The Genesis Quest

How did life begin? Why are we here? These are some of the most profound questions we can ask. If we can find the answers, we can learn much about both ourselves and our relationship to the wider universe.

For almost a century, a small band of eccentric scientists has struggled to explain one of the greatest mysteries of all: how and why life began on Earth. There are many different theories, and each idea has attracted passionate believers who promote it with an almost religious fervour.

But the quest to unravel life's genesis is not just a story of big ideas: it is fundamentally a compelling human story, rich in personalities, conflicts, and surprising twists and turns.

Along the way the story takes in some of the greatest discoveries in modern biology, from evolution and cells to DNA and life's family tree. It's 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.