Is Mars habitable? A critical examination of Professor Percival Lowell's book "Mars and its canals," with an alternative explanation

"Is Mars Habitable?" by Alfred Russel Wallace is a thorough look at Professor Percival Lowell's ideas about whether life could exist on Mars. Wallace's book takes on Lowell's specific book, "Mars and Its Canals," which suggested intelligent beings built irrigation canals on the planet. Rather than agreeing, Wallace uses scientific proof to argue that Mars is actually a very difficult place for life to survive because of its rough weather and not enough water. The book starts by explaining why Wallace felt it was important to question Lowell's theories, especially after Lowell shared his ideas in a math-heavy publication. Wallace goes back to older observations of Mars to give readers some background. He talks about how astronomers in the past, like Schiaparelli, saw "canals" and how some people thought these might be signs of smart life. The first parts of Wallace's book set the stage for him to challenge Lowell's ideas about Mars' weather, land, and ability to support any kind of life, presenting a more realistic scientific view of Mars instead of a dreamy one.