[an] intriguing new book ... it's in the last portion of this book that it really shines ... Specifically, he asks whether all civilizations on all planets inevitably have to deal with some form of climate change ... The scientific speculation that follows is intellectually bracing and well-founded — and ultimately works because Frank is really looking for a new way to contextualize climate change here on Earth ... Frank's book isn't the one story about climate change — but it's a good story, and a valuable perspective on the most important problem of our time.
Adam Frank cleverly links Earth’s current climate change with the possibilities of life on other planets ... What is revolutionary is Frank’s contention that other worlds have likely evolved enough to create intelligent civilizations, and the knowledge gleaned from studying other planets can be used to reach the necessary level of maturity to face our future ... Providing multiple levels of fascinating science, Light of the Stars proposes a novel theory of how astrobiology and the study of life on other planets can help us understand climate change and civilization on Earth.
...[an] engaging and accessible book ... Light of the Stars traverses a wide terrain of geological, biological and astronomical science ... Frank enlivens the text with his passion, opinions and even some of his own projections of our possible fates. He is also a good storyteller.
...knowledgeable, witty, irreverent, provocative, and very entertaining ... For us normal earthlings, he also incorporates accessible references to H. G. Wells, Carl Sagan, the Mars rovers, Easter Island, and prosthetic Klingon foreheads. This offers solid science and lots of fun, so expect high demand.
While Frank can't speculate on sociological trends on alien worlds, observations on Earth, especially our descent into the Anthopocene--a new geological era defined by manmade climate change--have potentially grim implications for life in the universe. Light of the Stars is a fascinating, multi-disciplined approach to the most pressing questions on Earth and beyond.
...[a] skillfully written volume ... With an evenhanded approach to issues like the possibility of extraterrestrial life and the threat posed by climate change, Frank’s simple, effective narrative interlaces biology, astrophysics, population science, and more to lend a cosmic perspective on the fate of life and earth ... Engrossing readers start to finish with persuasive, smooth prose, Frank offers a new take on humanity’s place.
An engaging effort 'to tell a different story about ourselves and our fate among the stars and their many worlds' ... An intriguing account of the ongoing search for alien civilizations whose failure to appear may be a warning for humans to get their act together.
