Origins of Life on the Earth and in the Cosmos, Second Edition, suggests answers to the age-old questions of how life arose in the universe and how it might arise elsewhere. This thorough revision of a very successful text describes key events in the evolution of living systems, starting with the creation of an environment suitable for the origins of life. Whereas one may never be able to reconstruct the precise pathway that led to the origin of life on earth, one can certainly make some plausible reconstructions of it. Such discussions have greatly expanded our understanding of the principles of chemical evolution and how they compare and contrast with the principles of biological evolution. The text is strong on biochemistry and its recent applications to origins' research.

• Provides an excellent review of basic biochemistry an evolution
• Written in a clear, concise style for scientists, students, and readers interested in a scientific inquiry into the origins of life
• Written by an authority in the field, and brought fully up-to-date in light of new research
• Pulls together valuable information not found in a single source
• Organized and presented in a manner conductive for use in a college course
• Heavily illustrated to make difficult concepts concrete

College students (science and nonscience majors) taking courses on biochemistry, evolution, and the origin of life; potentially, precocious high-school students taking advanced biology or special topics courses; and educated lay readers with serious interests in evolution and the origin of life.