First Contact : The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence

The foremost space scientists describe their quest for life beyond the planet Earth, examining the nature of intelligence, the outer limits of our understanding of biology, and man's place in the universe

This collection of essays and short stories on the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), compiled by president emeritus of the National Space Society Bova and Preiss, a science editor, numbers among its contributors Philip Morrison, one of the founders of the field; Frank Drake, head of the SETI Institute; writers Arthur C. Clarke and Isaac Asimov. The thrust of the book is simple: with perhaps millions or billions of planets in the universe, chances favor the existence of life on some of them and, with advanced equipment and methodology, we may be able to contact that life. The scientific discussion is accessible to lay readers but many will question the felicity of including science fiction in this compendium.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

These books examine the 30-year history of the federally funded Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) program. Bova and Preiss take an entertaining look at this research area in a series of overview articles and include some science fictional depictions of what our first contact with an alien race might be like. Swift's treatment is a bit more scholarly in tone and focuses on the personal backgrounds of 16 SETI pioneers. These "biographies" are presented in a question-and-answer format, with Swift asking each scientist the same type of question: what were their childhoods like, how did they become interested in this type of research, and how have their colleagues in other research areas treated them. Academics and college students interested in a career in science are the prime targets of Swift's book. First Contact , with its wider range of articles, will appeal to a general adult audience.
- Gary D. Barber, SUNY at Fredonia Lib.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.