Rotonda: The Vision and the Reality : A Short History of a Florida Development

Book Description

Real estate experts reveal the inside scoop on home-buying in this essential, easy-to-use guide. Whether you're a first time buyer or seasoned veteran, get practical, step-by-step advice from planning your home purchase to moving into the home of your dreams.

-Discover how to choose the right home and mortgage

-Learn to negotiate for hot properties like a pro

-Use savvy buyers' examples and indispensable checklists

-Make the most of your buying power with alternative mortgages and no-money-down strategies

-Understand contracts and the closing process

Customer Reviews:

MONEY SAVER!.......2006-03-09

My wife and I were nervous about negotiation on our first home purchase, but Home Buying by the Experts gave us the confidence we needed to get a GREAT deal. We also learned some great tax-saving tips!

Completely Helpful!!.......2006-03-04

This book "Home Buying by the Experts" has been completely helpful to me. Taking tips from the experts has been a great source of information as I am in the process of purchasing my first home! Thank you Brian Yui and Lori Shaw-Cohen for making a home buying experience a great one!

Marinel

Well worth it.......2006-03-01

This book is terrific. It helps you navigate your way through buying a home. When you consider how costly errors can be in the entire process, this book is well worth the money.

Misleading title, uneven book.......2006-02-27

"Home Buying by the Experts--The Pros make your dream home a reality" is a very misleading title of what is essentially a 'tips' book. Just like another reviewer mentioned, don't make this the only home buying book that you read. This is strickly supplimental information, not any way a walk-thru of the home buying process.

The information provided is a mixed bag with eight contributors. Each author gives their favorite 'tips' for buying. There are a few good chapters on tax advanges & closing, and a lot of 'fluff' chapters on 'no money down' and 'moving'.

The reason I bought the book was because Bob Bruss had a part in it and he has a great syndicated column in newspapers. His contribution was not enough to make "Home Buying by the Experts" worthwhile. I would advise to skip this one and buy 'Home Buying for Dummies".

Great reference.......2006-02-15

The book is very well organized and extremely well written. It's the nuisance of the process that can make or break your investment and the entire process is accurately and simply defined in the book. Definitely worth the time if you are purchasing a home.

Bill E.

The Office Building: From Concept to Investment Reality

Average customer rating:

So much information, so little time
A comprehensive look at the modern office building.

The Office Building: From Concept to Investment Reality

Manufacturer: Office Building
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Public Finance | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Real Estate | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Investments | Real Estate | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Commercial Real Estate Analysis and Investments (with CD-ROM)

ASIN: 093965301X

Book Description

The Office Building From Concept to Investment Reality provides a comprehensive analysis of office buildings in a single source. Among the many topics covered in the book's 32 chapters are:

Valuation methods and when to use them
Restructuring and workouts
Characteristics of office markets
Sustaining rent and occupancy levels
Renovation, restoration, and remodeling
Creative mortgage financing
Securing mortgage capital
Guidelines for new investment
Benefits and drawbacks of public-private partnerships
Acquisitions and dispositions
Marketing and feasibility techniques to avoid investment errors

In addition, The Office Building contains more than 70 tables, graphs, and figures, plus numerous case studies illustrating actual properties and deals. An extensive bibliography enables readers to locate more information on topics of interest.

Customer Reviews:

So much information, so little time.......2000-07-18

This book is jam packed with detailed analysis and synthesis of almost every facet of the office development process. The editor has assembled a package of 32 excellent contributions from experienced writers with backgrounds ranging from property appraisal, architecture, contracting, loan underwriting, and much more than can be listed here. When I first saw this book in the library I had to go out and get my own copy for continued reference purposes throughout my career.

A comprehensive look at the modern office building........1999-07-20

Probably the only book of its kind. Required reading for anyone new to the real estate industry and probably worthwhile even for those who have been in it for a few years, this book provides a comprehensive look at the modern office building from both conceptual and pragmatic standpoints.

Average customer rating:

GREAT!
FIRST-RATE AND UNEQUALED
FIRST-RATE AND UNEQUALED
Nice intro to RE Investing and Foreclosures
The one book you absolutely must have!

The Reality of Real Estate Investing
Allen Watkins
Manufacturer: 1st Books Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Real Estate | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Investments | Real Estate | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0759640939

Book Description

Out of all the books available this is absolutely the one you must have! It is the most comprehensive guide for acquiring, financing, negotiating, auctions, managing contractors and tenants and making money buying foreclosures and owning Real Estate!

Download Description

Customer Reviews:

GREAT!.......2005-01-07

I met Allen Watkins when I was fairly young at a Scout Camp and I could see that he knows how to get things done.

I have now become intrested in Real Estate and have read his book. That is an excelent book that is not only informative but encouraging! Although I had a hard time catching on to some of the 'Lingo' Allen's experiences, that he shares in the book, make everthing eaiser to understand.

FOR EVERYONE INTRESTED IN GOING INTO REAL ESTATE THIS IS A MUST HAVE!!

FIRST-RATE AND UNEQUALED.......2002-02-16

Mr. Allen Watkins' book is very informative and educational. I choose the books I read and I am very happy I bought it.

My family got properties that I want to develop someday. And by reading "The Reality of Real Estate Investing" it opened my mind how we can make money out of it and also start a career in real estate full-time.

His writing style is simple and straightforward. I am not a book critic but I just noticed that there are misspelled words that I came across when reading it. But anyway, that's irrelevant and I still want to rate it a MILLION STARS not five stars (that's not enough!!).

FIRST-RATE AND UNEQUALED.......2002-02-16

Nice intro to RE Investing and Foreclosures.......2002-01-26

I have read a few books on RE Investing and am currently doing my first rehab. This book is a nice intro to some areas I didn't know much about such as foreclosures and had some case studies of actual deals, however, it still seemed quite topical and could have had much more detail in many areas. The writer further attempts to share his experiences and provide motivation to anyone to get started, including himself, as this is his first book.

The one book you absolutely must have!.......2001-04-10

I had just finished reading Ralph Roberts book "Walk like a giant, sell like a madman" when your book arrived, I found "Ralph's" book to be a promo on how great he was with a few helpful hints on selling. When your book arrived It was one of the most informative books I have read. It seems to be written from the heart and because you write about actual experience it lets me know it can be done. I really like the "case in points" because of the different problems you may face in buying foreclosures and the procedures it takes to obtain them. John Burt, Computer Programmer, Riverdale IL

I just bought a foreclosure in Homewood, (175th & Lincoln) with over $50k of equity and I used a lot of the information in your book to obtain it, the information about contractors was priceless. It was a lot of work to get the home together, but it's a great home now and the kids are in good schools. Regards, John B.

I like the content and think it's a good subject (without much of the pipe-dream garbage I've heard before). Larry Joytner, Attorney, Chicago

I don't know what I expected to see in your book but I must say it is masterfully written. I even understand it, and could have used this information in some of my blind purchases in the past, especially with HUD homes. Mark Kime, Web Master, Valparaiso IN

I received your book last week and have been voraciously digging through it since. I also am a real estate broker who has been investing and listing for several years. Every day I read the Bible and Watkins. You are in good company. Thanks. Walter Kubiesa, Real Estate Broker, Darien IL

Allen, I just want to let you know that your book is the best and informative book I have ever read on real estate and foreclosures. You answered all the questions I wanted to know in your book, and I feel confident on doing the research and bidding on some property. Anthony Scales, Licensed Sales Agent, Mortgage Broker, Chicago

Thanks so much for a copy of your book. I am really enjoying it. I'm currently on the chapter on selling, because I want to augment our realtor's efforts by trying some of the techniques you suggested. Most of all, I want to thank you for your upbeat tone. Reading your book has helped me see that I am not "stuck" here, even though it sometimes feels that way. Kelli Dudley, Consultant, Merrilliville IN

Half way through your book and I love it. I have read literally dozens of real estate investment books and yours is one of the best and it's exactly what I am looking for since I am trying to figure out a way to go real estate full time. Foreclosures have definite possibilities. I have 6 rental homes, which I started acquiring in 1982. I just did my first foreclosure auction and it looks like I will make $20k on the deal, so I am hooked. Again, great book. I am reading it very slowly and carefully, as I can tell you put a lot of work into each sentence, so I am trying to read it in the same spirit. Rick Derer Clarendon Hills, IL

With Allen's help I bought a bank owned home, sold it in less than 30 days, and made $19,000 profit! Bruce Sonnenberg, Investor / Broker, Homewood, IL.

Allen helped me with my first "Sheriff Sale Foreclosure" purchase. With a partner's money I netted over $10,000 on a borrowed investment of $24,000. Allen has been an advisor and confidant ever since. Gary O'Neill, Investor / Broker, Frankfort, IL. This is not a "get rich quick", "no effort required", or "shot in the dark" Real Estate Course! It is a wealth of information compiled specifically for individuals who are ready, willing, and able to build their financial futures by simply reading and applying the techniques outlined in the book. It is straightforward and concise, I simply read it and worked hard at it, now I can make money in any Real Estate Market, anytime! I will continue to build my future using Foreclosure Property as a vehicle for success! Phillip Toops, investor / Computer Programmer / Video Store Owner, Chicago, IL.

Allen has been my mentor and has taught me a wealth of information, saving and making me thousands of dollars on Real Estate deals. Greg Peters, Investor / Firefighter, Chicago, IL

Allen helped us get a great deal on our first home and now I have Succeeded at winning 3 bids at auctions. The future looks great! Polo & Isabel Herman, Investor / Health Club Managers, Hobart, IN.

Average customer rating:

Good, but dated info on changing real estate industry

Good overview, slightly dated

Useful, but dated and not especially well written.

The future is now

This book tells it like it is, and will be

Real Estate Confronts Reality
Tom; Swanepoel, Stefan; Abelson, Michael Dooley
Manufacturer: Dearborn Trade Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Real Estate | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Sales | Real Estate | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0793127092

Book Description

Technology. Consolidation. Consumerism.

Each in its turn has rocked the real estate industry in the 1990s. What will come next and how will it affect your business? Real Estate Confronts Reality asks these questions and more. What is the future for the National Association of Realtors? Will the mortgage banking industry seize control of the real estate transaction? What will be the ultimate impact of HFS's emergence in the real estate industry? Will consumers continue to use real estate professionals, or will FSBOs be the wave of the future? To find out the answers to these questions, you must read Real Estate Confronts Reality.

Customer Reviews:

Good, but dated info on changing real estate industry.......2003-03-02

This 1998 book is good as far as it goes. Interviews in the book date from 1997. Today in the rapidly changing real estate field 5 or 6 years is a long time, perhaps too long.
I thought that the book was primarily aimed at real estate agents and brokers. There are lots of cautionary words and tones in the book basically saying the industry is changing and those participants ready, willing and able to change can adapt to the future of the real estate industry. Those wishing to do business as usual are going to be left in the dust. There's a chapter on the National Association of Realtors and whether they will survive or not. There's a chapter on HFS, which now owns Century 21, Coldwell Banker, ERA, Cendant, and PHH. Is obviously a giant force in the real estate market place. In addition there are chapters on consumers, tech, internet, and demographics. Overall this is a good book but not an excellent book, suffering from the age of the book and the rapidly changing real estate/internet landscape.

Good overview, slightly dated.......2000-10-28

If you want a 30,000ft perspective on the forces changing the industry this is a good intro. However, the changes in the last 12 mos have been a watershed for technology adoption. 40% of all consumers are now beginning their real estate research online and leading brokers and agents are not waiting around to see what happens. This book is worth the money if you want background and context (analysts, new technology and sevice companies, new industry professionals) but I would look elsewhere for specific answers.

Useful, but dated and not especially well written........1999-10-04

"Confronts" is a useful book, and worth the time if you seek an overview of some influences on the real estate industry. However, don't expect a well-written, articulate look at the evolving state of the real estate industry -- the book could have benefited greatly from thorough editing by a business editor as well as a from a technical editor.

The content is rapidly becoming dated...most of the text is based on 1997 information and interviews and, as we approach the end of 1999, significant changes have occurred both in internet opportunities and in real estate itself. That is not an indictment of the authors, but instead advice to read this book in the context of what has occurred since their research, including changes in corporate structure of real estate brokers, growth in e-lending, ownership of the e-Real Estate sites, IPO results, similar changes in commercial real estate, continued moves by lenders to "source" the consumer, mergers and consolidation in lending, title, appraisal, real estate, and how the various sectors are responding to these changes, etc.

Again, useful but not great business literature.

The future is now.......1999-01-01

This book does an excellent job of describing the real estate industry's current status and provides a glimpse into the next several years. It is a must read for office managers, brokers, and anyone who is serious about making a living in the industry. The book will inspire thought as to how you will position yourself and your organization for the new "reality".

This book tells it like it is, and will be.......1998-09-04

This book does a good job of focusing on the future of real estate. While there is a lot of unknown, the authors of this book have some great insight on the future and what it has to bring for real estate agents. You better update your systems and change with technology, or get out of business baby!

Beyond the Hype: Illusion and Reality in Real Estate Sales

Average customer rating:

Beyond the Hype: Illusion and Reality in Real Estate Sales
Pat Lawrence
Manufacturer: Hazelhurst Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Real Estate | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 096300820X

The Cropland Crisis--Myth or Reality? (RFF Press)

Average customer rating:

The Cropland Crisis--Myth or Reality? (RFF Press)

Manufacturer: RFF Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Policy & Current Events | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Development & Growth | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Economic Policy & Development | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Agricultural | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Real Estate | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Drought reality for area's business parks : An article from: Boulder County Business Report

Average customer rating:

Drought reality for area's business parks : An article from: Boulder County Business Report
John Aguilar
Manufacturer: Boulder Business Information Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Water Supply & Land Use | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000BE1P8Q
Release Date: 2005-09-12

Myths and Realities of Real Estate Sales

Average customer rating:

Myths and Realities of Real Estate Sales
Dan D. McGinnis
Manufacturer: Hopewell Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Real Estate | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Sales | Real Estate | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0976289105

Book Description

Part I Avoiding The Stumbling Blocks and Pitfalls
There are eight chapters, such as: Stay Away From Snakes, Bees, and Broken Glass, Avoid These Costly Mistakes, Busy Is Not a Reason, The Peaks and Valleys

Part III Personal Marketing and Promotion
Six chapters such as: The Hidden Gold Mine, A Clever Idea, Advertising, Ego, Profit and Pride, An Extradorinary Idea.

There are five chapters on listing the American Dream and six chapters on Selling the American Dream

Average customer rating:

Controversial and worthwhile but somewhat quixotic

Imagination As He Does Not Know It

Thought-provoking on what all may constitute life, BUT with unwarranted sweeping generalizations elsewhere

A thorough study of the issue

Terroans and Viruses and Aliens, Oh My!

Life as We Do Not Know It: The NASA Search for (and Synthesis of) Alien Life
Peter Ward
Manufacturer: Amazon Remainders Account
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Similar Items:

Rare Earth: Why Complex Life Is Uncommon in the Universe

Life Everywhere: The Maverick Science of Astrobiology

The Life and Death of Planet Earth: How the New Science of Astrobiology Charts the Ultimate Fate of Our World

Out of Thin Air: Dinosaurs, Birds, And Earth's Ancient Atmosphere

Genesis: The Scientific Quest for Life's Origins

ASIN: B000H2MURW

Book Description

Peter Ward is a distinguished professor, scientist, and author whose earlier book Rare Earth, with its dim view of the possibilities of complex life beyond our planet, created a rift in the science community so controversial he was featured on the front page of The New York Times. With Life as We Do Not Know It, Ward again challenges our notions of extraterrestrial life with a significantly revised look at life in the universe and a novel hypothesis about the origins of life on Earth.

A principal investigator for the NASA Astrobiology Institute, which funds a program to study “life as we do not know it”—investigating the possibility of life on other planets or, more controversial, creating non-DNA life in the laboratory—Peter Ward presents the latest data on the range of life that are scientifically possible on Earth and beyond. Authoritative and eye opening, Life as We Do Not Know It is sure to provoke wonder and heated debate among both professional researchers and lay readers alike.

Customer Reviews:

Controversial and worthwhile but somewhat quixotic.......2007-06-25

Two of the three deep questions about life, "What is life and how should it be defined?" are addressed in this book along with "Where might life be found?" Peter Ward and his colleague Don Brownlee addressed the third deep question, "Does life tend to evolve into intelligent life?" in their controversial book Rare Earth and came to the unpopular conclusion that intelligent life is very rare, and that overwhelmingly the vast preponderance of life in the universe is microbial. Here Ward concentrates on the possibility of microbial life in the solar system.

Let's look at Professor Ward's goals in writing this book as presented in the preface. His first goal is "to bring the public up to date on the progress in...astrobiology..."

Understandably Ward does not venture beyond the friendly (or not so friendly) confines of the solar system. Influenced as we all are by the recent discoveries of extremophiles in unlikely places on earth, Ward waxes hopeful about the possibility of microbial life under the surface of Mars, is less enthusiastic about life in the ocean under the ice cap of Europa, is pessimistic about life in the Venusian atmosphere, and is almost wildly excited about the possibility of life on the far-off Saturn moon, Titan, where he believes life could be especially exotic.

Interestingly enough Ward thinks there is alien life on earth yet to be discovered, possibly descendants of ancient RNA life. He classifies viruses as being alive and concludes, somewhat whimsically, that alien life does exist on earth since viruses are not included in the family tree of life as defined by most biologists. (One notes in passing that Richard Dawkins's recent tome The Ancestor's Tale does not include any viruses.)

I was uplifted and mostly convinced from Ward's analysis that life does indeed exist on Mars. (Yes!) Ward claims that some scientists now consider it a given, and he even hints darkly that NASA knows this (p. 189) but is keeping mum until they can present a stronger case to the public.

His second goal is "to redefine...life...." Here I am confident that other scientists will find both his grasp and reach exceeded, but I suspect his attempt to reclassify the tree of life will be a harbinger of reclassifications to come. It is here that he is at his most quixotic.

His third goal is "a rational look at what alien life might be like." He looks at life based on something other than DNA and the familiar twenty amino acids. He looks at silicone life. He looks at how life might have originated, going from "warm ponds" to clay substrates to hydrothermal vents to artificially created life.

This leads him to his fourth goal which is to speculate on how likely it is that life could arise and exist in the extreme environments elsewhere in the solar system based on the latest information. I found this part of the book intriguing and optimistic.

Ward urges us to send manned missions to both Mars and Titan because he believes that only space boots on the ground and instruments in gloved hands can best find the aliens he believes live there. Ward also makes the excellent point that only on the relatively unchanging surfaces of the moon and Mars we are likely to find evidence of early life on earth! This is because chunks of our planet flew into space and landed on the moon and Mars from a time not preserved in the geological record on earth because of weathering, etc. He even suggests that fossils of microbial life could exist in earth rocks on the moon and Mars.

There are some minuses in this book. It is not as well written or edited as his previous works. Sometimes it is the case that once a writer becomes as successful as Ward has become, editors are afraid to actually edit, and the writer himself does not read the proofs as carefully as he might. Too bad.

Another minus is his confused expression about the allocation of public funds for SETI as opposed to funds for exploring the solar system. I think Ward ought to say unequivocally that the search for extraterrestrial intelligence and the exploration of the solar system are both worthy projects that ought to receive strong support from the public. On pages 238-239 Ward actually makes fun of how humanity would benefit from a signal from intelligent extraterrestrial life. What he fails to appreciate is the deep philosophic and religious implications of such a signal. He also fails to realize that even though it may take anywhere from nine to fifty to a hundred years or more, depending on where the signal is coming from, for a stream of information to flow our way, that is still a wondrous prospect for humanity. Ward seems blithely unaware that contact of any kind from an extraterrestrial civilization would be one of the greatest events in human history. His conclusion that after such a signal we would discover that "nothing has changed" is...well, I hate to use the word "stupid" but in this case I think it really does apply.

I also didn't care for Ward's little story (pp. 236-237) about trying to give a copy of his book Rare Earth to Microsoft billionaire John Allen only to be embarrassed by SETI scientist Jill Tartar's understandable reaction. Nor did I like his making fun of Carl Sagan's now obviously unwarranted enthusiasm for macroscopic Martian life (pp. 176-179) and his later obsequious praise of the popular scientist (e.g., p. 233).

This is one of those books--Ward's 13th--that historians love because it unintentionally reveals so much about its author and his times. It's a bit breezy, a bit arrogant, and a bit quixotic, but this somewhat brazen report from the infancy of astrobiology is nonetheless an interesting and worthwhile effort.

Imagination As He Does Not Know It.......2007-01-17

One might be surprised that serious scientists have been studying the possibilities of life beyond Earth, and there is plenty of evidence that alien life is indeed plausible, but probably won't look like science fiction archetypes. There are also quite believable chances of life, in some form, being found in the current locations of choice in our solar system - Mars, Europa, and especially Titan. This book presents some very intriguing up-to-date knowledge, but in an awkward presentation that is loaded with self-aggrandizement. Plenty of other reviewers here have commented on the strengths and weaknesses of particular aspects of Peter Ward's scientific statements, so I will discuss the style and writing of the book overall. Unfortunately, there is trouble in that department which badly diminishes the effectiveness of Ward's science, regardless of its plausibility.

This book was probably written because Ward would be unable to get many of his pet theories through the peer reviewing process in the leading scientific journals, especially his attempts for immortality through the creation of entire new categories of taxonomy, among other fanciful thought experiments. (Also, no work in which a scientist talks about himself and his friends so much would ever make it into a serious journal.) Ward has a real weakness for dismissing other researchers' theories with less investigation than he demands from others who look at his own theories, and he has a pretty condescending point of view towards proponents of other realms of thought, such as "animal rights crazies" or Gaians who are guilty of "extreme nonsense." In effect, Ward criticizes speculation and scientific imagination in others, while advancing his own thought experiments which are highly speculative and imaginative, such as calling viruses "alien" or drawing up completely new orders of potential life on Titan. Most disappointingly, Ward generally slams the use of imagination by other scientists and thinkers, but refuses to admit that his own theories, while certainly built upon plausible science, are also influenced by a certain amount of imagination. Thus, interesting science is discussed in a book that becomes rather difficult to take seriously. [~doomsdayer520~]

Thought-provoking on what all may constitute life, BUT with unwarranted sweeping generalizations elsewhere.......2006-07-07

Ward is at his best when making statements that are based on the best and latest studies in molecular biology, evolutionary biology and related fields, such as classifying viruses as living.

He's about as good when conjecturing that in other ways, we may have too limited a view of what constitutes life here on Earth.

He combines this with his paleontologist's knowledge of geography to say that we ... especially "we" being folks like NASA, SETI, etc., may have way too narrow of a view of what constitutes life on other planets, and just what "alien" life may involve.

But, from here, he goes into the unwarranted generalizations.

First, even allowing for the diversity of alien types of life, I think he is unempirically and irrationally optimistic about the existence of life elsewhere in our solar system. The amount of methane on Mars or Titan may be due neither to extant life nor volcanism, contrary to his possibly false dichotomy, for example.

Also, his souped-up overhaul of cladistics, with new classification levels above that of kingdom, have a bit of horn-tooting at times.

From these two observations, it's not too far to Point C, as in, "Look at me! I'm on the cutting edge of astrobiology!"

And, along with other reviewers, I'd have to agree with observations on the paucity of footnotes. Frankly, this seems connected with Point C.

Finally, as a paleontologist, he has some non sequiturs about manned space exploration. He seems to blithely assume that humans can survive longer solar system trips, dodging bullets of cosmic radiation. However, recent research has indicated even a manned trip to Mars could be fraught with peril, not to mention his lusted-after visit to Titan.

I was on the borderline of a fourth star, based on the good points, but I'm sure that someone else will come on with a more sober, and more in-depth, coverage of this fascinating topic soon enough.

A thorough study of the issue.......2006-06-24

"Life as We Do Not Know It" is a truly entertaining book, and it's definitely thorough in it's perspective and presentation.

I really enjoyed Ward and Brownlee's book "Rare Earth," published in 2003. I felt it brought a little sober balance into the whole search for extraterrestrial life thing. So often with a truly enchanting perspective, like that of the SETI people, everyone gets so charmed by the popular concept that few are willing to raise a dissenting voice even if it is realistic. After all, who wouldn't like to find ET out there? And with as disarming a spokesperson as the late Carl Sagan to push for it, who would be so bold as to point out difficulties. If Ward's description in his more recent book, "Life as We Do Not Know It" of his cool if not down right rude reception by a SETI administrator at a dinner party cum science meeting is true, one can certainly see why those with a nay-say keep a low profile. That's too bad, too, because far more can be achieved with a more modest means by facing reality than by grand illusions.

Admittedly the public's--or their political representatives'--unwillingness to part with funds for scientific projects unless they generate popular enthusiasm is much to blame for this single sided point of view. Suddenly science, especially space science, ends up a sort of traveling road show, with NASA in competition with other purveyors of big budget science for funds.

I can't decide if Ward has joined "The Dark Side" with his new book or is genuinely this enthusiastic about discovering life on other planets. Certainly his presently taking part in NASA's study of life on planet earth and of the implications for its occurrence elsewhere might tend to bias his point of view a little. This noted, however, Ward's new work certainly gives a thorough discussion of what we know of the origins of life on our own planet, particularly that of our extremeophiles. He discusses the many possibilities with respect to how life arose, when it did, and under what types of conditions it survived and thrived.

More recent studies of deep earth organisms and of thermophiles living around the mid-ocean ridges that circumscribe the globe like big zippers, has lead to a more optimistic view of the toughness of life. Those first little critters who set our bio-world going were tenacious if nothing else. From these "ancestors" of earth life as we know it today, the author projects the likelihood that similar--or very alien--life might have arisen in the past on other planets given similar conditions. He uses the planets Mars and Venus and the moons Europa, Titan and Triton as his most likely venues for past life, and gives odds on whether life might exist still on Europa or Titan. He also presents the possibility of life on Venus--much as Sagan did for Jupitor and Saturn in his book Cosmos in the 1970s--floating in the gaseous clouds. He also discusses the long discredited notion of Panspermia, now once again a popular idea, which suggests that life, or at least its constitutents, may be ubiquitous in the cosmos. At least within given solar systems it might simply hop from planet to planet seeding all of them. Under the proper conditions, the theory suggests that life emerges and evolves to suit the environment of the seeded planet. Who knows? Certainly we never will unless we make an effort to search our neighboring planets.

An interesting book, and very worth while reading.

Terroans and Viruses and Aliens, Oh My!.......2006-05-19

Have you always suspected that Star Trek's "beings of pure energy" were in fact pure bunk? After reading this book, you'll understand why you were probably right.

Life as We Do Not Know It is a courageous exploration of some of the latest ideas in astrobiology, and a vehicle for Peter Ward to push some of his fairly ground-shaking ideas--mainly about reimagining the tree of life. Reading his book has solidified some of my own reached opinions regarding life, especially how common it is in the universe (hint: there may be as many trees of life in the universe as there are stars).

Get ready for a new level of hierarchy, as Ward introduces Dominion Terroa, Dominion Ribosa and others, above the currently accepted highest level domains. Terroa contains all three known domains of earth life: archaea, bacteria, and eukaryota. Ribosa contains viruses, which Ward convincinlgy argues should be considered living, and the (probably) extinct cellular RNA life.

He goes on to apply these new concepts to the flood of new information recently coming in from the solar system. Mars, Europa and Titan get special treatment, with brand new perspectives and a few surprises for this well-read science and astronomy buff.

Much of the book was peppered with inexcusable grammatical errors and omissions, sometimes seeming to come as often as every page. There were two or three sharp and unexpected barbs aimed at President George W. Bush, dropped in whenever the text ventured near enough, which might bother some readers. But not this one. None of these things detracted from the book in a serious way, and I doubt you could find a more enlightening, current, and grounded book on astrobiology and the origin of life.

Life as We Do Not Know It : The NASA Search for (and Synthesis of) Alien Life

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Life as We Do Not Know It : The NASA Search for (and Synthesis of) Alien Life
Peter Ward
Manufacturer: Penguin Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OHSNFS

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