The Genesis Quest, Michael Marshall
The Genesis Quest, Michael Marshall
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The Genesis Quest
The Geniuses and Eccentrics on a Journey to Uncover the Origin of Life on Earth

Author: Michael Marshall

Narrator: Ciaran Saward

Unabridged: 10 hr 35 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 11/24/2020

Includes: Bonus Material Bonus Material Included

Synopsis

How did life begin? Why are we here? These are some of the most profound questions we can ask.

For almost a century, a small band of eccentric scientists has struggled to answer these questions and explain one of the greatest mysteries of all: how and why life began on Earth. There are many different proposals, and each idea has attracted passionate believers who promote it with an almost religious fervor, as well as detractors who reject it with equal passion.

But the quest to unravel life's genesis is not just a story of big ideas. It is also a compelling human story, rich in personalities, conflicts, and surprising twists and turns. Along the way the journey takes in some of the greatest discoveries in modern biology, from evolution and cells to DNA and life's family tree. It is also a search whose end may finally be in sight.

In The Genesis Quest, Michael Marshall shows how the quest to understand life's beginning is also a journey to discover the true nature of life, and by extension our place in the universe.

About Michael Marshall

Michael Marshall is a science writer interested in life sciences and the environment. He has a BA and MPhil in experimental psychology from the University of Cambridge and an MSc in science communication from Imperial College, London. He has worked as a staff journalist at New Scientist and the BBC. Since 2017 he has been a freelance writer, published by outlets including BBC Future, the Observer, Nature, New Scientist, and the Telegraph. In 2019 he was shortlisted for News Item of the Year by the Association of British Science Writers. He lives in Devon, UK, with his wife and daughter.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Bandit on September 04, 2020

Well, here I am, the first to review a book about the all the firsts of discoveries about the origin of life on Earth. To be fair, this wasn’t quite what was expected, which is pretty normal when the plot summary only gets a light skim. The skim led me to expect a somewhat lighter and easier read, b......more

Goodreads review by The Inquisitive Biologist on August 06, 2021

A veritable who's who of scientists and their ideas, The Genesis Quest is a big-picture overview of origin-of-life research and a fantastic starting point on this topic. This is the book I wish I had read earlier. See my full review at [URL not allowed]......more

Goodreads review by Samir on July 27, 2024

"The Genesis Quest" by Michael Marshall is an entertaining and enlightening read. The book's natural flow and seamless progression keep the reader engaged without any abrupt interruptions. Marshall excels at explaining complex scientific terms in layman's terms, making the intricate discussions acce......more

Goodreads review by MARC on February 05, 2025

Source New Scientist Feb 25, 2023. Very good read. Well explained description of the search for the origin of life on earth.......more

Goodreads review by Leah on September 13, 2020

An excellent synopsis of the many competing theories of the origins of life on earth in the last couple of centuries, The Genesis Quest is exceptionally readable for anyone with a high school background in biology (although I will admit that many cobwebs were cleared out between my ears in the proce......more

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