As a graduate student in astronomy who is absolutely enraptured with the phenomenon of life in our universe, I can only thank the author for bringing this new world of inquiry so beautifully into view. I encourage all, regardless of scientific training, who are simply wanting to learn about what "life" is and how it could have arisen here on our planet to begin reading this book.
I say "begin" reading the book, because I have no doubt that you will quickly become enthralled with the sheer magnificence of the topic as well as utterly charmed by Davies' writing style. (Although I must agree with a previous reviewer about the comment regarding Jesus Christ's atoms, I'm not sure it was intentional.) Davies has a rare and admirable ability to bring a subject to life (no pun intended), and through a combination of superb stories, metaphors, comparisons and newly invented words he manages to turn seemingly dry facts into concepts that can be as much felt as seen.
The most wonderful part of this book is that it has inspired me to think day and night about the "meaning" of it all (Davies addresses this but doesn't try to enlighten us on that front). As a scientist I just can't get over the seeming miraculity of life. The perfection of it all is just too much for words.
Topics covered: "definition" of life, cell structure, DNA/RNA replication, the phylogenetic tree of life, extremophiles, attempts to create life "in a test tube," the probability of "accidentally" creating life out of the basic building blocks, the possibility of life on Mars, panspermia, life as the organization of information, much more...
