Life ascending - Nick Lane

Winner of the 2010 Royal Society Prize for science booksPowerful
new research methods are providing fresh and vivid insights into the
makeup of life. Comparing gene sequences, examining the atomic structure
of proteins and looking into the geochemistry of rocks have all helped
to explain creation and evolution in more detail than ever before. Nick
Lane uses the full extent of this new knowledge to describe the ten
greatest inventions of life, based on their historical impact, role in
living organisms today and relevance to current controversies. DNA, sex,
sight and consciousnesses are just four examples.Lane also
explains how these findings have come about, and the extent to which
they can be relied upon. The result is a gripping and lucid account of
the ingenuity of nature, and a book which is essential reading for
anyone who has ever questioned the science behind the glories of
everyday life.