This one looks particularly interesting. Brian Appleyard, a respected British journalist offers this - brilliant, highly entertaining and thought-provoking cultural history of the alien phenomenon; who are they and why are they here? Appleyard expands the discussion of aliens to include all non-human intelligences, but he doesn't shy away from the classic questions about ET on Earth...what he does do is bring a thoughtful and non-judgmental perspective to the question, considering whether the answer lies in our stars or ourselves.

(Source: Scribner)