Status Updates From Space Atlas: Mapping the Un...

This book has helpful information, but you can tell the author's philosophical assumptions have many contradictions. He wants to believe that humans are not special but says he does not believe there is other intelligence out there. He mentions that there are philosophical implications to the Big Bang, but does not admit what they are (p. 308). He wants to believe it is all accidental but cannot avoid the evidence.

This book is generally quite good. One attitude of the main author that is puzzling is that he goes to many lengths to try to show how our planet is not special, but then when talking about SETI, he says that he is one of those who thinks that N in the Drake equation is really small, and humans may be alone in the universe. That is and odd combination: earth not special; we are alone in the universe.