"Our true origins are not just human, or even terrestrial, but in fact cosmic. Drawing on recent scientific breakthroughs and the current cross-pollination among geology, biology, astrophysics, and cosmology, Origins explains the soul-stirring leaps in our understanding of the cosmos. From the first image of a galaxy birth to Spirit Rover's exploration of Mars, to the discovery of water on one of Jupiter's moons, coauthors Neil deGrasse Tyson and...

"From acclaimed writer and biologist Sean B. Carroll, a rollicking, awe-inspiring story of the surprising power of chance in our lives and the world. Why is the world the way it is? How did we get here? Does everything happen for a reason or are some things left to chance? Philosophers and theologians have pondered these questions for millennia, but startling scientific discoveries over the past half century are revealing that we live in a world driven...

"Over the past four billion years of Earth's history, three organisms-cyanobacteria, plants, and humans--have altered the planet in profound ways by harnessing the availability of five key elements. Hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus are the most common elements in all forms of life on Earth, and all five circulate between the biotic and abiotic world in biogeochemical cycles. When organisms tap into stores of these elements and change...

An acclaimed Harvard geologist presents a narrative chronicle of the Earth's 4.6-billion-year evolution that places the environmental crises of today's world in a context that explains the planet's fragile capacity to support life.

A biochemist, building on the pillars of evolutionary theory and drawing on cutting-edge research into the link between energy and genes, argues that the evolution of multicellular life was the result of a single event.

"Rhyming text follows the evolution of the ocean, from the fiery time of its birth to the marvelously biodiverse present. Includes notes from the author and illustrator, spotlights on past and present marine life-forms, a timeline of evolutionary eras, a glossary of key terms, and recommended further reading"-- Provided by publisher.

Describes the efforts of scientist Paul Hoffman to prove that a climatic catastrophe seven hundred million years ago froze the entire planet and triggered the Cambrian Explosion, during which an array of complex life forms evolved.

"A breakout bestseller in Italy, now available for American readers for the first time, Genesis: The Story of How Everything Began is a short, humanistic tour of the origins of the universe, earth, and life-drawing on the latest discoveries in physics to explain the seven most significant moments in the creation of the cosmos"-- Provided by publisher.