In August 1996 scientists from NASA stunned the world with the announcement that an ancient meteorite that had plunged to Earth from Mars revealed signs of primitive life. The first book detailing this remarkable discovery, The Hunt for Life on Mars tells the complete dramatic story of the scientific detective work that led to the compelling evidence for extraterrestrial life.In The Hunt for Life on Mars, Donald Goldsmith takes the reader on an epic journey from the Antarctic deep freeze, through the interplanetary orbits, onto the yet colder plains of the Red Planet, then into the laboratories where the rock from Mars yielded its secrets. • The recent Mars voyage of the NASA spacecraft, Sojourner, has received tremendous news coverage, and has been featured on numerous magazine covers, such as Time and Newsweek. • The Hunt for Life on Mars includes a new epilogue by the author, highlighting the most recent findings from the 1997 missions to Mars. • Based on interviews with all of the key scientists involved in the discovery. • The first full account of the headline-making Mars discoveries. • Addresses the broader issues of the very origin of life, on Earth and throughout the universe. • Written with the fast pace of a scientific detective story.