Peter Ward, Ph.D. is a paleontologist and astrobiologist whose most recent book is A New History of Life, with coauthor Joe Kirschvink. Ward’s Rare Earth, coauthored with Don Brownlee, was named by Discover Magazine as one of the ten most important science books of the year and his Gorgon was awarded a Washington State Governor’s Book Award. He has appeared often on the Art Bell Coast to Coast radio program and on Science Friday with Ira Flatow. Ward lives in Washington State.