Life, the universe and nearly everything

By Geoff Brown2009-07-01T00:00:00

Geoff Brown reviews this scientific 'story'

Origins of life in the universe

Robert Jastrow and Michael Rampino

Cambridge: CUP 2008 | Pp394 | £24.99 | ISBN 978 0 52 153283 9

Reviewed by Geoff Brown

This book tells a scientific 'story' on the grandest scale, from the beginnings of the universe to the evolution of intelligence on Earth, all in just under 400 pages. Each topic is explained concisely and clearly in language comprehensible to the non-specialist reader, and the text is well illustrated with many original photos and excellent figures. The authors, who are respectively leaders in the fields of astronomy/planetary sciences and Earth sciences, have been careful to incorporate the latest findings from their specialities and the content is generally up to date, and particularly good in these fields.

Thanks for using Education in Chemistry. You can view one Education in Chemistry article per month as a visitor.

A photograph of a teacher standing in a white lab coat, speaking with a class of children in a laboratory, is superimposed on a colourful background. Text reads "Teach Chemistry means support for classroom and staff room".

Register for Teach Chemistry for free, unlimited access

Registration is open to all teachers and technicians at secondary schools, colleges and teacher training institutions in the UK and Ireland.

Get all this, plus much more:

unlimited access to resources, core practical videos and Education in Chemistry articles
teacher well-being toolkit, personal development resources and online assessments
applications for funding to support your lessons

Set up your Teach Chemistry account

Already a Teach Chemistry member? Sign in now.

Not eligible for Teach Chemistry? Sign up for a personal account instead, or you can also access all our resources with Royal Society of Chemistry membership.