Are we alone in this cosmos, or do we yet have to come to terms with the actual existence of alien life? Never before has so much time and concentrated effort been spent by so many scientists and writers in the pursuit of the answer to this fundamental question. In this extraordinary book, major scientists involved in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence known as SETI explain their work and reveal their secret thoughts. Now, in joining them here, are some of the best speculative thinkers, from Arthur C. Clarke and Isaac Asimov to Gregory Benford, who address the major philosophical questions involved. Intriguing, suspense-filled and intense, this book promises to deliver more than just mundane facts and theory.