All complex life on Earth has a common ancestor: a cell that arose only once in 4 billion years, from simple bacterial ancestors. Was it an extraordinary coincidence, or have other "experiments" in the evolution of complexity failed? A black hole is thus gaping at the very heart of biology. To put it bluntly: we have no idea why life evolved as strangely as it did, and why cells are driven in such strange ways. Nick Lane's book tries to answer both questions, which outlines a convincing scenario of the transformation of simple cells into complex cells with their characteristic properties, accompanied by the necessary explanation of the biochemical basis of the functioning of living cells and the birth of life billions of years away in close proximity to hydrothermal vents.