Awarded by the Royal Society Science Book. "Subversively spans billions of years... Gee is a wonderfully engaging writer" - The Times. 4.6 billion years of life's history on Earth, in twelve concise chapters. Brevity, brilliance, and complete charm.

For billions of years, Earth was an unwelcoming, bizarre place—covered in swelling seas, slowly shaping its landscape through volcanic eruptions, with the atmosphere in a constant state of chemical flux. Despite the countless challenges that living organisms could encounter, life has been extinguished and reborn many times.

From the first appearance to the spread of early humanoids who later became Homo sapiens, life continued, uninterrupted. The book "A (Very) Short History of Life: 4.6 Billion Years in 12 Chapters" is an enlightening story of survival and perseverance, illuminating the delicate balance in which life has always existed and continues to exist today. It is our planet as you have never seen it before.

Dr. Henry Gee presents creatures from the "social" bacteria inhabiting the seas to the sparring dinosaurs of the Triassic period and the spectacular mammals that hold the future in their hands. The evolutionary steps of life—from the development of digestive systems to the astonishing flight of creatures—are conveyed with a familiar approach.

"Henry Gee makes life's bustling canvas understandable and exciting." – Jared Diamond, author of "Guns, Germs, and Steel."

Pages: 336, Year of Publication: 1213, Dimensions: 13x13cm