“With vivid detail, Galfard places the reader in key scenes of Earth and life’s geology, astronomy, evolution, and catastrophes—not just describing but, like a good novelist, bringing you there. Simple, personal, and alluring, his prose teaches as it pulls you into this history that celebrates rather than neglects women of science.”

Dorion Sagan

“The whole shebang of life sciences in one book, glorious, thrilling, and inspiring, from Aristotle to mRNA vaccines. Every page is a startling revelation in who we are and what life truly is.”

Daniel M. Davis, author of Self-Defense and The Beautiful Cure

“I can’t remember when I last enjoyed a biology book so much. Galfard brings to life with remarkable storytelling his exploration of where we come from as a species.”

Brian Clegg, author of The Universe Inside You

“This is a gorgeous, glorious romp through the sciences, from physics to genetics to geology to paleontology, to address the biggest question of all: what is life? The reader is in safe hands with Galfard, whose charming, expressive writing leads you gently through some of the greatest discoveries humans have ever made.”

David Tong, Trinity College, Cambridge

“A wonderful, compelling read. I loved the integration of modern science with the history of science. Few popular science books are so unputdownable—I read it in two days.”

David Beerling, author of The Emerald Planet

“Reading Christophe Galfard feels like you’re having a chat with a friendly scientist over a coffee—a chat that ends with a grand appreciation for how the physical universe enables our own existence.”

Steve Brusatte, author of The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs

“A thoroughly original, enjoyable read, written with much humanity and humor, this book takes the reader across eons of time from the first chemical building blocks to the emergence of the vast zoo of life on Earth we know today.”

Charles Cockell, author of The Equations of Life

“This Is Life is peppered with delightful and unexpected anecdotes. Through some elegant tricks of perspective, Galfard manages to illuminate the elusive subject of ‘life,’ while always maintaining a fully human focus.”

Felix Flicker, author of The Magick of Matter

“I have rarely enjoyed clinging to life after an Asteroid collision quite as much. An entertaining, expert guide to the precarious, miraculous  and wondrous journey to where we are now.”

Dara Ó Briain, comedian and television presenter