BookBrowse Reviews Alien Earths by Lisa Kaltenegger

"We are living in an incredible time of exploration," says Alien Earths author Dr. Lisa Kaltenegger, and after reading her new book it's impossible to argue. Only in recent years have we developed the technology and skills to search other galaxies for exoplanets similar to Earth and examine them for signs of life. After all, the full title is Alien Earths: The New Science of Planet Hunting in the Cosmos, and planet scout Dr. Kaltenegger gives us exactly what we came for.

She offers insight into why our planet holds complex life to begin with, explaining a crucial elemental fusion. Earth exists within a galactic sweet spot, coined the Goldilocks zone by scientists — the perfect location in relation to the sun: not too hot (like Venus), not too cold (like Mars), and most importantly, able to hold liquid water. This is because "[L]ife on Earth is built on carbon scaffolding, and it...