Paperback, 288 pages
Published May 12, 1980 by Ballantine Books.
Ever since the concept of other worlds was put forward in the fifth century BC, scientists have struggled to answer that eternal question: Are we alone? Aimov here covers many fascinating aspects in his analysis of the universe - interstellar flight, the origin of life, messages to outer space, space exploration, the solar system - and gradually reaches his conclusion that are as convincing as they are fantastic.
it's essentially a long exploration of the drake equation. being from 1979, the science is a bit out of date—for example, there were no confirmed exoplanets at the time. it seems to mostly hold up, though (to me, someone who is Very Not an astrophysicist).
