The Possibility of Life

Science, Imagination, and Our Quest for Kinship in the Cosmos

By: Jaime Green

Narrated by: Jaime Green

Length: 8 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's summary

“Every page of this book makes our shared universe feel larger and more interesting than ever before, a true gift of fascinating science and engrossing storytelling.”—Matt Bell, author of Appleseed

A spellbinding exploration of alien life and the cosmos, examining how the possibility of life on other planets shapes our understanding of humanity

One of the most powerful questions humans ask about the cosmos is: Are we alone? While the science behind this inquiry is fascinating, it doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It is a reflection of our values, our fears, and most importantly, our enduring sense of hope.

In The Possibility of Life, acclaimed science journalist Jaime Green traces the history of our understanding, from the days of Galileo and Copernicus to our contemporary quest for exoplanets. Along the way, she interweaves insights from science fiction writers who construct worlds that in turn inspire scientists. Incorporating expert interviews, cutting-edge astronomy research, philosophical inquiry, and pop culture touchstones ranging from A Wrinkle in Time to Star Trek to Arrival, The Possibility of Life explores our evolving conception of the cosmos to ask an even deeper question: What does it mean to be human?

©2023 Jaime Green (P)2023 Harlequin Enterprises, Limited

The Best Narration

Even though some of it was a little bit over my head, I really did enjoy this book. The author looked at all the possibilities of life on other planets in a thought provoking way. She cited history, science, science-fiction books and movies, as well as her own musings. She covered topics such as linguistics, how might the life forms spread or develop to other planets, how we might interact. She just really did cover it all. This book would be suitable for all ages of inquisitive minds although it did contain one curse word (but it wasn't too shocking).

The narration (by the author) was so good. I would love to have all the books I listen to read by Jaime Green. I think I my mind would have wandered had this book been narrated by anyone else.

Live out there.

Good. Very imaginative. The book looks at the possibilities more than the stats. could there be others?

a sweet book about falling in love with wonder

There's enough science to tempt listener/readers to go deeper, and a pretty good review of the highlights of a lot of this research. Definitely a book by a member of a media saturated generation, author reaches out by the shared experience of books and TV. But the heat of this book is the wonder of how planets form, how life arises, and what shapes us, as one such lifeform

General discussion with some technical data.

The book was interesting and the narrator did a good job. It is the sort of book that addresses the issues at 5,000 ft. Some technical details but more philosophical.

More like a book review than a book

If I had wanted to listen to someone tell me the plot lines of every science fiction book dealing with alien contact, then this would have been a great choice. Otherwise, no. All this book does is talk about other books, movies, and TV shows dealing with the topic of extraterrestrial contact. Really, just a terrific waste of time, except that I did add a few of the books mentioned into my Audible Wish List 😊

A dazzling journey into the vast depths of life’s meaning!

If you’re fascinated by the human quest to understand life, ourselves, and the vastness of the universe of the large and small, then you will appreciate this book.

The journey that Green takes the listener on sits at the intersection of pragmatism and philosophical mind-bend. A willingness to announce that for all that we think we know about life (which is remarkable), we actually know so very little.

As a listener of 99% non-fiction, at first I was concerned over the repeated references to science fiction. Then I realized it was used masterfully amid all the factual data to confront our preconceptions and thinking. Green tackles a truth that may indeed be stranger (and more diverse) than fiction. She draws us out from just facts for long enough challenge our creativity to imagine a wide array of perspectives.

And if I might add, Green’s writing expertise is richer than any tackling of science I’ve ever listened. And for anyone who ever finds themselves with author-narration fatigue, I could listen to Green’s voice narrate all day. I even found myself checking to confirm she didn’t hire a professional narrator.

So well done!

An ode to life

Beautiful, evocative writing read by the talented author. She did a great job, and I'm picky about narrators. I'd love to hear her discuss The Three Body Problem and Interstellar. Highly recommend.

Phenomenal book

Phenomenal book on the scientific search for extraterrestrial intelligence as well as a cultural study on that same endeavor.

Like the knowledge of Jaime

Like the simplicity of the arguments and that she love Star Trek 😄. It is a great book to understand a little bit more the universe

Warning: Spoiler Alert Compilation Book

The book is filled with spoilers from dozens of science fiction books, shows and movies. It revolves around selective science fiction works and selective scientific studies. I bought this on a close out sale for a couple bucks. You may enjoy it, but I did not and thought this was a book of original ideas. Performance was excellent, hence the 3 star rating rather than two.