Irwin L., Schulze-Makush D. Cosmic Biology How Life Could Evolve on Other Worlds

Springer, 2011 - 338 p.
Discusses a broad range of possible environments where alien life might evolve. Explains why carbon-based, water-borne life is more likely than the alternatives. Outlines for general readers the principles of ecology and the mechanisms of evolutionary change. Provides an imaginative and plausible framework for how life might evolve in different environments.