The Inverted Bowl
Introductory Accounts of the Universe and Its Life
by George H.A. Cole
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Pub. Ed. $38.00
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The Inverted Bowl
How common is life in the cosmos? This is the central question of astrobiology, which draws on insights from the life and space sciences in search of answers. Seldom has this study been framed as eloquently as in The Inverted Bowl.
George Cole first describes our solar system and the ongoing search for planets outside it, over 300 of which have been detected to date. He then turns our attention to the one planet that we know harbors life: our own. Following an overview of terrestrial geology, we embark on a study of the evolution of life over billions of years. We begin with the earliest stirrings of single-celled organisms and the transition to multicellular life, from here, we turn to the period between 534 million and 55 million years ago that witnessed the rise of an enormous range of creatures, including the hominids. A separate chapter focuses on the direct path from early hominids to Homo sapiens. Cole stresses the delicate balance of environmental factors that must exist if life as we know it can thrive, but notes that we must not be limited by preconceived notions of what constitutes biofriendly conditions. The final chapter focuses on the likelihood of technologically capable civilizations existing elsewhere in the cosmos, and if they do, how we might contact them.
A series of detailed appendices supplement the main text. We find a lucid overview of modern astronomy; a look at the various sources of energy required to sustain our technological civilization and possibly all others; and a summary of mathematics, the language of science, which likely is a common tongue of any advanced species.
The Inverted Bowl is an essential resource for anyone curious about the existence of life elsewhere.
Softcover : 300 pages
Publisher: World Scientific Publications ( May 30, 2010 )
Item #: 12-957835
ISBN: 9781848165052
Product Dimensions: 9.75 x 6.5 inches
Product Weight: 24.0 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Why didn't somebody edit this before it was published? 
September 01, 2011
Without going into excruciating detail, this book had promise, but was evidently rushed into print with nobody except the author reading it. ANY editor would have found the dozens of errors I detected before I finally gave up on this book.
There are better books on this subject out there... keep looking.
Reviewer: David W
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