What a dream it would be to work at the Carl Sagan Institute. Dr. Kaltenegger offers glimpses into her life and career in astrophysics and research in studying plantary outerspace, and her lifelong enthusiasm and fascination for this exploration comes across very clearly. I liked when she provided a framework for the science by relaying how her students talked about it, because it felt like she made for a terrific professor. I would have liked the book to be a little more accessible to the layperson, and a little more organized thematically, but even Carl Sagan enthusiasts can only aspire to be such an infectious and illuminating storyteller as he was. Anyone who's even tangentially related to his work is remarkable, and such is the case with Dr. Kaltenegger. Try not to be disappointed when you leave this book not knowing the answer to whether we've found extraterrestrial life out there!

It’s one big mystery: life on other planets. Lisa Kaltenegger gives us a fascinating and comprehensible look at unexpected discoveries in the universe. For anyone that thinks this is a “stuffy and rigid” subject, she will prove you wrong with all sorts of ways astronomers are exploring new planets with advanced technology.

She explained how Earth has changed from a billion years ago. Kaltenegger makes comparisons that are simple to understand. Who would have ever thought about raisin bread and the big bang explosion? She said at first the raisins are close together. Then when dough rises, the raisins spread out just like the stars in the universe. This made me smile.

This book engages readers to learn and understand more about Earth, Jupiter, Saturn, the Moon and Sun along with other surrounding planets outside of our solar system. She answers questions like: What is the meaning of tardigrades on the moon? How does one search for life in the cosmos? What is the significance of posters at an international collaboration with scientists? Why is it impossible for humans to live on almost all other planets?

Kaltenegger talks about her work as the Director at the Carl Sagan Institute at Cornell. She says it wasn’t easy as a female to advance with this type of career. However, at 46 years old, her accomplishments are impressive. She hopes that someday there will be a way of space traveling safely to areas where we can only dream about now.

This is an easy-to-read, interesting book. The only thing missing is the visual look at what she’s describing which is why she has a big following at live presentations. I love her comments about science fiction books and movies. While there hasn’t been proof yet of other types of life, she notes that with 200 billion stars in our galaxy, it’s just a matter of time when it happens.

My thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of April 16, 2024.

I received a free copy of, Alien Earths, by Dr. Lisa Kaltenegger , from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Space has always fascinated me, how we are not alone in this vast universe of ours. This is an enjoyable read about earth and the other planets.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

"Alien Earths" by Dr. Lisa Kaltenegger is novel exploring the concept if we are not alone in this universe.

I would give "Aliens Earths" by Dr. Lisa Kaltenegger a 2-star review because, while I enjoyed the concept of the novel the actual reading of this I just couldn't enjoy as I hoped.

I loved this book for the perspective it gave on why space exploration is important.
The context o understand space exploration is not always clear. This is changing with times as our requirements for a safe earth change. Long ago it was this letter to a nun. https://news.lettersofnote.com/p/why-explore-space

This is a very accessible read. Made me look at how light can reveal so many secrets of where its been.. why JWST needs to have big mirrors.

What is an alien? How astrobiology can help us learn more. How DNA has been advanced from 4 base letters to 8 understand more.

I cant eat an apple now without thinking of our earth.

For a peek into the mysteries of space and the increasing relevance of our relation with space, read this book. I am excited about all we are going to learn from the planned launches to TItan, Jupiter moons in the coming years 2034, 2037....

Happy Orionids Viewing..

Time to get your space calendar out.. I say...

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for providing me with an ARC of Alien Earths! Wow, this book packs a lot of information into a relatively small package. I learned so much more than I had anticipated not just about current efforts in astrobiology, but about the history of our galaxy and our planet. While Dr. Kaltenegger covers a lot of information in this book, however, I will say that it felt a bit disjointed at times. Each chapter has “mini-chapters” that focus on a mix of specific topics and Kaltenegger’s personal experiences. While a good tool for moving between topics, I did fail to see the connections at times. I was also hoping to read more directly about astrobiology and current efforts, and I did not realize that a good portion of this book talks more generally about our solar system/galaxy and Earth’s history. As someone personally very interested in astrobiology and the search for life, I will say that I was hoping for more out of this book. However, for those more generally interested in these topics, this will make for a fantastic and comprehensive introduction about what we know and how we know it when it comes to astrobiology and broader astronomy.