Astrobiologists look outward from the Earth seeking evidence of life elsewhere in the universe. But, as this fascinating book shows, they also travel to places on Earth where extreme conditions may be similar to those on distant worlds. Turner follows astrobiologist Chris McKay as he looks for life in apparently hostile environments. He finds cyanobacteria and fungi on a sandstone cliff in Antarctica, collects microbes in Chile's Atacama Desert, thaws out bacteria 3.5 million years old frozen in Siberian permafrost, and finds cyanobacteria in rocks of the Sahara Desert. Finally, McKay returns to Antarctica to melt a hole through 16 feet of ice, dives down 100 feet of frigid water, and studies the algae living at the bottom of a lake. Turner's absorbing account gives enough detail to create vivid impressions of McKay's explorations and enough background of amusement or amazement let readers share her evident enjoyment in McKay's quest. Illustrated with many excellent color photos and other images, the book concludes with Turner's note on her research, as well as lists of recommended books, movies, and Internet resources. This beautifully designed volume offers an eye-opening look at an astrobiologist in action.

Following the lead of the exemplary “Scientists in the Field” series (Houghton), this is another handsomely packaged, profusely illustrated portrait of a researcher whose “lab” is the great outdoors–in this case, the driest deserts, coldest waters, and other most inhospitable environments on Earth. In order to explore the feasibility of life on other planets, NASA scientist Chris McKay travels in turn to Antarctica’s Dry Valleys and ice-covered Lake Hoare, to Chile’s Atacama Desert, Siberia, and the Sahara to study the bacteria and other microscopic organisms that call such climatic extremes home. The photographs, which are reproduced with unusual clarity, range from shots of McKay and his colleagues at work in various rugged settings to micrographs of bacteria, from satellite photos to side-by-side pairings of physical features in the Atacama and intriguingly similar formations on Mars. Closing with an author’s statement and digestible lists of multimedia resources, this profile is an engagingly written, visually appealing follow-up to more general introductions, such as Bill Doyle’s The Space Explorer’s Guide to the Universe (Scholastic, 2003).

Astrobiologist Chris McKay looks for life in remote areas like Antarctica, Siberia, and the Atacama and Sarahan Desert hoping to learn how life might survive on Mars and beyond. Turner has provided a splendid description of this scientist’s work in the field, illustrated with many of his own (excellent) photographs. I especially liked the examples of research cooperation – even to the point of joining an anthropological expedition investigating rock art in the Sahara. A clear explanation with fascinating details, this offers a new perspective on space exploration.

NASA scientist Chris McKay has traveled to the ends of the earth to investigate the microscopic life that exists in extreme environments. Examining the conditions under which microbes survive (or not) in places that are very dry or cold may give him and other scientists information they can use to search for life on Mars and other extraterrestrial locales. More than just an explanation of the science, however, this is an in-depth look at the richly rewarding career of a field scientist and the questions that have unfolded for him over decades of research. Of course, there's also plenty of adventure to be had, as extreme conditions for microbes also mean extreme conditions for humans. McKay and colleagues camp in remote locations (shown on maps that open each chapter) such as the freezing Antarctic and arid deserts in Chile and Egypt, and use an array of inventive tools in their quest for knowledge about microscopic life. The first-rate color photographs and other illustrations, most provided by NASA or McKay, serve mainly as a travelogue of the scientists' expeditions, though there are also telling side-by-side comparisons of arid deserts on Earth and Martian landscapes photographed on recent missions. Further reading, movies, and Internet resources are appended, along with an index.

NASA scientist Chris McKay takes the readers to Antarctica, Chile, Siberia, and the Sahara Desert, as he studies microbes to see if they can sustain life in the most inhospitable environments. Color photographs fill each page and chronicle the scientist at work around the world, as he speculates about the possibility of life on Mars and generates excitement about future investigations in microbiology and astronomy.

Dr. Christopher McKay is an astrobiologist--a scientist who studies life in space. While McKay cannot travel to other planets to look for life, he does the next best thing: he searches out living organisms that have evolved to survive Earth's most extreme environments, knowing that such conditions may mirror those of extra-terrestrial sites. In this fascinating book, we follow McKay to the driest, coldest, and hottest places on the planet. He finds microbes living inside rocks in Antarctica, thriving in radioactive waste, and eating chemicals in deep sea volcanic vents. He resurrects microbes that have been frozen in permafrost for three million years. With a lively text filled with quotes and full-color photographs, Life on Earth may well inspire the budding scientist in your family.

Regardless of their level of interest in science, Turner’s photo-essay of the work of Dr. Chris McKay, an astrobiologist at NASA, will capture readers from the start. With an attractive design and crisp color photographs on every spread, this fascinating portrayal shows McKay at work in the world’s most unforgiving habitats—including Antarctica, the Sahara Desert, and Siberia— “to better understand how life might survive the extreme environments on other worlds.” Concluding with an enlightening note on the author’s research, additional print and online resources, and an index, this profile of a passionate scientist informs and inspires.