Microcosmos: Four Billion Years of Microbial Evolution (Paperback)

"A luminous prose style. . . . Clear, evocative, and, at its best, dense with realities rather than concepts or opinions, [Microcosmos] grips the serious reader in a way that transcends both science and science journalism." "Microcosmos is a book for all to read. Although the ideas expressed with such clarity and enthusiasm in this enthralling volume are soundly based on current scientific research they are couched in a language that anyone with a smattering of biology can easily grasp. . . . Microcosmos is a book packed with information and fascinating detail, but all of it to the purpose of demonstrating how life forms are interwoven with each other."  "A fascinating, engrossing, superbly written account. . . . Makes the story of evolution—including very recent findings—accessible." "A stunning, complex chronicle . . . proposing that only an understanding of the microcosm from which life sprang can make possible our ultimate leap beyond Earth into a human-devised supercosm."  "First published in 1986, Microcosmos is already regarded as a seminal book in its field."