Beyond Earth
Our Path to a New Home in the Planets
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $20.25
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Will Damron
About this listen
From a leading planetary scientist and an award-winning science writer: a propulsive account of the developments and initiatives that have transformed the dream of space colonization into something that may well be achievable.
We are at the cusp of a golden age in space science, as increasingly more entrepreneurs - Elon Musk, Richard Branson, Jeff Bezos - are seduced by the commercial potential of human access to space. But Beyond Earth does not offer another wide-eyed technology fantasy: instead it is grounded not only in the human capacity for invention and the appeal of adventure but also in the bureaucratic, political, and scientific realities that present obstacles to space travel - realities that have hampered NASA's efforts ever since the Challenger fiasco. In Beyond Earth, the authors offer groundbreaking research and argue persuasively that not Mars but Titan - a moon of Saturn with a nitrogen atmosphere, a weather cycle, and an inexhaustible supply of cheap energy, where we will be able to fly like birds in the minimal gravitational field - offers the most realistic and thrilling prospect of life without support from Earth.
©2016 Charles Wohlforth and Amanda R. Hendrix (P)2016 Random House AudioListeners also enjoyed...
-
The Innovators
- How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution
- By: Walter Isaacson
- Narrated by: Dennis Boutsikaris
- Length: 17 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Following his blockbuster biography of Steve Jobs, The Innovators is Walter Isaacson’s revealing story of the people who created the computer and the Internet. It is destined to be the standard history of the digital revolution and an indispensable guide to how innovation really happens. What were the talents that allowed certain inventors and entrepreneurs to turn their visionary ideas into disruptive realities? What led to their creative leaps? Why did some succeed and others fail?
-
-
A History of the Ancient Geeks
- By Mark on 10-21-14
By: Walter Isaacson
-
Exoplanets
- Diamond Worlds, Super Earths, Pulsar Planets, and the New Search for Life Beyond Our Solar System
- By: Michael Summers
- Narrated by: Jon Bennett
- Length: 5 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Since its 2009 launch, the Kepler satellite has discovered more than 2,000 exoplanets, or planets outside our solar system. More exoplanets are being discovered all the time, remarkable in their variety. Astronomer Michael Summers and physicist James Trefil explore these remarkable recent discoveries: planets revolving around pulsars, planets made of diamond, planets that are mostly water, and numerous rogue planets wandering through the emptiness of space.
-
-
FINALLY, an Attention-Grabbing Planet Book!
- By aaron on 05-11-17
By: Michael Summers
-
Beyond
- Our Future in Space
- By: Chris Impey
- Narrated by: Julie McKay
- Length: 9 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Beyond dares to imagine a fantastic future for humans in space - and then reminds us that we're already there. Human exploration has been an unceasing engine of technological progress, from the first homo sapiens to leave our African cradle to a future in which mankind promises to settle another world. Beyond tells the epic story of humanity leaving home - and how humans will soon thrive in the vast universe beyond the Earth.
-
-
OTHER WORLDS
- By chetyarbrough.blog on 01-10-16
By: Chris Impey
-
Loonshots
- How to Nurture the Crazy Ideas That Win Wars, Cure Diseases, and Transform Industries
- By: Safi Bahcall
- Narrated by: William Dufris, Safi Bahcall - prologue and introduction
- Length: 10 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Physicist and entrepreneur Safi Bahcall reveals a surprising new way of thinking about the mysteries of group behavior that challenges everything we thought we knew about nurturing radical breakthroughs. Drawing on the science of phase transitions, Bahcall reveals why teams, companies, or any group with a mission will suddenly change from embracing wild new ideas to rigidly rejecting them.
-
-
Not a fan of the narration style
- By pd park on 04-25-19
By: Safi Bahcall
-
Unstoppable
- Harnessing Science to Change the World
- By: Bill Nye
- Narrated by: Bill Nye
- Length: 11 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Just as World War II called an earlier generation to greatness, so the climate crisis is calling today's rising youth to action: to create a better future. In Unstoppable, Bill Nye crystallizes and expands the message for which he is best known and beloved. That message is that with a combination of optimism and scientific curiosity, all obstacles become opportunities, and the possibilities of our world become limitless.
-
-
Couldn't stop listening!
- By Kevin Lewis on 11-12-15
By: Bill Nye
-
The Future of Humanity
- Terraforming Mars, Interstellar Travel, Immortality, and Our Destiny Beyond Earth
- By: Michio Kaku
- Narrated by: Feodor Chin
- Length: 12 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The number-one best-selling author of The Future of the Mind traverses the frontiers of astrophysics, artificial intelligence, and technology to offer a stunning vision of man's future in space, from settling Mars to traveling to distant galaxies. Formerly the domain of fiction, moving human civilization to the stars is increasingly becoming a scientific possibility - and a necessity. Whether in the near future due to climate change and the depletion of finite resources or in the distant future due to catastrophic cosmological events, humans will one day need to leave Earth.
-
-
Simply a compilation of many other books
- By Nat Smith on 02-25-18
By: Michio Kaku
-
The Innovators
- How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution
- By: Walter Isaacson
- Narrated by: Dennis Boutsikaris
- Length: 17 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Following his blockbuster biography of Steve Jobs, The Innovators is Walter Isaacson’s revealing story of the people who created the computer and the Internet. It is destined to be the standard history of the digital revolution and an indispensable guide to how innovation really happens. What were the talents that allowed certain inventors and entrepreneurs to turn their visionary ideas into disruptive realities? What led to their creative leaps? Why did some succeed and others fail?
-
-
A History of the Ancient Geeks
- By Mark on 10-21-14
By: Walter Isaacson
-
Exoplanets
- Diamond Worlds, Super Earths, Pulsar Planets, and the New Search for Life Beyond Our Solar System
- By: Michael Summers
- Narrated by: Jon Bennett
- Length: 5 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Since its 2009 launch, the Kepler satellite has discovered more than 2,000 exoplanets, or planets outside our solar system. More exoplanets are being discovered all the time, remarkable in their variety. Astronomer Michael Summers and physicist James Trefil explore these remarkable recent discoveries: planets revolving around pulsars, planets made of diamond, planets that are mostly water, and numerous rogue planets wandering through the emptiness of space.
-
-
FINALLY, an Attention-Grabbing Planet Book!
- By aaron on 05-11-17
By: Michael Summers
-
Beyond
- Our Future in Space
- By: Chris Impey
- Narrated by: Julie McKay
- Length: 9 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Beyond dares to imagine a fantastic future for humans in space - and then reminds us that we're already there. Human exploration has been an unceasing engine of technological progress, from the first homo sapiens to leave our African cradle to a future in which mankind promises to settle another world. Beyond tells the epic story of humanity leaving home - and how humans will soon thrive in the vast universe beyond the Earth.
-
-
OTHER WORLDS
- By chetyarbrough.blog on 01-10-16
By: Chris Impey
-
Loonshots
- How to Nurture the Crazy Ideas That Win Wars, Cure Diseases, and Transform Industries
- By: Safi Bahcall
- Narrated by: William Dufris, Safi Bahcall - prologue and introduction
- Length: 10 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Physicist and entrepreneur Safi Bahcall reveals a surprising new way of thinking about the mysteries of group behavior that challenges everything we thought we knew about nurturing radical breakthroughs. Drawing on the science of phase transitions, Bahcall reveals why teams, companies, or any group with a mission will suddenly change from embracing wild new ideas to rigidly rejecting them.
-
-
Not a fan of the narration style
- By pd park on 04-25-19
By: Safi Bahcall
-
Unstoppable
- Harnessing Science to Change the World
- By: Bill Nye
- Narrated by: Bill Nye
- Length: 11 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Just as World War II called an earlier generation to greatness, so the climate crisis is calling today's rising youth to action: to create a better future. In Unstoppable, Bill Nye crystallizes and expands the message for which he is best known and beloved. That message is that with a combination of optimism and scientific curiosity, all obstacles become opportunities, and the possibilities of our world become limitless.
-
-
Couldn't stop listening!
- By Kevin Lewis on 11-12-15
By: Bill Nye
-
The Future of Humanity
- Terraforming Mars, Interstellar Travel, Immortality, and Our Destiny Beyond Earth
- By: Michio Kaku
- Narrated by: Feodor Chin
- Length: 12 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The number-one best-selling author of The Future of the Mind traverses the frontiers of astrophysics, artificial intelligence, and technology to offer a stunning vision of man's future in space, from settling Mars to traveling to distant galaxies. Formerly the domain of fiction, moving human civilization to the stars is increasingly becoming a scientific possibility - and a necessity. Whether in the near future due to climate change and the depletion of finite resources or in the distant future due to catastrophic cosmological events, humans will one day need to leave Earth.
-
-
Simply a compilation of many other books
- By Nat Smith on 02-25-18
By: Michio Kaku
-
Pale Blue Dot
- A Vision of the Human Future in Space
- By: Carl Sagan
- Narrated by: Carl Sagan, Ann Druyan
- Length: 13 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Cosmos, the late astronomer Carl Sagan cast his gaze over the magnificent mystery of the Universe and made it accessible to millions of people around the world. Now in this stunning sequel, Carl Sagan completes his revolutionary journey through space and time.
-
-
Audio Quality Choices
- By JR on 05-30-17
By: Carl Sagan
-
Physics of the Future
- How Science Will Shape Human Destiny and Our Daily Lives by the Year 2100
- By: Michio Kaku
- Narrated by: Feodor Chin
- Length: 15 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Physics of the Future, Michio Kaku - the New York Times best-selling author of Physics of the Impossible - gives us a stunning, provocative, and exhilarating vision of the coming century based on interviews with over 300 of the world’s top scientists who are already inventing the future in their labs. The result is the most authoritative and scientifically accurate description of revolutionary developments taking place....
-
-
Interesting Content, Irritating Reader
- By Dirk Turgid on 12-15-11
By: Michio Kaku
-
Billions & Billions
- Thoughts on Life and Death at the Brink of the Millennium
- By: Carl Sagan
- Narrated by: Adenrele Ojo, Ann Druyan
- Length: 9 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the final book of his astonishing career, Carl Sagan brilliantly examines the burning questions of our lives, our world, and the universe around us. These luminous, entertaining essays travel both the vastness of the cosmos and the intimacy of the human mind, posing such fascinating questions as how did the universe originate and how will it end, and how can we meld science and compassion to meet the challenges of the coming century?
-
-
To The Stars
- By Judy on 12-31-19
By: Carl Sagan
-
Everything All at Once
- How to Unleash Your Inner Nerd, Tap into Radical Curiosity and Solve Any Problem
- By: Bill Nye
- Narrated by: Bill Nye
- Length: 12 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Everything All at Once is an exciting, inspiring call to unleash the power of the nerd mindset that exists within us all. Nye believes we'll never be able to tackle our society's biggest, most complex problems if we don't even know how to solve the small ones. Step by step, he shows his listeners the key tools behind his everything-all-at-once approach: radical curiosity, a deep desire for a better future, and a willingness to take the actions needed to make it a reality.
-
-
Bill Nye is awesome, but skip this one
- By Evan on 08-15-17
By: Bill Nye
-
All About Mars Journeys and Settlement
- The Living in Space Series, Book 2
- By: Martin K. Ettington
- Narrated by: Martin K. Ettington
- Length: 4 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A manned mission to Mars has been the dream of humanity at least since the 19th century, when we first saw details of the surface and thought there might be canals filled with water there. Here I’ve looked at the history of unmanned exploration of Mars over the last 50-plus years, proposed missions to Mars, Mars settlements, and other major issues regarding traveling to and living on Mars. Some proposals have lots of details of proposed scenarios, if you want to know all of the engineering and scientific analysis work.
-
Rocket Men
- The Epic Story of the First Men on the Moon
- By: Craig Nelson
- Narrated by: Richard McGonagle
- Length: 17 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A richly detailed and dramatic account of one of the greatest achievements of humankind. At 9:32 A.M. on July 16, 1969, the Apollo 11 rocket launched in the presence of more than a million spectators who had gathered to witness a truly historic event. It carried Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Mike Collins to the last frontier of human imagination: the moon.
-
-
TRULY OUTSTANDING
- By Jeff on 05-24-12
By: Craig Nelson
-
Spacefarers
- How Humans Will Settle the Moon, Mars, and Beyond
- By: Christopher Wanjek
- Narrated by: Donald Corren
- Length: 12 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A wry and compelling take on the who, how, and why of near-future colonies in space. From bone-whittling microgravity to eye-popping profits, the risks and rewards of space settlement have never been so close at hand.
-
-
An inspiring look into our future in space
- By Kindle Customer on 01-14-22
-
The Filter Bubble
- What the Internet Is Hiding from You
- By: Eli Pariser
- Narrated by: Kirby Heyborne
- Length: 7 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In December 2009, Google began customizing its search results for each user. Instead of giving you the most broadly popular result, Google now tries to predict what you are most likely to click on. According to MoveOn.org board president Eli Pariser, Google's change in policy is symptomatic of the most significant shift to take place on the Web in recent years: the rise of personalization.
-
-
Now in the top 3 best books I've ever read
- By Brian Esserlieu on 05-26-11
By: Eli Pariser
-
How We'll Live on Mars
- By: Stephen Petranek
- Narrated by: Stephen Petranek
- Length: 2 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Award-winning journalist Stephen Petranek says humans will live on Mars by 2027. Now he makes the case that living on Mars is not just plausible, but inevitable. It sounds like science fiction, but Stephen Petranek considers it fact: Within 20 years, humans will live on Mars. We'll need to. In this sweeping, provocative book that mixes business, science, and human reporting, Petranek makes the case that living on Mars is an essential back-up plan for humanity and explains in fascinating detail just how it will happen.
-
-
Watch Mars on NatGeo
- By Nathaniel on 12-01-16
By: Stephen Petranek
-
Space Chronicles
- Facing the Ultimate Frontier
- By: Neil deGrasse Tyson
- Narrated by: Mirron Willis
- Length: 10 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With his signature wit and thought-provoking insights, Neil deGrasse Tyson - one of our foremost thinkers on all things space - illuminates the past, present, and future of space exploration and brilliantly reminds us why NASA matters now as much as ever. As Tyson reveals, exploring the space frontier can profoundly enrich many aspects of our daily lives, from education systems and the economy to national security and morale.
-
-
The least helpful review of Space Chronicles.
- By Joshua Kring on 06-17-15
-
The Case for Mars
- The Plan to Settle the Red Planet and Why We Must
- By: Robert Zubrin, Richard Wagner, Arthur C. Clarke - Foreword
- Narrated by: Sean Runnette
- Length: 14 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Since the beginning of human history Mars has been an alluring dream - the stuff of legends, gods, and mystery. The planet most like ours, it has still been thought impossible to reach, let alone explore and inhabit. Now with the advent of a revolutionary new plan, all this has changed. Leading space exploration authority Robert Zubrin has crafted a daring new blueprint, Mars Direct, presented here with engaging anecdotes. The Case for Mars is not a vision for the far future or one that will cost us impossible billions.
-
-
Compelling
- By Michael D. Busch on 04-16-18
By: Robert Zubrin, and others
-
Space 2.0
- How Private Spaceflight, a Resurgent NASA, and International Partners are Creating a New Space Age
- By: Rod Pyle, Buzz Aldrin - foreword
- Narrated by: Jack de Golia
- Length: 8 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Speaking with key leaders of the latest space programs and innovations, Rod Pyle shares the excitement and promise of this new era of exploration and economic development. From NASA and the Russian space agency Roscosmos, to emerging leaders in the private sector, Space 2.0 examines the new partnerships that are revolutionizing spaceflight and changing the way we reach for the stars.
-
-
Basically a really long Wikipedia entry
- By Reuben on 03-03-19
By: Rod Pyle, and others
Critic reviews
Related to this topic
-
Beyond
- Our Future in Space
- By: Chris Impey
- Narrated by: Julie McKay
- Length: 9 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Beyond dares to imagine a fantastic future for humans in space - and then reminds us that we're already there. Human exploration has been an unceasing engine of technological progress, from the first homo sapiens to leave our African cradle to a future in which mankind promises to settle another world. Beyond tells the epic story of humanity leaving home - and how humans will soon thrive in the vast universe beyond the Earth.
-
-
OTHER WORLDS
- By chetyarbrough.blog on 01-10-16
By: Chris Impey
-
Space Chronicles
- Facing the Ultimate Frontier
- By: Neil deGrasse Tyson
- Narrated by: Mirron Willis
- Length: 10 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With his signature wit and thought-provoking insights, Neil deGrasse Tyson - one of our foremost thinkers on all things space - illuminates the past, present, and future of space exploration and brilliantly reminds us why NASA matters now as much as ever. As Tyson reveals, exploring the space frontier can profoundly enrich many aspects of our daily lives, from education systems and the economy to national security and morale.
-
-
The least helpful review of Space Chronicles.
- By Joshua Kring on 06-17-15
-
The Case for Mars
- The Plan to Settle the Red Planet and Why We Must
- By: Robert Zubrin, Richard Wagner, Arthur C. Clarke - Foreword
- Narrated by: Sean Runnette
- Length: 14 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Since the beginning of human history Mars has been an alluring dream - the stuff of legends, gods, and mystery. The planet most like ours, it has still been thought impossible to reach, let alone explore and inhabit. Now with the advent of a revolutionary new plan, all this has changed. Leading space exploration authority Robert Zubrin has crafted a daring new blueprint, Mars Direct, presented here with engaging anecdotes. The Case for Mars is not a vision for the far future or one that will cost us impossible billions.
-
-
Compelling
- By Michael D. Busch on 04-16-18
By: Robert Zubrin, and others
-
Five Billion Years of Solitude
- The Search for Life Among the Stars
- By: Lee Billings
- Narrated by: Lee Billings
- Length: 9 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Since its formation nearly five billion years ago, our planet has been the sole living world in a vast and silent universe. Now, Earth's isolation is coming to an end. Over the past two decades, astronomers have discovered thousands of "exoplanets" orbiting other stars, including some that could be similar to our own world. Studying those distant planets for signs of life will be crucial to understanding life's intricate mysteries right here on Earth. In a firsthand account of this unfolding revolution, Lee Billings draws on interviews with top researchers.
-
-
Bloated
- By Dr A on 01-09-14
By: Lee Billings
-
Rocket Billionaires
- Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and the New Space Race
- By: Tim Fernholz
- Narrated by: Erin Moon
- Length: 10 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For the larger-than-life personalities now staking their fortunes on the development of rocket ships, the new race to explore space could be a dead end, a lucrative opportunity - or the key to humanity's salvation. Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos take center stage in this fast-paced narrative as they attempt to disrupt the space economy, feed their own egos, and maybe even save the world.
-
-
Interesting book; hard to listen to
- By K. Thai on 04-12-18
By: Tim Fernholz
-
Mars Direct
- Space Exploration, the Red Planet, and the Human Future
- By: Robert Zubrin
- Narrated by: Erik Synnestvedt
- Length: 1 hr and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The human race is at a crossroads. In the coming years, we will make decisions regarding our human spaceflight program that will lead to one of two familiar futures: the open universe of Star Trek, where we allow ourselves the opportunity to spread our wings and attempt to flourish as an interplanetary species - or the closed, dystopian, and ultimately self-destructive world of Soylent Green. If we ever hope to live in the future that is the former scenario, our first stepping stone must be a manned mission to Mars.
-
-
Not what i thought it was going to be..
- By DUDE on 05-07-13
By: Robert Zubrin
-
Beyond
- Our Future in Space
- By: Chris Impey
- Narrated by: Julie McKay
- Length: 9 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Beyond dares to imagine a fantastic future for humans in space - and then reminds us that we're already there. Human exploration has been an unceasing engine of technological progress, from the first homo sapiens to leave our African cradle to a future in which mankind promises to settle another world. Beyond tells the epic story of humanity leaving home - and how humans will soon thrive in the vast universe beyond the Earth.
-
-
OTHER WORLDS
- By chetyarbrough.blog on 01-10-16
By: Chris Impey
-
Space Chronicles
- Facing the Ultimate Frontier
- By: Neil deGrasse Tyson
- Narrated by: Mirron Willis
- Length: 10 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With his signature wit and thought-provoking insights, Neil deGrasse Tyson - one of our foremost thinkers on all things space - illuminates the past, present, and future of space exploration and brilliantly reminds us why NASA matters now as much as ever. As Tyson reveals, exploring the space frontier can profoundly enrich many aspects of our daily lives, from education systems and the economy to national security and morale.
-
-
The least helpful review of Space Chronicles.
- By Joshua Kring on 06-17-15
-
The Case for Mars
- The Plan to Settle the Red Planet and Why We Must
- By: Robert Zubrin, Richard Wagner, Arthur C. Clarke - Foreword
- Narrated by: Sean Runnette
- Length: 14 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Since the beginning of human history Mars has been an alluring dream - the stuff of legends, gods, and mystery. The planet most like ours, it has still been thought impossible to reach, let alone explore and inhabit. Now with the advent of a revolutionary new plan, all this has changed. Leading space exploration authority Robert Zubrin has crafted a daring new blueprint, Mars Direct, presented here with engaging anecdotes. The Case for Mars is not a vision for the far future or one that will cost us impossible billions.
-
-
Compelling
- By Michael D. Busch on 04-16-18
By: Robert Zubrin, and others
-
Five Billion Years of Solitude
- The Search for Life Among the Stars
- By: Lee Billings
- Narrated by: Lee Billings
- Length: 9 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Since its formation nearly five billion years ago, our planet has been the sole living world in a vast and silent universe. Now, Earth's isolation is coming to an end. Over the past two decades, astronomers have discovered thousands of "exoplanets" orbiting other stars, including some that could be similar to our own world. Studying those distant planets for signs of life will be crucial to understanding life's intricate mysteries right here on Earth. In a firsthand account of this unfolding revolution, Lee Billings draws on interviews with top researchers.
-
-
Bloated
- By Dr A on 01-09-14
By: Lee Billings
-
Rocket Billionaires
- Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and the New Space Race
- By: Tim Fernholz
- Narrated by: Erin Moon
- Length: 10 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For the larger-than-life personalities now staking their fortunes on the development of rocket ships, the new race to explore space could be a dead end, a lucrative opportunity - or the key to humanity's salvation. Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos take center stage in this fast-paced narrative as they attempt to disrupt the space economy, feed their own egos, and maybe even save the world.
-
-
Interesting book; hard to listen to
- By K. Thai on 04-12-18
By: Tim Fernholz
-
Mars Direct
- Space Exploration, the Red Planet, and the Human Future
- By: Robert Zubrin
- Narrated by: Erik Synnestvedt
- Length: 1 hr and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The human race is at a crossroads. In the coming years, we will make decisions regarding our human spaceflight program that will lead to one of two familiar futures: the open universe of Star Trek, where we allow ourselves the opportunity to spread our wings and attempt to flourish as an interplanetary species - or the closed, dystopian, and ultimately self-destructive world of Soylent Green. If we ever hope to live in the future that is the former scenario, our first stepping stone must be a manned mission to Mars.
-
-
Not what i thought it was going to be..
- By DUDE on 05-07-13
By: Robert Zubrin
-
Everything All at Once
- How to Unleash Your Inner Nerd, Tap into Radical Curiosity and Solve Any Problem
- By: Bill Nye
- Narrated by: Bill Nye
- Length: 12 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Everything All at Once is an exciting, inspiring call to unleash the power of the nerd mindset that exists within us all. Nye believes we'll never be able to tackle our society's biggest, most complex problems if we don't even know how to solve the small ones. Step by step, he shows his listeners the key tools behind his everything-all-at-once approach: radical curiosity, a deep desire for a better future, and a willingness to take the actions needed to make it a reality.
-
-
Bill Nye is awesome, but skip this one
- By Evan on 08-15-17
By: Bill Nye
-
End Times
- A Brief Guide to the End of the World
- By: Bryan Walsh
- Narrated by: Bryan Walsh, Corey Carthew
- Length: 12 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
End Times is a compelling work of skilled reportage that peels back the layers of complexity around the unthinkable - and inevitable - end of humankind. From asteroids and artificial intelligence to volcanic supereruption to nuclear war, veteran science reporter and TIME editor Bryan Walsh provides a stunning panoramic view of the most catastrophic threats to the human race.
-
-
Important topic ruined by needless political blather
- By J. Gordon on 08-29-19
By: Bryan Walsh
-
Confessions of an Alien Hunter
- A Scientist's Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence
- By: Seth Shostak
- Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor
- Length: 10 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This engaging memoir reveals the true story of the Search for ExtraterrestrialIntelligence (SETI), and discloses what we may very soon discover. Chronicling the program’s history with insight and humor, SETI senior astronomer Seth Shostak assures us that if there is sentient life in the universe, we are within decades of picking up its signal.
-
-
Somewhat Disappointed...
- By Tim on 11-12-10
By: Seth Shostak
-
Tomorrowland
- Our Journey From Science Fiction to Science Fact
- By: Steven Kotler
- Narrated by: Tom Parks
- Length: 8 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
New York Times, Wired, Atlantic Monthly, Discover bestselling author Steven Kotler has written extensively about those pivotal moments when science fiction became science fact...and fundamentally reshaped the world. Now he gathers the best of his best, updated and expanded upon, to guide listeners on a mind-bending tour of the far frontier, and how these advances are radically transforming our lives.
-
-
Covers a lot of different topics in many industries
- By ErnieA on 06-27-15
By: Steven Kotler
-
Abundance
- The Future Is Better Than You Think
- By: Steven Kotler, Peter H. Diamandis
- Narrated by: Keith Sellon-Wright
- Length: 10 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Space entrepreneur turned innovation pioneer Peter H. Diamandis and award-winning science writer Steven Kotler document how progress in artificial intelligence, robotics, digital manufacturing synthetic biology, and other exponentially growing technologies will enable us to make greater gains in the next two decades than we have in the previous 200 years.
-
-
Perhaps multiply his time estimates by 10
- By Rick on 11-06-21
By: Steven Kotler, and others
-
Soonish
- Ten Emerging Technologies That'll Improve and/or Ruin Everything
- By: Kelly Weinersmith, Zach Weinersmith
- Narrated by: Kelly Weinersmith, Zach Weinersmith
- Length: 10 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this smart and funny book, celebrated cartoonist Zach Weinersmith and noted researcher Dr. Kelly Weinersmith give us a snapshot of what's coming next - from robot swarms to nuclear fusion powered-toasters. By weaving their own research and interviews with the scientists who are making these advances happen, the Weinersmiths investigate why these technologies are needed, how they would work, and what is standing in their way.
-
-
Really Good-ish!
- By See Reverse on 04-16-18
By: Kelly Weinersmith, and others
-
The Department of Mad Scientists
- Inside DARPA, the Path-Breaking Government Agency You've Never Heard Of
- By: Michael Belfiore
- Narrated by: Michael Belfiore
- Length: 10 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The first-ever inside look at DARPA - the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency - the maverick and controversial group whose futuristic work has had amazing civilian and military applications, from the Internet to GPS to driverless cars
-
-
meh
- By Patrick on 12-22-09
By: Michael Belfiore
-
Catching Stardust
- Comets, Asteroids and the Birth of the Solar System
- By: Natalie Starkey
- Narrated by: Alison Campbell
- Length: 9 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Icy, rocky, sometimes dusty, always mysterious – comets and asteroids are among the Solar System's very oldest inhabitants, formed within a swirling cloud of gas and dust in the area of space that eventually hosted the Sun and its planets. Locked within each of these extra-terrestrial objects is the 4.6-billion-year wisdom of Solar System events, and by studying them at close quarters using spacecraft we can coerce them into revealing their closely-guarded secrets. This offers us the chance to answer some fundamental questions about our planet and its inhabitants.
-
-
A home run in space!
- By Rick B on 07-23-22
By: Natalie Starkey
-
Accessory to War
- The Unspoken Alliance Between Astrophysics and the Military
- By: Avis Lang, Neil deGrasse Tyson
- Narrated by: Courtney B. Vance, Neil deGrasse Tyson - introduction
- Length: 18 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this fascinating foray into the centuries-old relationship between science and military power, acclaimed astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson and writer-researcher Avis Lang examine how the methods and tools of astrophysics have been enlisted in the service of war. "The overlap is strong, and the knowledge flows in both directions," say the authors, because astrophysicists and military planners care about many of the same things: multi-spectral detection, ranging, tracking, imaging, high ground, nuclear fusion, and access to space. Tyson and Lang call it a "curiously complicit" alliance.
-
-
Inspiring, educational, patriotic.
- By Kevin on 09-17-18
By: Avis Lang, and others
-
You Belong to the Universe
- Buckminster Fuller and the Future
- By: Jonathon Keats
- Narrated by: Josh Bloomberg
- Length: 5 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A self-professed "comprehensive anticipatory design scientist", the inventor Buckminster Fuller (1895-1983) was undoubtedly a visionary. Fuller's creations often bordered on the realm of science fiction, ranging from the freestanding geodesic dome to the three-wheel Dymaxion car to a bathroom requiring neither plumbing nor sewage. Yet in spite of his brilliant mind and lifelong devotion to serving mankind, Fuller's expansive ideas were often dismissed, and have faded from public memory since his death.
-
-
Bucky, Bucky, Bucky
- By Amazon Customer on 08-25-18
By: Jonathon Keats
-
A Short History of Nearly Everything
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Richard Matthews
- Length: 18 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Bill Bryson has been an enormously popular author both for his travel books and for his books on the English language. Now, this beloved comic genius turns his attention to science. Although he doesn't know anything about the subject (at first), he is eager to learn, and takes information that he gets from the world's leading experts and explains it to us in a way that makes it exciting and relevant.
-
-
The Only Book I reread imediatley after reading
- By Andrew on 11-09-09
By: Bill Bryson
-
Origin Story
- A Big History of Everything
- By: David Christian
- Narrated by: Jamie Jackson
- Length: 12 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Most historians study the smallest slivers of time, emphasizing specific dates, individuals, and documents. But what would it look like to study the whole of history, from the big bang through the present day - and even into the remote future? How would looking at the full span of time change the way we perceive the universe, the earth, and our very existence? These were the questions David Christian set out to answer when he created the field of "Big History", the most exciting new approach to understanding where we have been, where we are, and where we are going.
-
-
A brilliant achievement, must read/listen
- By 11104 on 09-05-18
By: David Christian
What listeners say about Beyond Earth
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
- ramiro ferreira
- 01-05-17
Exelent book
The science of space colony and fiction based in our current knowledge. Very recommend book
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Tanya Davis
- 03-03-18
Great read, imaginative and realistic.
I’ll likely listen to the audible version many times. Great information, love the description of Titan and other planets/moons.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- JISIPO
- 06-02-17
Awesome narrator
The book has interesting concepts and many eye opening facts. But what was really enjoyable was the narrator's voice and modulation! Very very nice listen...
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- J
- 06-27-17
Enjoyed the concept of the style of writing.
I like what they were trying to do. probably wouldnt have bought it if I had known it was a catastrophic global warming propaganda piece.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- l.e.
- 11-22-16
Smart, informative and entertaining
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Yes...as a space cowboy this book is loaded with information...Titan is the tight choice and the exchange between now and future is a fine frame.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Beyond Earth?
The settlement of Titan
What about Will Damron’s performance did you like?
Easy listening
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Joe
- 12-24-16
Terrible- off-topic, unscientific, opinionated
This is one of the most disappointing books I've read in a long time. The authors spend half the time painting a dystopian global warming future as the "motivation" for leaving the planet. Never mind that the society they describe would not have the discretionary resources to support such an investment, or that they've cherry picked the worst case scenarios to build this future, this odiversion has nothing to do with the actual subject of the book.
To be clear, I believe we face a real problem with global warming. If I wanted a book on climate change, I would have bought one, but not this one. In dealing with both planetary science, space exploration, and climate change, the authors make broad generalizations to support questionable conclusions. There was some interesting material sprinkled in, but I find it suspect based on the other material.
According to these authors
- NASA is an incompetent, closed minded bureaucracy (not entirely untrue, but not credible as presented)
- There is no point in going back to the moon, or going to Mars
- Titan will be a garden spot with beaches and people flying under their own power
- The ocean will rise and swallow the cities overnight, but people won't be smart enough to move inland. The rich will move to fortress homes in the mountains. In the midst of this, someone is building great spaceships.
The strangest part is that the book starts by talking about the difficulties predicting the future, and describes how one person accurately predicted the future of the airline industry. They show how the prediction was based on simple extrapolation of existing technology and basic consideration of economic incentives. It's as if that chapter was never considered again, because the authors certainly didn't take that approach. That approach would put us establishing and growing a settlement on the moon, not leaping to Titan.
I must admit, this review is only based on the first five chapters. I'm not going to waste any more time. There are much better books on the subject.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- James Weisner
- 03-20-17
Wanna-be science fiction by cranks, for cranks
Any additional comments?
Warning! This is a book by a crank! About cranks. For cranks. If you don't yet have a strong background in science, stay far, far away from this book lest it fill you with misconceptions and misinformation.
If the contents weren't bad enough, the format of this book is awful, too. Odd chapters are future predictions communicated as really pulpy, expositional science fiction. They include (no, I'm not joking) a robot army fighting Islamic terrorists, an Exxon colonial space ship, an all-women city on Titan called "Amazonia", and alien pornography broadcast to Earth thanks to faster-than-light communication with the galactic Internet. Alien. Pornography.
Still not convinced? The authors are conspiracy theorists. They thinks "the general public has been left in the dark" about the health dangers of space travel. They even call Carl Sagan "a supercilious jerk". The only reason someone could possibly call Sagan this is from fear. Fear that Sagan's skepticism would be turned on them and expose their idiotic beliefs.
For those with morbid curiosity, here are some of the things these this book gets completely wrong:
* Gullibly repeats the media headlines that Google translation AI "invented its own secret language". (It didn't.)
* A fear-monger's explanation of the paperclip maximizer thought experiment. In short, this thought experiment is scary only if you imagine an AI that has severe mental handicaps in some areas (knowing about humans) but not others (how to make machines to disassemble an entire planet). This is just special pleading and praying on our own innate fears.
* An uninformed telling of the Fermi paradox. It's basically an urban myth that we've looked for life in the galaxy and found none. The truth is we've barely begun to look.
* Greatly exaggerated claims of mental risk from space travel. This is based on one study that has been over-hyped in the media. This study has many limitations. It didn't use galactic cosmic rays, but radioactive Titanium. It uses a mouse model and mice have significant known differences in skull thickness, etc. In fact, we know from studies of humans on the space station that any cognitive effect from long-term exposure has a pretty darn low upper limit.
* Greatly exaggerated claims of cancer risk from space travel. The author interviewed some NASA scientist who got fired for fear mongering (can't remember or find his name at the moment). He did some calculation that showed the cancer risk from a trip to Mars is large. Everyone in the scientific community disagrees with is findings. And anyway, the this argument against a manned mission to Mars is ridiculous. A little bit of mortal danger? Who cares? Nobody's being forced to go. It's the next frontier. How awful would our plight be as a species if we were no longer willing to take risks to discover things and advance science?!
* Conflating the health consequences of micro-gravity with the lower gravity on other planets. He goes on and on about optic nerve swelling like it's the end of the world. I'm pretty sure Scott Kelly is doing just fine. Thanks. Anyway the effects experienced by astronauts on the International Space Station are not predicted to impact people living on the Moon or Mars. All that's needed for our pulmonary system to take care of things is a clear down direction. There is no medical reason the magnitude of the normal vector need be exactly 1g.
* The biggest crank in this book has got to be Sonny White. There was even a great piece in the book where the authors corresponded with White and asked him a question about the casimir force. In reply White laid on them a Dunning-Kruger whopper! He said, to extend the casimir force to a large scale, just make a lot of little cavities in a material, like a big pumice stone. The obvious flaws in this idea are (1) pumice stones actually exist and don't have an extended negative energy field around them and (2) while the casimir effect is present *inside* a gap in between two plates, the wave functions average out to *zero* when seen from the outside. This is the danger of letting an engineer theorize... I say that with love as an engineer myself.
* The book claims we need something like the EM drive to get to Titan. He describes it as a reaction-less engine. Which is a contradiction in terms because of a little thing called the CONSERVATION OF MOMENTUM. The idea that the EM drive pushes off the quantum vacuum is preposterous.
* The claim that GMO babies "will hasten our demise". I don't even. There's also a lot of general agricultural pessimism.
* Climate change alarmism. I know, I know. When people say this they're often coming from a place of climate science denial. I'm not. I just think that the Statue of Liberty can't be half-covered by the ocean because its pedestal is more than 6 meters above sea level. The main plot of the "future" chapters in this book involves people getting so miserable on Earth that they decide to escape to Titan. This is ridiculous. This plot point hinges on social unrest due to climate refugees and increasing violence. Today I can say the climate will change and it will devastate ecosystems and cause mass human migrations. But there is no indication society will unravel as a result. It may not feel like it, but war and violence are still decreasing. This plot point is contrived and hinges on an alarmist position.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
11 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- John R Houston
- 05-20-17
Poor audio quality or editing?
Poorly edited audio; beginnings of sentences are almost chopped off. Not sure what the deal is.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful