A (Very) Short History of Life on Earth : Picador : 9781529060560 : 1529060567 : 16 Sep 2021 : Newly formed, planet Earth was an inhospitable place, unstable with frequent volcanic eruptions that made the atmosphere poisonous and boiled the churning seas. Yet despite these setbacks, organisms formed and life began. Over the course of billions of years, species have come and gone, but life continues to adapt and evolve. Covering nearly five billion years of history, Henry Gee's A (Very) Short History of Life on Earth is a succinct and informative account of survival. From colliding supercontinents that created the face of the planet as we know it today to the mighty dinosaurs and the early hominids, the evolutionary steps of life are evocatively described and explained to provide a breathtaking and illuminating account of the history of life itself.