Life Ascending: The Ten Great Inventions of Evolution - Tapa dura

Boldly tackling some of these apparently irreducible complexities... This is a science book that doesn't cheat: the structure is logical, the writing is witty, and the hard questions are tackled head on (Tim Radford Guardian 2009-06-20)

If Charles Darwin sprang from his grave, I would give him this fine book to bring him up to speed. It's a breathless bulletin from the accelerating rush of news about the secrets of life on planet earth. (Matt Ridley)

A clever concept is carried through with a clarity and enthusiasm that belies the sophistication of the science (Guardian Summer Reading 2009-07-18)

Excellent and imaginative and, similar to life itself, the book is full of surprises.... Life Ascending is a fascinating book for anyone interested in life and evolution, and how these discoveries were made (Lewis Wolpert Nature 2009-07-23)

Original and awe-inspiring... an exhilarating tour of some of the most profound and important ideas in biology (Michael Le Page New Scientist)

An excellent book. It is great fun, readable, bubbling over with enthusiasm, and not afraid of controversial, even weird, ideas... Hopeless as a bedside book: you'd never sleep (Chemistry World)

With clarity and vigour... Lane shows how thoroughly, if provisionally, we can reconstruct evolutionary developments (Peter Dizikes New York Times Book Review 2009-08-30)

The emergence of life itself remains obscure. But as Lane shows with clarity and vigor, fascinating studies on the subject abound (Peter Dizikes New York Times Book Review 2009-08-30)

Lane is that particularly rare breed: a scientist who can not only offer a bird's-eye view of an entire field but also tell you about his own very interesting ideas (Carl Zimmer Science)