Eine verblüffende Studie über den Ursprung des Lebens. Ich liebte es. Bill Gates Eines der tiefgründigsten und erhellendsten Bücher über die Geschichte des Lebens der letzten Jahre. Economist Dies ist nichts weniger, als eine neue Geschichte des Lebens. Nature Ein unerlässliches Buch für jeden, der sich für die Geschichte des Lebens interessiert. Times Higher Education Er ist ein originärer Forscher und Denker und ein leidenschaftlicher und stilsicherer Popularisierer. Seine Theorien sind genial, atemberaubend und in jeder Hinsicht herausfordernd. Wenn Lanes Behauptungen richtig sind, dann wird dies ebenso wichtig werden wie die kopernikanische Wende und vielleicht sogar noch mehr. Guardian Nick Lane is emerging as one of the most imaginative thinkers about the evolution of life on Earth...a scintillating synthesis of a new theory of life. Financial Times One of the pleasures of good science writing is that it can awaken, or feed, this kind of curiosity and engagement in the reader, expanding his or her horizons in ways not previously imagined. And, for those willing to make the effort with a sometimes demanding but always clear text, Nick Lane's new book succeeds brilliantly. I cannot recommend The Vital Question too highly. Lane's vivid descriptions and powerful reasoning will amaze and grip the reader. Sunday Telegraph Nick Lane is not just a writer of words about science, he is also a doer of experiments and a thinker of thoughts. And these days he is hot on the trail of one of the biggest ideas in the universe: the meaning of the word life. In this, his third book about energy and life, he comes triumphantly close to cracking the secret of why life is the way it is, to a depth that would boggle any ancient philosopher's mind. Like the best science writers, Lane never glosses over the detail. Instead he turns it into a series of detective stories. Poirot-like he leads you from the crime to the perpetrator, from the puzzle to the solution. The difference from a detective story is that these tales are real, and fundamental to life itself. Times An exciting tale, thrillingly told. This is a potent book, one that not only brings you up to date with biology but also stuns you with the wonder of it all. The Sunday Times This is a book of vast scope and ambition, brimming with bold and important ideas...The arguments are powerful and persuasive. If you're interested in life, you should read this book...it does tell an incredible, epic story. New Scientist Masterful. This terribly important book...is a manifesto for the future of basic biology. Observer The Vital Question is not a long book but it is a big one. Lane's vivid descriptions and powerful reasoning will amaze and grip the reader. The Sunday Telegraph [Nick Lane] proves an able guide through treacherous scientific terrain. He writes in lucid, accessible prose, and while the science may get dense, the reader will be rewarded with a strikingly unconventional view of biology. The New York Times So tiefgründig wie spannend geschrieben! Fischerei und Gewässer in Rheinland-Pfalz Es ist ein bisschen wie ein guter, alter Krimi. Sprektrum der Wissenschaft