If Alan Boss's excellent new book is anything to go by, the next
few years could see some dramatic revelations about our cosmic
neighbourhood... In '"The Crowded Universe"' he skilfully recounts
how astronomers have gradually become better acquainted with the
exoplanets - planets orbiting stars other than the Sun... This is
top-notch-and-timely popular science meets page-turning political
intrigue.""Natural History"
"In this short and lucid review of his field, [Boss] traces the
developments of the last fifteen years in chronological, diarylike
entries, so that we can share with him the excitement of
discovery.... The tone of Boss's book, accordingly, is excited and
hopeful, but there's also a note of wry irony in his descriptions
of the political trials astronomers have gone through trying to
promote their research. And despite the successes of the past
decade, Boss senses that it may be increasingly difficult for
astronomers to attract the sums needed to continue the search for
habitable planets. Readers of this book, I am certain, will hope
his fears are unsubstantiated."
"Space Times"
"["The Crowded Universe"] is a stunning story, recasting scientists
as detectives developing and using new tools to expand knowledge of
our exciting universe."
"Choice"
"[T]he book reads like an adventure yarn, reminiscent of
archaeologists looking for fabled lost cities.... [A] thoroughly
fascinating account."
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