The idea of a missing link between humanity and our animal ancestors predates evolution and popular science. The author takes aim at this misleading notion, arguing that it reflects a profound misunderstanding of how evolution works and, when applied to the evolution of our own species, supports mistaken ideas about our own place in the universe.
For billions of years, Earth was an inhospitably alien place - covered with churning seas, slowly crafting its landscape by way of incessant volcanic eruptions, the atmosphere in a constant state of chemical flux. And yet, despite facing literally every conceivable setback that living organisms could encounter, life has been extinguished and picked itself up to evolve again. Life has learned and adapted and continued through the billions of years that followed. It has weathered fire and ice. Slimes begat sponges, who through billions of years of complex evolution and adaptation grew a backbone, braved the unknown of pitiless shores, and sought an existence beyond the sea. From that first foray to the spread of early hominids who later became Homo sapiens, life has persisted, undaunted. A (Very) Short History of Life is an enlightening story of survival, of persistence, illuminating the delicate balance within which life has always existed, and continues to exist today. It is our planet like you've never seen it before. Life teems through Henry Gee's lyrical prose - colossal supercontinents drift, collide, and coalesce, fashioning the face of the planet as we know it today. Creatures are engagingly personified, from 'gregarious' bacteria populating the seas to duelling dinosaurs in the Triassic period to magnificent mammals with the future in their (newly evolved) grasp. Those long extinct, almost alien early life forms are resurrected in evocative detail. Life's evolutionary steps - from the development of a digestive system to the awe of creatures taking to the skies in flight - are conveyed with an alluring, up-close intimacy
Henry Gee ingeniously reveals how contemporary science can explain some of the wonders of Middle Earth, where Tolkien's marvellous fantasy creates a world with an insistent sense of reality.
Focusing on the intricate interactions between genes, Henry Gee explores how the sequencing of the human genome goes beyond mere letters and words. He delves into the "conversations" among genes that guide the transformation of a single egg cell into a fully developed human being and influence ongoing development throughout life. By illuminating these complex processes, the book offers a profound understanding of genetic governance in human growth and development.
Focusing on the Elizabethan clergy, this book explores the crucial period of religious settlement from 1558 to 1564. It examines the complexities and challenges faced by the clergy in shaping the religious landscape during a time of significant change in England. The reprint preserves the insights and historical context of the original 1898 edition, offering readers a detailed look at the intersection of religion and governance in the Elizabethan era.
Why Our Species is on the Edge of Extinction
Exploring the trajectory of humanity, Dr. Henry Gee examines the rise and impending fall of Homo sapiens. Building on his provocative article in Scientific American, he delves into the factors contributing to our potential extinction, weaving together themes of evolution, societal decline, and environmental challenges. This book offers a comprehensive analysis of the human experience, prompting readers to reflect on our past achievements and the consequences of our actions for the future of our species.
Selected for its cultural significance, this work contributes to the foundational knowledge of civilization. It holds importance for scholars and readers interested in understanding the historical context and intellectual heritage that shape our world today.
This collection features a range of documents that provide insights into the history of the English Church. Originally published in 1896, it serves as a valuable resource for understanding the church's evolution, key events, and influential figures throughout its history. The reprint maintains the integrity of the original edition, making it a significant reference for scholars and enthusiasts of ecclesiastical history.
Henry Gee explores the origins and transformations of the English Church in this reprint of a work first published before 1909.
This is Nature editor Henry Gee's magnum opus, a major account of the development of vertebrates.