Extraterrestrials: A Field Guide for Earthlings

by Terence Dickinson and Adolf Schaller

Book Overview

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... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0921820879
• ISBN13: 9780921820871
• Release Date: January 1994
• Publisher: Camden House (NY)
• Length: 64 Pages
• Weight: 0.56 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.2" x 9.0" x 10.9"
• Age Range: 9 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 4 and higher

Customer Reviews

A book for all ages

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

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!

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

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"

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.