Extraterrestrials

In this collection, published in 1985, Regis offers us a wide variety of perspectives on the search for and possible contact with extraterrestrial intelligent beings. The balance tends to lean toward Regis' own skepticism. As always in collections, the quality of the articles varies considerably; those that stick closest to the scientific questions tend to be more cleanly argued, while those addressing cultural, moral, and ethical issues are more discursive. Lewis White Beck's 1971 speech, the first item in the book, is remarkable for its foresight and breadth. Reading that piece and others may not leave you convinced one way or the other, but you will be better informed.

If you want to go into depth on the rationale for the search for extraterrestrial inteligence, this anthology, like Shklovskii and Sagan's book, is a must-read. Mind you, it is a little dated and a number of the contributions are frustratingly vague, but several of the essays are classics, such as Marvin Minsky's, "Why intelligent aliens will be intelligible."