First contact: The search for extraterrestrial intelligence

Scientists and scientific writers come together in this book to confront the challenge of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.

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.