ABSTRACT
James Lovelock's first book, Gaia: A New Look at Life on Earth, received a mixed reception when it was published in 1979. Although he did not write the book as a science text for specialists, Lovelock expected that some scientists would read it. His work at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on scientific experiments for life detection on Mars led him to think about why Earth was different from its neighbors, Mars and Venus. In his book, Lovelock also explains how the delicate self-regulating system of Earth can collapse as a result of excessive modification of the Earth's surface and atmosphere. Lovelock later wrote in his autobiography that "its publication completely changed my life and the fall of mail through my letterbox increased from a gentle patter to a downpour, and has remained high ever since". The situation changed in the 1990s, however, and Gaia papers became easier to publish, even in prestigious journals.
