Resources Beyond the Earth

This pair of books by planetary scientist John S. Lewis provides a detailed look at our solar system as it really is — not quite the clean unchanging clockwork some imagined. That's good news and bad news.

First the bad news. There are a lot of rocks whizzing around above our heads. Some day, one may wind up headed our way. This first book gives us a better look at the odds — and offers some solid suggestions for ways of improving them.

RAIN OF IRON AND ICE

John S. Lewis
Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1996

ISBN 0-201-32819-4

Here's a more complete review.

The good news is that those rocks whizzing by are potentially the first installment in a treasure trove of resources. Almost everything we need to create a thriving solar-system-wide economy is there; all we have to do is go get it. And, if one day we undertake to shove an asteroid off a collision course with Earth, we'll be in an ideal position to do just that.

Here's a more complete review.

MINING THE SKY

John S. Lewis
Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1996

ISBN 0-201-32819-4