Description
Book SynopsisTrade Review"The writing in the book is so articulate and the unfolding narrative so ambitious that one is carried along helter-skelter… The late Sir Hans would indeed be amazed." -- Wieland Gievers - South African Journal of Science
"[A] thrilling journey . . . the book is a tour de force." -- Laura Eme and Courtney W. Stairs - Nature Ecology & Evolution
"[An] indefatigable exploration of the genesis of biology . . . [Lane] beautifully lays out the sheer improbability of our biosphere, explains why life may be exceedingly rare in our universe, and considers death as a process, not simply as an instantaneous end. " -- Hamilton Cain - The Atlantic
"The story in
Transformer is not just lively and engaging but filled with stimulating ideas about life’s origins and evolution. " -- Philip Ball - Nautilus
"A thrilling tour of the remarkable stories behind the discoveries of some of life’s key metabolic pathways and mechanisms. [Lane] lays bare the human side of science… The book brings to life the chemistry that brings us to life. " -- Joseph Moran - Science
"Bold . . . passionate . . . a dramatically revisionist account [of the] origins of life." -- James Somers - New Yorker
"
Transformer is a complex yet accessible, illuminating, and thrilling exploration of the vitality and elemental mysteries of our existence." -- George Kendall - Booklist
"This is probably the best book on biology (and more specifically biochemistry) that I've ever read." -- Brian Clegg, author of Game Theory
"One of the most creative of today's biologists ... this is a book filled with big ideas, many of which are bold instances of lateral thinking. " -- Michael Marshall - New Scientist
"In this compulsively readable book, Lane takes us on a riveting journey, ranging from the flow of energy to new ways of understanding cancer." -- Siddhartha Mukherjee, author of The Emperor of All Maladies
"I loved every page of Nick Lane’s new book." -- Lee Smolin, author of Einstein’s Unfinished Revolution
"Hugely ambitious and tremendously exciting." -- Olivia Judson, author of Dr. Tatiana’s Sex Advice to All Creation
"In this fascinating book, Nick Lane brings together biology, chemistry, and physics to illuminate the role of energy in bringing matter alive." -- Sean Carroll, author of Something Deeply Hidden
"Nick Lane’s marvelously engaging
Transformer refocused my astronomer’s gaze on the vital chemistry of life on our own planet." -- John Grunsfeld, former NASA chief scientist and astronaut
