Shubin shows himself to be a natural storyteller and a gifted scientific communicator ... There is a certain poetry to Mr. Shubin’s account ... With so much in the news about coronavirus, we could all do with a better understanding of what viruses are and how they work. Mr. Shubin provides.
... exhilarating ... As he reveals these discoveries, along with other aspects of growth and change, Shubin also sketches the careers and achievements of dozens of great researchers, including women such as the long-neglected Julia Platt and Barbara McClintock. Shubin isn’t the most prolific popular-science writer, but he is one of the best.
In the end, the genetic constructions of all creatures are variations on a theme; we are all related. An engaging, must-read for anyone with an interest in evolution.
Making complex scientific ideas both accessible to and enjoyable for the general public is a rare skill, but one that Shubin has mastered in his eloquent survey ... This superb primer brings the intellectual excitement of the scientific endeavor to life in a way that both educates and entertains.
