David Rubenstein's Reviews > The Sirens of Mars: Searching for Life on Another World

My favorite books about science topics are always the ones that are written by scientists. This book, by Professor Sarah Johnson, is exceptionally well written. I didn't read this book--I listened to the audiobook. By listening to it, I heard a lyricism that is not often encountered in books about science. Well done!

This book is about the history of Mars exploration, with an emphasis on the search for life. The successes and failures of astronomers and modern space probes are described in a personal way. I really felt like I was reliving some of the stories about the modern space probes. The history is interleaved with memoirs of the author's life. Her early years were spent learning about geology and her later years participating in spacecraft studies of Mars. She also talks a bit about balancing science work and personal family life.

The book brings to life the excitement felt by the teams of scientists who built and ran the Mars probes. She describes the scenes so eloquently and sometimes gave me a shivering sensation. Highly recommended!