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Rating: 
Summary: Perfect for Students
Review: This is a fun book but, I must admit, that I was a bit disappointed. I was hoping for something geared towards adults (or, at the least, towards an intelligent teen). This book is specificially geared towards children (i.e., a bright 8 year old or above). It is certainly a friendly book filled with colorful (if somewhat unimaginative) drawings. As well, it covers many of the issues relevant to the subject (e.g., why movie aliens shouldn't be regarded as realistic). My only complaint, once you correlate it to its intended audience, is that it does speak authoritatively more often then it should for such a speculative topic (e.g., it claims that we can expect that most intelligent species should have a humanoid template which is, to say the least, a debatable position).Be that as it may, I would certainly recommend it if you want to introduce a child to the topic or if you know of a child that is already interested. For adults, however, I'd give it a miss.
Rating: 
Summary: Fun but not geared towards adults
Review: This is a fun book but, I must admit, that I was a bit disappointed. I was hoping for something geared towards adults (or, at the least, towards an intelligent teen). This book is specificially geared towards children (i.e., a bright 8 year old or above). It is certainly a friendly book filled with colorful (if somewhat unimaginative) drawings. As well, it covers many of the issues relevant to the subject (e.g., why movie aliens shouldn't be regarded as realistic). My only complaint, once you correlate it to its intended audience, is that it does speak authoritatively more often then it should for such a speculative topic (e.g., it claims that we can expect that most intelligent species should have a humanoid template which is, to say the least, a debatable position). Be that as it may, I would certainly recommend it if you want to introduce a child to the topic or if you know of a child that is already interested. For adults, however, I'd give it a miss.
Rating:
Summary: Meet "The Guide"
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Perfect for Students
Review: 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!
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