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Extraterrestrials: A Field Guide for Earthlings |  | Authors: Terence Dickinson, Adolf Schaller
Publisher: Camden House
List Price: $9.95
Buy Used: $0.01
as of 11/22/2009 15:25 CST details
You Save: $9.94 (100%)
New (6) Used (18) Collectible (1) from $0.01
Seller: green_earth_books
Rating:  6 reviews
Sales Rank: 537819
Media: Paperback
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Pages: 64
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 10.9 x 9 x 0.2
ISBN: 0921820879
Dewey Decimal Number: 574.99
EAN: 9780921820871
ASIN: 0921820879
Publication Date: October 1, 1994
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
What will they look like? That is the question addressed in this wonderfully illustrated book for "earthlings" who want to explore beyond the cardboard aliens of television science fiction to find out what science says about our cosmic cousins from other planet--if they exist. Author Terence Dickinson, an acclaimed astronomy writer, examines t! he picture we have absorbed from TV and movies about creatures from other planets, from the friendly visitor in E.T. to the savage creature in Alien and the gaggle of other-worldly folk from Star Trek and its clones. Dickinson then explains how the variety of environments in the universe could give rise to creature far more different from us than anything Hollywood's invented. Through the talents of illustrator Adolf Schaller, one of the chief artists and Emmy-award winner from Carl Sagan's Cosmos television series, alien worlds come alive with plants, insects and animals never dreamed of before. Yet, Schaller's vision is based on sound assumptions about the gravity of each hypothetical planet, the type of star that it orbits and other factors that bring plausible alien environments to life. The book winds up with a look at "life as we don't know it," featuring creatures and entities that might have evolved from something other that carbon-based biology, the foundation of ! Earth life. A unique blend of science and imagination, Extraterrestrials will compel anyone who has ever thought about what-and who-might be out there.
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Showing reviews 1-5 of 6
 A book for all ages July 11, 2008
Salim Mahdi (Cairo, Zamalek, Egypt)
It is not for children only as some claim.
This book is for all ages.
Nothing wrong with fables and fantasies.
They are good for the heart and the mind.
I love this book.
A great companion.
I wish a great success for this writer who is well known worldwide.
S. Mahdi, Caro, Egypt.
Xenophanes April 2, 2007
Xenophanes
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Cute book. Written mainly for children and young adults. It would have been nice to own this when I was a child as it clearly illustrates some basic principles of evolution/alien life/planetary physics. Eventhough it is simplistic I still value it as part of my collection for its illustrations that make your points clear to anyone who is interested in learning about this topic.
Great for anyone! March 20, 2006
P. Hauge (San Gabriel, CA United States)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I bought this book at a book fair back in junior high probably 10 years ago. I must have read it cover to cover over a dozen times back then and the book still sits on my shelf today. Great illustrations, interesting concepts. This book is certainly worth the price and is great for children just beginning to show an interest in space, aliens and sci-fi, or for adults who simply want a book that is a simple intro into basic extraterrestrial theory. The book starts off talking about aliens in movies, and then goes into what some aliens might look like depending on the type of planet they inhabit. While the book could stand to be updated, it really is just a lot of fun.
Perfect for Students November 26, 2000
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
This is the perfect book to use with middle school and high school students. I use this as a reference for cross-curricular projects with science fiction, science, language arts, and government. The background and general information is not too much for students to digest and the illustrations are fabulous. When required to come up with feasible life-forms for various planet types, the breakdown of possibilities for "alien" senses helps students to consider new approaches. The specific planet descriptions are also immensely helpful, giving students something to build on, opening their minds to the limitless possibilities of extraterrestrial life. This is the singlarly essential building block for endless projects. I wish I could afford a class set. Marvelous!
Meet "The Guide" November 19, 2000
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
This is not your sci-fi book on aliens. This book is more like "Audbon Society Guide To Birds" of extraterrestrial biology. Dickinson and Schaller start by discussing our contemporary views of aliens and shows the fallicies behind it. They then explore places where life could be found. Then there is a discussion of biology, rules of life that would apply anywhere in the universe. Then, one by one, Dickinson and Schaller discuss possible inhabited worlds and what life might have eveolved there. Everything from gas giants to ocean worlds to ice planets are discussed. Then, inorganic life, like intellegent comets and macronulear life is discussed. Finally, to sum it up, the possibilty of contact is discussed. Throughout the book, a scientific aprouch is used, but the book is still very easy to read. Anybody interested in the possibilty of life on other worlds, and anybody who would like to see what theis life might be like, definatley should read this book.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 6
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