The Tree of Life: Solving Science's Greatest Puzzle

For centuries, scientists have chased the secrets of how life on our planet arose, how it assumed its dazzling diversity of forms, and how we humans are related to everything else on earth. With increasingly sophisticated genetic methods now bringing us ever closer to answers, leading evolutionary biologist Max Telford takes us inside one of science's greatest quests. In the intellectually thrilling The Tree of Life, Telford shows how reconstructing the web of relationships between all our planet's species, from birds and butterflies to mushrooms and moose, allows us to unravel the epic history of life on our planet.

In Telford's hands, the many-branched evolutionary trees that biologists assemble-from Charles Darwin's first sketches to the vast computer-generated diagrams scientists are building today-become time machines that take us on a vivid journey through four billion years of life's history. Far from a dry representation of the dead, the tree of life is a living, shifting thing that constantly alters our perspective on the past, present, and future of life on earth.

For any listener fascinated by evolution and natural history, The Tree of Life is an essential portal to the distant past and a window onto our collective origins.

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The Tree of Life: Solving Science's Greatest Puzzle

For centuries, scientists have chased the secrets of how life on our planet arose, how it assumed its dazzling diversity of forms, and how we humans are related to everything else on earth. With increasingly sophisticated genetic methods now bringing us ever closer to answers, leading evolutionary biologist Max Telford takes us inside one of science's greatest quests. In the intellectually thrilling The Tree of Life, Telford shows how reconstructing the web of relationships between all our planet's species, from birds and butterflies to mushrooms and moose, allows us to unravel the epic history of life on our planet.

In Telford's hands, the many-branched evolutionary trees that biologists assemble-from Charles Darwin's first sketches to the vast computer-generated diagrams scientists are building today-become time machines that take us on a vivid journey through four billion years of life's history. Far from a dry representation of the dead, the tree of life is a living, shifting thing that constantly alters our perspective on the past, present, and future of life on earth.

For any listener fascinated by evolution and natural history, The Tree of Life is an essential portal to the distant past and a window onto our collective origins.

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The Tree of Life: Solving Science's Greatest Puzzle

The Tree of Life: Solving Science's Greatest Puzzle

by Max Telford

Narrated by Peter Noble

Unabridged

The Tree of Life: Solving Science's Greatest Puzzle

The Tree of Life: Solving Science's Greatest Puzzle

by Max Telford

Narrated by Peter Noble

Unabridged

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Overview

For centuries, scientists have chased the secrets of how life on our planet arose, how it assumed its dazzling diversity of forms, and how we humans are related to everything else on earth. With increasingly sophisticated genetic methods now bringing us ever closer to answers, leading evolutionary biologist Max Telford takes us inside one of science's greatest quests. In the intellectually thrilling The Tree of Life, Telford shows how reconstructing the web of relationships between all our planet's species, from birds and butterflies to mushrooms and moose, allows us to unravel the epic history of life on our planet.

In Telford's hands, the many-branched evolutionary trees that biologists assemble-from Charles Darwin's first sketches to the vast computer-generated diagrams scientists are building today-become time machines that take us on a vivid journey through four billion years of life's history. Far from a dry representation of the dead, the tree of life is a living, shifting thing that constantly alters our perspective on the past, present, and future of life on earth.

For any listener fascinated by evolution and natural history, The Tree of Life is an essential portal to the distant past and a window onto our collective origins.


Editorial Reviews

New Scientist - Peter Hoskin

"[A] great, straightforward guide to the tree of life. … The Tree of Life is a millennia-spanning science-history book in the spirit of Thomas Halliday’s blockbusting Otherlands . . . [It] is a boon … [with] a brilliant finale, in which he traces the 4 billion years or so from LUCA to Homo sapiens—and beyond."

Henry Gee

"Rich with anecdote and infectious enthusiasm, The Tree of Life should delight anyone with even a passing interest in the miracle that is life on our planet."

Seirian Sumner

"A fabulous tour-de-force on the evolution of the natural world; through cells, fish, humans, worms and more, Telford reveals the complexities of life with an extraordinary mix of humor, history, wit and erudition."

David George Haskell

"Lively . . . [and] packed with vivid examples of strange and wondrous creatures. . . . Max Telford is one of our generation’s most brilliant biologists and The Tree of Life is a wonderful guide to evolution’s marvels."

Times Literary Supplement - Charles Foster

"A breezy, scholarly, whimsical, rigorous, and companionable guide to . . . how the living world came to be the way it is. It’s a huge question that should resonate whenever humans reflect on—well, anything at all. Few would have the nerve or the know-how to attempt [it]. . . . Telford, an evolutionary biologist at University College London, has both. . . . An extraordinary, adventurous book."

Tim Blackburn

"If you’ve ever wondered how all of life is related, how we came to be, and how we know, then this brilliant and beautifully written book is for you. The greatest story ever told, presented with exemplary clarity and style."

Matthew Cobb

"Combining cutting-edge genetics, a dollop of history and terrifically bizarre creatures, this endlessly entertaining and exciting account is essential reading."

Thomas Halliday

"Beautiful . . . a breezy and very accessible way to get readers to think like scientists, and to see the tangled branches of our near and distant relatives all at once."

Nick Lane

"An acrobatic exploration of the mightiest branches of the tree of life. Bursting with history and natural history, and dangling with tales of clever sleuthing. . . . An authoritative and personal guide to life’s evolution and our own origins."

Product Details

BN ID: 2940195573508
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Publication date: 11/11/2025
Edition description: Unabridged
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