The Quest for Mars: NASA Scientists and Their Search for Life Beyond Earth

by Laurence Bergreen

Is there life on Mars If not, why not These questions have gripped mankind throughout the twentieth century. In the shadow of the new millennium, The Genesis Question seeks the definitive answers from the scientists participating in the race to discover life on the Red Planet.Ever since I was a small child, Ive believed there was life out there. When I look at the magnitude of the universe, with its billions of stars, I believe that if life developed here on Earth, it must have developed elsewhere. We simply cant be unique. I really dont think were the most intelligent life forms in the universe, but thats just my gut feeling, Dr Claire Parkinson, NASA scientist.Of all the planets, Mars has exerted the most powerful allure over the human intellect and imagination. Generations of astronomers have expected to find clues to the origin and destiny of Earth and its inhabitants concealed amid the red storms sweeping across the surface of Mars. Today, public interest in the Mars mission is sky-high; the exploits of the tiny Mars Rover Sojourner in the summer of 1997 excited the greatest curiosity in a space mission in a generation.In The Quest for Mars Laurence Bergreen has unrestricted access to a team of NASA employees engineers, geologists and other scientists who are consumed by the search for proof of life on Mars. As one formidable obstacle after another attempts to scupper their quest for a deeper understanding of life on Mars and throughout the Solar System, the narrative takes us step by step through the exhilaration and the despondency of their extraordinary adventure. Nothing is off limits in this unique, behind-the-scenes story of space exploration.

Genres: Science, Space, Nonfiction, History, Astronomy

320 pages, Paperback

First published October 9, 2000

About the author

Laurence Bergreen is an award-winning biographer, historian, and chronicler of exploration. His books have been translated into over 20 languages worldwide. In October 2007, Alfred A. Knopf published Marco Polo: From Venice to Xanadu, a groundbreaking biography of the iconic traveler. Warner Brothers is developing a feature film based on this book starring Matt Damon and written by William Monahan, who won an Oscar for “The Departed.”

His previous work, Over the Edge of the World: Magellan’s Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe, was published to international acclaim by William Morrow/HarperCollins in October 2003. A New York Times “Notable Book” for 2003, it is also in development as a motion picture and is now in its tenth printing.

In addition, Bergreen is the author of Voyage to Mars: NASA’s Search for Life Beyond Earth, a narrative of NASA’s exploration of Mars, published in November 2000 by Penguin Putnam. Dramatic rights were acquired by TNT.

In 1997, Bantam Doubleday Dell published Louis Armstrong: An Extravagant Life, a comprehensive biography drawing on unpublished manuscripts and exclusive interviews with Armstrong colleagues and friends. It appeared on many “Best Books of 1997” lists, including those of the San Francisco Chronicle, the Philadelphia Inquirer, and Publishers Weekly, and has been published in Germany, Finland, and Great Britain. In 1994, Simon & Schuster published his Capone: The Man and the Era. A Book-of-the-Month Club selection, it has been published in numerous foreign languages, was optioned by Miramax, and was a New York Times “Notable Book.”

His biography, As Thousands Cheer: The Life of Irving Berlin, appeared in 1990. This book won the Ralph J. Gleason Music Book Award and the ASCAP-Deems Taylor award and received front-page reviews in major American and British newspapers and appeared on bestseller lists; it was also a New York Times “Notable Book” for 1990. His previous biography, James Agee: A Life, was also critically acclaimed and was a New York Times “Notable Book” for 1984. His first book was Look Now, Pay Later: The Rise of Network Broadcasting, published by Doubleday in 1980.

He has written for many national publications including Esquire, Newsweek, TV Guide, Details, Prologue, The Chicago Tribune, and Military History Quarterly. He has taught at the New School for Social Research and served as Assistant to the President of the Museum of Television and Radio in New York. In 1995, he served as a judge for the National Book Awards and in 1991 as a judge for the PEN/Albrand Nonfiction Award. A frequent lecturer at major universities and symposiums, he also serves as a Featured Historian for the History Channel.

Mr. Bergreen graduated from Harvard University in 1972. He is a member of PEN American Center, The Explorers Club, the Authors Guild, and the board of the New York Society Library. He lives in New York City and is represented by Suzanne Gluck of the William Morris Agency.

Reviews

[Nick Davies · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very strong three and a half - four out of five for the factual content and how interesting I found this, but rounded down to a three by virtue of the book somewhat petering out in the second half.

This is a very well researched and complete discussion (up till the early 21st Century) of human endeavour and exploration of Mars. It takes in the evidence gained from numerous landings and orbits of the red planet, and also provides a great depth of insight into the people and the politics behind space exploration in this field.

I found the first half - bits about scientists visiting Iceland to aid their understanding of Mars' geology/geography, and the history of Mars exploration up until the mid/late 1990s - very interesting and full of new factual information that astounded me. I read quite a bit of non-fiction, but am often guilty of concentrating on subjects about which I already know quite a bit, so it was nice to be reading about something which I had very little prior knowledge.

Alas the second half was less enjoyable. The factual content became a little less novel, a little more repetitive. There was a lot more about the scientists' lives and about the bureaucratic nature of funding and media and politics and the like. It just felt bogged down in information which compared unfavourably with the absorbing thrill of the opening few chapters. Bergreen is clearly a very hardworking, decent and fair journalist, but as an author of something which could hold my interest for 350 pages, he fell a little short here IMHO - despite the subject being a very intriguing one.

There is, also, the consideration that the book only takes the story of Mars exploration up till ~2001 and several very interesting missions have taken place since.

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bergreen's book is very good in many ways. It is one of the rare books that chronicles the work of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). It especially highlights how the ideas of scientists clash and resolve, how the people of JPL go about their work, and what pet projects belong to whom. For an overview of the workings of JPL, this provides a good perspective.

But here's a digression, so my apologies if you care to indulge me. I must share, with no malice aforethought, one grievous factual error in this book that had me shaking my head in disbelief and laughter.

At one point Bergreen mentions that a scientist has a framed photo of Bobby Orr on his wall.

If you're a hockey fan, you already know what I'm talking about.



Bobby Orr, one of the greatest defensemen in the history of the NHL, scored the game-winning goal in Game 4 of the 1970 Stanley Cup Finals--a goal which clinched the Stanley Cup for Orr's Boston Bruins.

This is, to this day, the single most iconic photo in hockey history. It captures the exact moment, with Orr sailing over the ice in celebration, when final victory was won for a truly great hockey team. The mere mention of the name Bobby Orr conjures instant memories of this photo.

So for Bergreen to mention this photo, not knowing of its stature in hockey mythology, and to describe Bobby Orr as the great Boston goalie . . .

. . . means Bergreen doesn't know the first thing about hockey.

And didn't bother to put even a few minutes to research what he was describing.

I mention it lightheartedly, but acknowledging that this huge error put that bug in my mind as I continued reading this book . . . what else does he get wrong here, if he blows something so simple as Bobby Orr's job title?

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book because I loved Bergreen's "Over the Edge of the World" (Magellan's voyage) and I'm interested in astronomy. The author draws a parallel between 15th and 16th century explorers and exploring the planets today. In both cases, the distances and dangers seemed very great. One difference, as I see it, is the humans involved in planetary exploration are scientists staying on Earth, doing their best to guide unmanned rockets, rovers, etc. This book has its exciting moments (successes and failures), but they're quite different from what Magellan and his crew had to go through. This is an ultimately optimistic book, leaving you with the feeling that there probably is life elsewhere. Paul Davies's "The Eerie Silence," which I also enjoyed, makes you have doubts. Finally, reading this book is a wistful experience. Written in 2000, the scientists interviewed refer to Mars missions that they expected to take place by 2012, that never did.

[dejah_thoris · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredibly fascinating book on our work with Mars. I was aware of some of these events during my teenage years, but I wasn't paying as much attention as my father did. I wish Bergreen would consider writing a second edition of this book because I'd like to see where we are now. Also chock-full of incredibly obscure words, mostly scientific jargon, if you enjoy learning new ones.

[Erik Molnar · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is some good science in here, but lots of words in between all of the good stuff. Too few and far between for me. I found myself bored, especially in the second half. This is a book about Mars. I should never be bored. Needs more science. The last chapter was the best one by far. You could probably just read that and skip the rest.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent history of the Mars projects of NASA and other agencies. Although this 2000 copyrighted book had quoted scientists who were assuming that we'd be on Mars by 2014, it is worth reading.