Astrobiology: A Multi-Disciplinary Approach is the most comprehensive textbook designed for emerging upper level courses in astrobiology. Internationally renowned authority Jonathan Lunine provides a solid foundation in the essential concepts of physics, chemistry, biology, and other relevant sciences to help readers achieve a more well-rounded understanding of the fascinating study of the origin of life, planetary evolution, and life in the cosmos. The basics of astrobiology focusing on essential concepts in physics, chemistry, biology, and other sciences.

"For a long time, scientists have wondered how life has emerged from inanimate chemistry, and whether Earth is the only place where it exists. Charles Darwin speculated about life on Earth beginning in a warm little pond. Some of his contemporaries believed that life existed on Mars. It once seemed inevitable that the truth would be known by now. It is not. For more than a century, the origins and extent of life have remained shrouded in mystery. But, as Mario Livio and Jack Szostak reveal in Is Earth Exceptional?, the veil is finally lifting. The authors describe how life's building blocks-from RNA to amino acids and cells-could have emerged from the chaos of Earth's early existence. They then apply the knowledge gathered from cutting-edge research across the sciences to the search for life in the cosmos: both life as we know it and life as we don't. Why and where life exists are two of the biggest unsolved problems in science. Is Earth Exceptional? is the ultimate exploration of the question of whether life is a freak accident or a chemical imperative"-- Provided by publisher.

"Astrobiology is an exciting interdisciplinary field that seeks to answer one of the most important and profound questions: Are we alone? In this volume, leading international experts explore the frontiers of astrobiology, investigating the latest research questions that will fascinate a wide interdisciplinary audience at all levels. What is the earliest evidence for life on Earth? Where are the most likely sites for life in the Solar System? Could life have evolved elsewhere in the Galaxy? What are the best strategies for detecting intelligent extraterrestrial life? How many habitable or Earth-like exoplanets are there? Progress in astrobiology over the past decade has been rapid and, with evidence accumulating that Mars once hosted standing bodies of liquid water, the discovery of over 500 exoplanets, and new insights into how life began on Earth, the scientific search for our origins and place in the cosmos continues. The book is based on a meeting at the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, which gathered leading researchers to present state-of-the-art reviews on their research and address topics at the forefront of astrobiology"--