A (Very) Short History of Life on Earth: 4.6 Billion Years in 12 Chapters

At first, Earth was an inhospitable alien place: streams of chemical substances kept raining down on the planet, it was covered with bubbling oceans, and the landscape was shaped by unceasing volcanic eruptions. Amid this chaos of elements and disasters, life began. Like soap bubbles, the first cells with reckless courage challenged the lifeless world. Life on our planet endured for thousands of years, adapting—without exaggeration—to any conditions that living organisms might face, and flourishing, moving from the very first modest forms to the thrilling and unbelievable story of our own species.

In this book, thanks to the author’s infectious enthusiasm and scientific accuracy—he is a well-known English paleontologist and specialist in evolutionary biology—before us fly the last 4.6 billion years at a breathtaking pace. Drawing on the latest scientific findings, Henry Gee tells clearly and accessibly an instructive story of survival and resilience, shedding light on how fragile the balance was in which life has always existed.

“An engaging, lyrical story.”