Quotes
“Mesler and Cleaves cover this long history in just under three hundred pages—and it’s an absorbing account. Along the way, A Brief History of Creation reveals as much about the process of science as it does about the puzzle of the origin of life. That’s no mean achievement.” Wall Street Journal
“The authors’ inclusion of an abundance of biographical and historical detail enriches both the science and the scientists. This lively, accessible book is recommended for science enthusiasts interested in origin of life issues and the history of science.” Library Journal (starred review)
“Journalist Mesler and chemist Cleaves explore how humans have contemplated life’s origins over the millennia, and the authors offer a cogent explanation of the best current thinking on the topic in this broad intellectual history…The last chapters take readers on a tour of current research that will both educate and entertain.” Publishers Weekly
“Readers see how Darwin’s own theory of life born in some ‘warm little pond’ has given way to theories focusing on organic freight in meteorites, on electrical storms in a primal methane atmosphere, and on thermal vents near deep-sea volcanoes. But nothing has accelerated research on biogenesis more than breakthroughs in genetics…[and] readers find themselves positioned to share in the intellectual excitement.” Booklist
“A history of science designed for general readers. They fill their account with dozens of fascinating characters…The authors not only present them as men of their times but bring them to life with anecdotes about their eccentricities, their debates, their successes, and their failures…Their narrative has a grand sweep and shows important figures with competing ideas amid evolving worldviews…A lively, highly readable jaunt through the world of science.“ Kirkus Reviews
“A well-written and lively account of the science and history behind one of the most fascinating questions in science―how animate matter emerged from inanimate matter―enriched by engaging portraits of the scientists involved and a feel for the very human scientific enterprise at work.” Alan Lightman, professor of the humanities, MIT, and author of the New York Times bestseller Einstein’s Dreams
“With fully accessible and engaging prose, artfully weaving history, philosophy, and science, Bill Mesler and H. James Cleaves II tell what is perhaps the greatest of all scientific stories, the quest to understand the origin of life.” Marcelo Gleiser, Appleton Professor of Natural Philosophy, Dartmouth College, and author of The Island of Knowledge
“A fascinating, fast-paced tour through the ages of how some of the greatest minds and characters in history have pondered one of the greatest questions in science…Rich, masterfully woven.” Sean B. Carroll, author of Brave Genius and Remarkable Creatures