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EDITORIAL INFORMATION

The surprisingly long history of debate over extraterrestrial life is full of marvelous visions of what life "out there" might be like, as well as remarkable stories of alleged sightings and heated disputes about the probability that life might actually have arisen more than once. In Planetary Dreams, acclaimed author Robert Shapiro explores this rich history of dreams and debates in search of the best current answers to the most elusive and compelling of all questions: Are we alone?

In his pursuit, he presents three contrasting views regarding how life might have started: through Divine Creation, by a highly unlikely stroke of luck, or by the inevitable process of a natural law that he terms the Life Principle.

As we launch into an exciting new era of space exploration, Planetary Dreams offers a thoughtful and entertaining exploration of both the history of our hopes and expectations and a vision of a possible future in which the discovery of life elsewhere will provide a new view of our place in the universe.

(Extracted from the dust cover).

GENERAL TABLE OF CONTENTS

-Contents.

-Preface.

-Acknowledgments.

-1. Planetary Dreams.

-2. A Shift in the Cosmos.

-3. A Matter of Perspective.

-4. Life in the Museum.

-5. The Missing Machine.

-6. The Life Principle.

-7. Cosmic Sweepings.

-8. A Plentitude of Worlds.

-9. The Big Orange.

-10. In the Realm of the Giants.

-11. Signs of Ancient Visitors.

-12. Supporting the Dream.

-Notes.

-Index.