How Did Life End Up With Us? Review
AD – This book was gifted for the purpose of a review
How Did Life End Up With Us is the book you’ll wish you’d read when you studied science at school. It sits somewhere between a text book and a story, giving readers the “why” and the “how” behind all those theories we are just supposed to accept. We’re talking the Big Bang right through to life, death and everything in between. It covers organisms from single cells to complex life forms including humans.
About How Did Life End Up With Us?
Whilst “everything from the big bang to humans” may sound like a rather wide area of expertise, the author comes at it from the point of view of a curious observer, rather than an expert. He asks all the questions you have probably wanted to ask but never had the opportunity.
Such as why do so many life forms have sex when asexual reproduction is so much more effective? If the genetic will to survive is so strong, why do things ultimately die? Why and how do parasites exist if parasitic organisms harm or kill their hosts? And is natural selection really a strong enough theory to explain the whole of evolution?
You are probably still thinking that there’s a lot more to cover when it comes to the secrets of life than can be addressed in one book. And you would be right. There is actually a series of four books, with this being the first. So, look out for:
- How Did Life End Up With Us?
- How Did We Get To Be So Different?
- Why Do We All Behave In The Way We Do?
- So What Does It All Mean?
How Did Life End Up With Us? Review
If you have an interest in learning about all things science from the layman’s perspective, this is the book for you. But don’t expect a dumbed down version of things. The author uses great analyses such as comparing the gene to a sophisticated hedge-fund manager. This allows the book to read like a story, holding your interest whilst explaining complex concepts.
That said, they remain complex concepts and there’s not a lot anyone can do about that fact. For me, this was a book that I had to be in the mood for. It required concentration and interest in the topics I was reading about. Is it something I’d sit down to read in bed after a glass of wine? Not a chance. It will require your full attention and with good reason; it has a lot to teach you.
So, this is a book for anyone who is open to learning about “The Secrets of Life: From Big Bang to Trump”. It’s a relatively small book but nonetheless a big read. If you have the time and attention to dedicate to it, you’ll go away wiser and considerably more knowledgeable.
About the Author, SS O’Connor
SS O’Connor came at this novel from the perspective of someone who aimed to summarise scientific concepts. Having heard a presenter sum up a complex theory on the radio, he realised that there was space for someone to condense many other notions in the same way. As a former advertising executive, serial entrepreneur, investor and corporate strategist, he has chaired and directed many public and private companies.
If you’ve ever heard a chair person summarise the whole of the last meeting in a few words, making you wonder why the meeting itself took three hours in the first place, you’ve got a handle on SS O’Connor’s skill level. SS O’Connor is an acclaimed novelist who has now turned his hand to non-fiction writing to the benefit of us all.
How Did Life End Up With Us by SS O’Connor is now available to buy via Amazon. (Affiliate Link)
