Acclaim for Richard Fortey’s
“An eclectic waltz among organisms at once extraordinary and extinct.… No one can finish Life without having accrued considerable knowledge of evolutionary history and a sense of excitement of discovery that can be conveyed only by a professional scientist chipping away at the rock face of his discipline.”
—The New York Times Book Review
“[Fortey’s] prose, like Darwin’s, is spare, confident, and unadorned. As his impressive synthesis of evolution unfolds, a distant world is brought to life.”
—The Economist
“The personal elements are crucial to the story, for Fortey—a senior paleontologist in London’s Natural History Museum— has been at the center of paleontological research for more than two decades.… A wonderful blend of science and anecdote.”
—Natural History
“A true history of the world.… A humbling narrative, written with a powerful impact.… A tour de force.”
—St. Louis Post-Dispatch
“A celebration of learning, a spellbinding look into prehistoric landscapes and a captivating piece of literature.”
—The Columbus Dispatch
“Fascinating.… Describes the climb up the evolutionary ladder with scientific accuracy and an urbane literary style.”
—Parade
“Life is an astonishing performance, the gathering of an immense store of knowledge and experience by a single individual and bearing his personal stamp.”
—The Kansas City Star
“The scope of the book is immense.… It takes the reader into the heart of the evolutionary process.”
—The Raleigh News & Observer
“Fortey’s contribution is unique.… He makes very clear how the biological world evolved in harmony with changing geological and climatic conditions.”
—San Francisco Examiner
“A hypnotic tale of what may have happened 3.8 billion years ago.”
—Outside
“The author has magically transposed and integrated his academic biography and intellectual growth into the natural history of life.… Fortey lyrically raises fossils from the dead.”
—Nature