This is one of my favorite books and covers a topic that doesn't get as much attention as evolution. It covers the origin of life - I mean it had to come from somewhere before it could evolve, right? LOL! De Duve died almost a decade ago, but he has left us a treasure here which covers every aspect of life from non-life, with the available evidence (as of his writing this book in 1995).
The book is extensive - some three hundred pages plus an extensive bibliography, glossary and other supportive material, such as additional reading suggestions. It's divided into several broad parts, starting with one on chemistry, and following that with how the genome came to be, moving on to how cells formed, the first 'real cell' as we know them today, multicellular life, and the development of intelligence.
Each part is subdivided into sections going into more detail on various aspects on the main topic. For example, The Age of Chemistry is split into sections on the search for origins, the first catalysts of life, fuel for emerging life, and the advent of RNA.
I whole-heartedly commend this as a worthy read.
