A thrilling tour of Earth that shows the search for extraterrestrial life starts in our own backyard.
 
Is there life off Earth? Bound by the limitations of spaceflight, a growing number of astrobiologists investigate the question by studying life on our planet. Astronomer and author Jon Willis shows us how it’s done, allowing readers to envision extraterrestrial landscapes by exploring their closest Earth analogs. With Willis, we dive into the Pacific Ocean from the submersible-equipped E/V Nautilus to ponder the uncharted seas of Saturn’s and Jupiter’s moons; search the Australian desert for some of Earth’s oldest fossils and consider the prospects for a Martian fossil hunt; visit mountaintop observatories in Chile to search for the telltale twinkle of extrasolar planets; and eavesdrop on dolphins in the Bahamas to imagine alien minds.
 
With investigations ranging from meteorite hunting to exoplanet detection, Willis conjures up alien worlds and unthought-of biological possibilities, speculating what life might look like on other planets by extrapolating from what we can see on Earth, our single “pale blue dot”—as Carl Sagan famously called it—or, in Willis’s reframing, scientists’ “pale blue data point.”

"“Stimulating. . . . The book shines in its attention to scale, shifting with ease between sensory-rich observations drawn from life, microhistories of major scientific personalities and engineering marvels, and technical descriptions. . . . Rich with firsthand fieldwork and unexpected connections, The Pale Blue Data Point is a thorough primer on humanity’s centuries-long search for alien life in the observable universe.”" - Foreword Reviews

"“A lively introduction to the field of astrobiology.”" - The New York Times Book Review, on "All These Worlds Are Yours"

"“[Willis] conveys great enthusiasm alongside necessary scientific skepticism.”" - The Wall Street Journal, on "All These Worlds Are Yours"

"“Energizing. . . . Through humorous, concise, accessible writing, Willis eloquently presents the growing—though still circumstantial—evidence that we are not alone.”" - Publishers Weekly (starred review), on "All These Worlds Are Yours"

"“A concise overview of astrobiology and what we know—and, more importantly, what we don’t—about the search for life elsewhere in our solar system and beyond.”" - The Space Review, on "All These Worlds Are Yours"