Alone in the Universe: Why Our Planet Is Unique (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781118147979)

Are we alone in the universe? Surely amidst the immensity of the cosmos there must be other intelligent life out there. Don't be so sure, says John Gribbin, one of today's best popular science writers. In this fascinating and intriguing new book, Gribbin argues that the very existence of intelligent life anywhere in the cosmos is, from an astrophysicist's point of view, a miracle. So why is there life on Earth and (seemingly) nowhere else? What happened to make this planet special? Taking us back some 600 million years, Gribbin lets you experience the series of unique cosmic events that were responsible for our unique form of life within the Milky Way Galaxy.

• Written by one of our foremost popular science writers, author of the bestselling In Search of Schringer's Cat
• Offers a bold answer to the eternal question, ""Are we alone in the universe?""
• Explores how the impact of a ""supercomet"" with Venus 600 million years ago created our moon, and along with it, the perfect conditions for life on Earth

From one of our most talented science writers, this book is a daring, fascinating exploration into the dawning of the universe, cosmic collisions and their consequences, and the uniqueness of life on Earth.

Author: John Gribbin
ISBN-10: 1118147979
ISBN-13: 9781118147979
Publisher: Trade Paper Press
Language: English
Published: 12/01/2011
Pages: 240
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 0.97lbs
Size: 9.36h x 6.68w x 0.98d

Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 10/15/2011
Publishers Weekly 10/24/2011 pg. 48
Library Journal 11/15/2011 pg. 91
Choice 06/01/2012