The Wonder of Life on Earth : A beautifully illustrated story of our planet, evolution and you, by the winner of the Royal Society Science Book Prize

Published 05/02/2026 | Hardback,
Description:

Discover the story of life on our planet as you have never seen it before! The perfect gift for the curious of any age.

From the first tiny bubbles of life in the ocean to the arrival of endlessly adaptable apes, this is the ultimate survival story.

In 30 bite-size chapters, Nature editor and author of the award-winning A (Very) Short History of Life on Earth, Henry Gee tells the incredible, unlikely story of life on our planet, with vibrant colour illustrations from Raxenne Maniquiz. The Wonder of Life on Earth packs billions of years of evolution into one amazing 80-page book, journeying through disasters, evolutionary oddities, and a planet shaped by supervolcanoes, toxic air, and asteroids – always focusing on the most pivotal, important moments.

Talented botanical illustrator Raxenne Maniquiz brings to life a parade of strange and marvellous creatures. Travel back in time to look inside bacteria and the first cells, to the planet’s first trees and plants, to the weird rangeomorphs, and on to armoured fishes, dinosaurs, nimble mammals and resourceful apes and primates.

Henry’s gripping narrative makes it easy to understand the carbon cycle, natural selection, fossilisation and the galactic fluctuations that have shaped our planet and the life on its surface.

Complete with a glossary, a timeline and a view into the future, this astonishing and readable natural history is perfect for younger readers and anyone looking for an accessible introduction to the biggest topic around: LIFE.