In the beginning, there was the Earth. A place inhospitable and inaccessible, in a constant state of chemical change, covered by turbulent seas, with a landscape that was repeatedly unearthed by unstoppable volcanic eruptions.

From this turmoil, life emerged. The first living beings were nothing more than microscopic membranes that covered equally microscopic voids in the rocks, at the mercy of currents of hot water and metallic elements surging from cracks in the ocean floor.

Within these membranes, although not completely waterproof, an environment was created that was different from the relentless devastation surrounding them. In these small refuges, energy production gradually evolved, which was used to create bubbles – faithful replicas of their parents: bubbly clusters of cells, resembling tiny soap bubbles, stood like microscopic fists defying the rest of the lifeless world.

Henry Gee traverses the last 4.6 billion years with infectious enthusiasm and scientific accuracy. Utilizing the most recent scientific knowledge and writing in a straightforward and accessible manner, he tells an epic story of survival and persistence and illuminates the delicate balance within which life has survived, from its emergence to now.