Preface: Taxi Drivers and the Universe -- Are There Alien Taxi Drivers? -- Would Alien Contact Change Us All? -- Should I Be Worried About a Martian Invasion? -- Should We Solve Problems on Earth Before Exploring Space? -- Will I Go on a Trip to Mars? -- Is There Still Glory in Exploration? -- Is Mars Our Planet B? -- Do Ghosts Exist? -- Are We Exhibits in an Alien Zoo? -- Will We Understand the Aliens? -- Might the Universe Be Devoid of Aliens? -- Is Mars an Awful Place To Live? -- Will Space Be Full of Tyrannies or Free Societies? -- Do Microbes Deserve Our Protection? -- How Did Life Begin? -- Why Do We Need Oxygen To Breathe? -- What Is the Meaning of Life? -- Are We Exceptional?

"Taxi drivers love to talk, and when astrobiologist Charles Cockell is their passenger, they love to talk about aliens. This humorous, insightful collection gathers essays inspired by conversations with cabbies, ranging over the possible nature of alien societies, the inevitability of life, and links between environmentalism and space exploration"--