This was an interesting non fiction book that discussed the search of life in our galaxy.

Some of the information I knew before but other information was new to me. The information was interesting but I would suggest that it is written for an audience that is already interested in these topics. The author wasn't afraid to dive into some basic science and assume the reader is education on the foundations of these topics.

This was a reasonably short book which felt just right for the topic discussed. I would recommend this to readers who like to learn through their reading time.

Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

"Alien Earths" delves into Kaltenegger's interdisciplinary approach to space exploration and the search for extraterrestrial life. This book is easy to follow and interesting. I enjoyed this read and learned a lot. I recommend this book for science and space lovers. I'd like to learn more from this author.

In Alien Earths, Dr. Lisa Kaltenegger introduces readers to a broad overview of planetary science, beginning with our own solar system and quest to explore the cosmos, branching out into our search for Exoplanets.

Dr. Kaltenegger is the director and founder of the Carl Sagan Institute for the Search for Life in the Cosmos at Cornell. It is easy to see the inspiration of Sagan in this work, for better and worse. Dr. Kaltenegger is positioning this book to be for the average reader, an introduction to modern space science with hints of her own work. As an introduction, I think this would work for any interested reader, especially those who have an (illogical) aversion to older works. This book presents the most up-to-date science in a manner that is digestible and crafted to inspire. If you are that kind of reader, with no past exposure to the subject but still an interest to learn, this book is perfect for you. For everyone else, it is harder to recommend.

I am a planetary scientist and an astrobiologist. My focus is on surface evolution of planets and moons in the solar system. I am not an expert in Exoplanets, and I picked this up hoping for a deeper dive into that field. With that said, I can look at this book through both lens: as a reader eager to learn new things versus as an expert learning and/or judging how we can discuss the science we do. I was very disappointed as the learner and still mixed as the expert.

At least half the book or more is a very broad introduction to space and planetary science. I felt like this was done well, but I also think the lay reader could have been given a bit more trust to handle a deeper dive (the book is fairly short after all). My biggest issue with the introduction is that it felt like it didn't significantly reframe the conversation. Many of the analogies and philosophical musings were things I'd heard before. They are effective, but if I was going to recommend a book (or books) on this subject, I would still urge readers to try older works (e.g., Pale Blue Dot). Sure, science evolves and changes, but its more likely that what's changed is the clarity of what we know, like putting on glasses to refine what was already there.

Unfortunately, my disappointment extends beyond the introduction. Even as we venture into the realm of Exoplanets, there remains a vaguery on the subject. I say the introduction is long, but I am not exactly sure it was all an introduction. It wasn't clear that there was a lot of new science to be introduced. It is indicative of the larger style of only dipping the readers toes in anything being discussed. This is where I had my most personal disappointment. I expected this to focus more on exoplanets. We get to hear about her work and the ongoing efforts, but we never really get to immerse ourselves within it.

I recognize I come to this with biased perspective. I am not an exoplanet scientist, but I have a professional familiarity with the science as an astrobiologist especially. Still, it is that familiarity that makes this feel so underwhelming. I felt like I learned more from Dr. Sara Seager's book from nearly 5 years ago now, The Smallest Lights in the Universe: A Memoir. That's more a memoir than a science book. If I was going to recommend a book on exoplanet science, that would easily be it. The conversation on exoplanets is secondary, so it is unlikely to overwhelm the reader. It is also a very personal story. It is Dr. Seager's personal story with grief, as a scientist, and as a woman.

Overall, I can easily recommend this to anyone curious to explore the subject for the first time. I still think it fails to really excel, and the recommendation is largely on its recency being more likely to attract new interest in the field, which I am all for. However, that relevancy will fade, and I'll be surprised if became a classic in the field of popular space science books.

3.5/5 stars

First came an elementary and too-long explanation of the scientific method, then an unnecessary and overly schlocky autobiography of the author’s childhood, and now I’m in a chapter asking me to ponder “what is life?” And I’ve given up being curious about when the author will get around to the purported subject. I wish scientists who write books for a general audience would learn that “general audience” doesn’t mean “unscrubbed know-nothings who need to be spoon fed anything to do with my research.” My feeling is that anyone who picks up this book will already know what the scientific method is and will have been taught the definition of “life” in middle school biology class and will not be interested in learning the author lives to read as a child etc. … we pick this book because we already have an interest in exobiology. I would have loved a book that had enough respect for its readers to dive right in.

I won’t be posting this review elsewhere as I have given up for now.

I know that this is a book about space, but somehow I expected it to be a little less sciency. I am so interested in this subject and talk about it daily but there were parts of the book that left me stumped. Overall it was a great read and I really did learn a lot of interesting information.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my gifted audiobook copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really interesting way to learn about our search for life in the universe! I loved the blending of the author's experiences and journey through her career with the narrative of our search. At times it was hard to remember what each chapter was about, though, which might have just been due to listening in audiobook format and nit being able to remind myself with a glance what the chapter was called. I occasionally lost the thread of the discussion, but nit enough to seriously impact my enjoyment.

I would highly recommend this book to young women either looking to or currently pursuing a career in a STEM field. The insights into the challenges women have faced previously, and the reality of where we are now, paint a realistic yet hopeful picture. I would have loved to have read this as a teenager, when I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this audiobook.

So interesting and easy to follow. Dr. Kaltenegger is great at explaining like you are five and is pretty good at weaving things together in an engaging way.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dr. Lisa Kaltenegger for the audiobook of 'Alien Earths.'

Since this is nonfiction, I feel like I can't give much input on the book, as that would be greatly out of my scope and field. I think this book was really interesting, I wanted it to be more about different alien planets as opposed to talking about conferences and collaboration, but I suppose that's all a part of the journey.

All I feel comfortable saying is that I really enjoyed this book, often I reflect on my professional choices in life and wish there was a way to include astronomy in my life goals. This makes me want to include it more as a hobby, as math is out of my range of comfort.

This nonfiction book about whether or not there is - or could be - life on other planets (or moons!) had me interested from the very first. The author reads the prologue and epilogue herself, and I’d be lying if I said it didn’t make me tear up. The idea that the universe is so, so vast, and so utterly unknowable makes me feel small in the best way. There is so much to learn, to discover, to wonder and dream about!! I am blown away every time I think about it.

I loved how Lisa is so enthusiastic about her work without being overly stodgy or too academic. You can tell she knows what she’s talking about but genuinely wants to bring it to our level (those of us without science degrees, that is). She talks about the new James Webb telescope, newly discovered planets, the necessary ingredients to sustain life on earth and other planets, and even includes a chapter on tardigrades I’m going to read to my kids.

I recommend this book HIGHLY to anyone who’s ever just, well, wondered what’s out there.

This one is for people who already have an interest and basic understanding of the subject.

I have always been fascinated by space and the idea of life on other planets. This book was very factual and scientifically detailed in such a way that it was not too convoluted to understand. It was very grounded in science and the idea of life on other planets (not necessarily intelligent humanoid life).

Overall, it was a great audiobook to listen to, and I found myself engaged throughout.

There were a few points that got rather technical, but overall, I didn't find it to be too much for the average person to comprehend.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio & Netgalley for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review! I wasn’t sure if I was going to like this book or not because when I was in school, I thought Science was boring. I don’t know anything about Science or Space but I enjoyed reading this book. This book never felt dry or boring. This book is very readable. I learned so much and it has made me interested in Science. I would recommend this book if you don’t know anything about Science or Space.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in advance! Not my usual read, but I’ve always loved astronomy and space and this book is completely deserving of a 5 out of 5 star rating.

The narrators of the audiobook, done by both the author Dr. Lisa Kaltenegger and Cassandra Campbell, were both great choices as neither made the readings sound monotonous or like you’re sitting in on a lecture which I feel like can sometimes happen with non-fiction titles. The science behind this book was fascinating too, I especially enjoyed learning about the system for how planets are actually named (with the letters and numbers and their meanings), but it was also extremely easy to understand the science too and not get overwhelmed by it all. The stories told are interesting and intriguing, while also offering insight into how new planets are discovered, how the science behind the act is constantly evolving and changing and how far we’ve come in our ways of discovering new planets in the cosmos. It was also really enjoyable to hear about space and astronomy from a woman in the field as women in STEM aren’t often heard of/from and I really enjoyed Dr. Kaltenegger mentioning her occasional struggle with sexism in her field and her hope for there to be more women in STEM in the future.

For anyone who’s a fan of the TV Show Cosmos and/or any of Carl Sagan’s books or just space in general, this book is a must read. Thanks again NetGalley!

I asked to listen to this audiobook because I loved the text so much. This book is about science but it's written from the point of view of someone who feels a real sense of wonder and loves everything about it. The basic question is about finding life in the universe, but it's explored logically and scientifically.
The tone is conversational, and complicated ideas are broken down and made easy. Dr. Kattenegger understands her topic and wants to share what she knows with everyone who's interested.
The audiobook adds that extra ingredient: the narration has that same enthusiasm I got from the text. It's so good, and I highly recommend this for everyone, even people like me who haven't studied science for many years.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me listen to this audiobook

There are many popular science books about humanity’s search for life in the universe, but few are as comprehensive and engaging as this one. Dr. Lisa Kaltenegger takes the reader on a tour of the current state of astronomical surveys for potential extraterrestrial life, explains the difficulties inherent in this search, and shows us what a breakthrough might look like. The writing style is fluid and immersive while also managing to teach the reader a varied range of concepts. Ultimately this book accomplishes what the best popular science titles aim to do, entertain and educate the reader while also whetting their appetite for more extensive reading in the future.

Great book, Learned so much about the space beyond our own little planet. You normally do not consider how vast our galaxy is, Is something out there besides us?

Genre: nonfiction

Astronomer and director of the Carl Sagan Institute at Cornell University, Lisa Kaltnegger uses Alien Earths to detail the scientific search for life on other planets. Lots of excellent science fiction and pop culture references, but this is real science- multidisciplinary astronomy, geology, biology, chemistry, engineering and more! - combined in Dr Kaltenegger's pursuit of defining and finding life on planets in other solar systems.

There is some technical information, but she writes clearly enough for someone with basic astronomical knowledge to understand (i.e. if you've been to a planetarium at least once or took a middle school science class, you'll probably be ok!). She poses a lot of interesting questions for us about the universe, and tests the limits of what we might be able to find. Alien Earths manages to gracefully walk the fine line between pop science writing and the technical components of the field, but it’s clear that her goal is to get more amateur scientists and astronomers and the general public invested in this search for life elsewhere.

The audiobook is a good way to connect with Alien Earths, and I never felt lost listening to too many facts. It’s a good blend of interesting scientific discoveries, natural history about the evolution of life on our planet, and Dr Katlenegger’s personal experiences with her field, teaching, and being a woman in science.

Pick this up if you’re a science fiction lover who also likes to think about life on other worlds in our own universe. Pick it up if you want to think about how much life on our own planet is such a tiny sliver of possibility of what’s out there in the universe.

I was provided both an audio and print ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

Cassandra Campbell is a fabulous narrator, and is one of my favorites. This is my first experience with her narrating a non-fiction audiobook. I'm used to her voicing several different characters within a sci-fi or fantasy book, however she takes great care in ensuring the scientific words are pronounced clearly and correctly and if there is a non-English name or phrase it is also pronounced correctly.

This was a great non-fiction book for anyone interested in science of discovering new planets and the investigation of space. The author does a great job of mixing science, personal, experience, and pop culture in to the book without getting overly scientific. She uses real world examples from her own teaching experience and research and references movies and books that readers may be familiar to explain her points about how scientists go about trying to determine if there might be life on other planets. I felt like it was written as if she was having a conversation with you about her favorite topic which made if very approachable and easy to consume. I've read other books on the topic and it can get very technical and overwhelming very quickly depending on how the science is presented. You can tell the author loves her work and tries to make it fun and wants everyone to see the majesty in the cosmos as she does.

I appreciated that the author took the time to write about her life and accomplishments. She notes that it was not always easy being a woman in STEM, but because she had supportive parents and mentors she has had an impressive career. This book would be the perfect gift for an aspiring young lady taking an interest in a STEM career.

I would have appreciated pictures of some of the things Dr. Kaltenegger was referencing at times or links to Hubble images, as I was following along in the ebook. The cover is fantastic, and I hope the final version that comes out in a few weeks does have images, but the ARC does not.

Overall this is a great, easy to digest look at scientific approach to looking for habitable planets and potential life in the universe.

I received a gifted copy of ALIEN EARTHS: THE NEW SCIENCE OF PLANET HUNTING IN THE COSMOS by Lisa Kaltenegger from St. Martin’s Press. I also received the audiobook from Macmillan Audio.

ALIEN EARTHS takes at the science and research that is going into the quest to find out if there is life out there in the cosmos. Given that we don’t have the technology to leave our solar system and explore the far reaches of space, science must find ways to bring answers into reach through alternate means.

Lisa Kaltenegger is an astrophysicist and a founding director of Cornell University’s Carl Sagan Institute. She talks about the ways we can use our own home planet and all that we know about it’s history and present to inform the search for other life in the universe.

This book cover immediately caught my eye. I really enjoy nonfiction that brings more information about the natural world and space is always a fascinating discussion. I think the author did a good job of explaining the science she was conveying in a way that made it approachable for the non-scientific minded. She promises an “insider’s guide” to what scientists are learning from Earth, its biosphere, and some of the discoveries that have already been made.

This is a pretty quick read and it never felt too heavy or weighed down with concepts that were difficult to understand. I found the idea of growing things on Earth to study and learn how to recognize potential life on distant planets to be particularly interesting. This was a fascinating read and I would recommend it to those interested in asking the questions of what is out there in the universe!

I had such a fun time listening to this. I have been on a huge outer space learning kick over the last month so this was perfect timing. I loved that the author did an introduction at the beginning. This book did a great job dumbing down some of the concepts so that your average reader would understand most, but maybe not all, of the concepts and facts. There were a few things that I did not feel intelligent enough to truly understand - but I feel that way about outer space in general. This was a great audiobook. The narration was engaging and I learned a ton.

This book was so incredibly interesting and mind blowing! Dr. Kaltenegger describes the possibilities of other habitable planets in the universe using both observations from space telescopes and computer and lab modeling. Her writing is extremely clear and accessible for the layperson but also full of fascinating information. The narrator of this audiobook was wonderful and clear.
I would highly recommend this to readers of popular science, and to quote The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, "life, the universe, and everything."

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for this audio ARC!