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Vital Question: Energy, Evolution, and the Origins of Complex Life Paperback – June 21, 2016

4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 1,143 ratings

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“One of the deepest, most illuminating books about the history of life to have been published in recent years.” ―The Economist

The Earth teems with life: in its oceans, forests, skies and cities. Yet there’s a black hole at the heart of biology. We do not know why complex life is the way it is, or, for that matter, how life first began. In The Vital Question, award-winning author and biochemist Nick Lane radically reframes evolutionary history, putting forward a solution to conundrums that have puzzled generations of scientists.

For two and a half billion years, from the very origins of life, single-celled organisms such as bacteria evolved without changing their basic form. Then, on just one occasion in four billion years, they made the jump to complexity. All complex life, from mushrooms to man, shares puzzling features, such as sex, which are unknown in bacteria. How and why did this radical transformation happen?

The answer, Lane argues, lies in energy: all life on Earth lives off a voltage with the strength of a lightning bolt. Building on the pillars of evolutionary theory, Lane’s hypothesis draws on cutting-edge research into the link between energy and cell biology, in order to deliver a compelling account of evolution from the very origins of life to the emergence of multicellular organisms, while offering deep insights into our own lives and deaths.

Both rigorous and enchanting, The Vital Question provides a solution to life’s vital question: why are we as we are, and indeed, why are we here at all?

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"An amazing inquiry into the origins of life."
Bill Gates

"[Nick Lane] proves an able guide through treacherous scientific terrain. He writes in lucid, accessible prose, and while the science may get dense, the reader will be rewarded with a strikingly unconventional view of biology."
Tim Requarth, New York Times

"If I were a rich man, I would buy up the print run of this book and give a copy to every science undergraduate ahead of his or her first course in cell biology."
Franklin Harold, Microbe

"He is an original researcher and thinker and a passionate and stylish populariser. His theories are ingenious, breathtaking in scope, and challenging in every sense…intellectually what Lane is proposing, if correct, will be as important as the Copernican revolution."
Peter Forbes, Guardian (UK)

"A book of vast scope and ambition, brimming with bold and important ideas…. The arguments are powerful and persuasive…an incredible, epic story."
Michael Le Page, New Scientist (UK)

"In this, his third book about energy and life, [Lane] comes triumphantly close to cracking the secret of why life is the way it is, to a depth that would boggle any ancient philosopher’s mind."
Matt Ridley, The Sunday Times (UK)

"A scintillating synthesis of a new theory of life."
Clive Cookson, Financial Times (UK)

"Magnificent…. [
The Vital Question] contains as convincing an account of the origins of life as any on offer. …Lane belongs to a small and persuasive cabal that is using studies of the way cells access energy to gain insight into all sorts of questions, from why there are different sexes to why creatures grow old."
Oliver Morton, The Economist Intelligent Life

About the Author

Nick Lane is professor of evolutionary biochemistry at University College London and an award-winning author of five books. He codirects UCL’s Centre for Life’s Origins and Evolution (CLOE) and lives in London. Bill Gates calls him “one of my favorite science writers.”

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ W. W. Norton & Company; Reprint edition (June 21, 2016)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 368 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0393352978
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0393352979
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.9 x 8.3 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 1,143 ratings

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Nick Lane
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Nick Lane is a biochemist and writer. He is Professor of Evolutionary Biochemistry in the Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment at University College London. "Like his forebears in that same department -- Steve Jones, JBS Haldane -- he's that rare species, a scientist who can illuminate the bewildering complexities of biology with clear, luminous words" (The Observer). His research focuses on the role of bioenergetics in the origin of life and the evolution of cells. Nick was awarded the first UCL Provost's Venture Research Prize in 2009 and the 2015 Biochemical Society Award. He has published four critically acclaimed books, which have been translated into 25 languages. Life Ascending won the 2010 Royal Society Prize for Science Books. His books have been shortlisted for two other literary prizes and named a book of the year by the Economist, Independent, Times, Sunday Times, Nature and New Scientist. The Independent described him as "one of the most exciting science writers of our time." In 2016 he was awarded the Royal Society Michael Faraday Prize for excellence in communicating science. For more information, visit www.nick-lane.net

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
1,143 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book engaging and well-written. They appreciate its insights into biology and its exploration of interesting ideas. The book provides a deeper understanding of the evolution of life and the complex cell. Readers describe the writing style as witty and engaging. The layout is described as half text book and half novel, with a balance to keep average readers engrossed. Opinions differ on the credibility of the answers, with some finding them convincingly plausible while others consider them unbelievable.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

153 customers mention "Readability"113 positive40 negative

Customers find the book readable and understandable. They find it interesting and well-written for lay readers. The author makes a compelling case and provides biochemical concepts in an understandable and entertaining manner.

"...I think this is one of those landmark books that offer very plausible hypotheses for the vital questions concerning evolution, and the origins of..." Read more

"...I expect to forget many of those ideas fairly quickly. The book is worth reading if you have enough free time, but understanding these topics does..." Read more

"I read Life Ascending a few months ago, and loved it. It was written for the layman (me), and was extremely well written, and the subject matter was..." Read more

"The best book I have ever read... I would add many more stars if I could!" Read more

108 customers mention "Insight"108 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's subject matter fascinating. They appreciate the interesting facts and concepts like lateral gene transfer, the study of the beginnings of life, and the exploration of ideas about how life might have evolved. The book offers plausible hypotheses and explains technical biochemical concepts in an understandable way.

"...I think this is one of those landmark books that offer very plausible hypotheses for the vital questions concerning evolution, and the origins of..." Read more

"This book gave the best explanations to life and it's complexities I have ever read. Great if you like to learn stuff." Read more

"...covers much of the same ground as the earlier book(s) but goes forward with new research and new elaborations of his and others' previous theory and..." Read more

"...covers three inter-related topics: the origin of life, the origin of complex organisms (eukaryotes), and the consequences of having a dual system of..." Read more

46 customers mention "Biology knowledge"41 positive5 negative

Customers find the book's biology knowledge engaging. They appreciate its explanation of the mystery of multicellular life and the evolution of life. The book helps readers understand the complex cell and origin of life from geochemical processes. It provides a clear understanding of biochemistry for the layman, integrating different scientific fields.

"...questions in the field of biology and has provided plausible solutions to these mysteries including: the enigma of why life emerged only once on..." Read more

"This book describes a partial theory of how life initially evolved, followed by a more detailed theory of how eukaryotes evolved...." Read more

"...eukaryotes, are much larger than bacteria and have multiple structures inside the cell, especially mitochondria and nucleus...." Read more

"...The book is divided into four main sections: The Problem, The Origins of Life, Complexity, and Predictions...." Read more

6 customers mention "Depth"6 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's depth fascinating. They say it covers a lot of material in detail and has far-reaching yet plausible theories on life.

"...but otherwise I thought the book was well written and fascinating in it's breadth of coverage...." Read more

"Nick Lane presents an incredibly deep and well thought analysis of his current understanding of how life emerged 3.6 billion years ago...." Read more

"...win numerous book prizes and be remembered for ages to come for its far-reaching, yet plausible theories on life and living itself." Read more

"Covers a lot of material in detail. sometimes a bit too hard to understand without rereading paragraphs." Read more

6 customers mention "Humor"6 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the witty and engaging writing style that draws them into the mysteries.

"...He is also often very funny, in that dry British way. Spoiler Alert! Stop hear if you don't want to hear punchlines...." Read more

"...Lane's enthusiasm for the subject and engaging writing style draws you into these mysteries and, while some biochemistry and thermodynamics is..." Read more

"...With humor (references to Zaphod Beeblebrox, Orson Wells and the reason why socks behave the way they do in a dryer) and passion..." Read more

"I think Nick Lane wrote this very well. It's detailed and teaches about how life began on earth. Very good read. I bought transformer" Read more

5 customers mention "Book style"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book well-presented with insights and facts. They appreciate the layout that feels half text book and half novel, with a balance to keep average readers engrossed. The style is informal, with all terms carefully explained. Readers describe the book as interesting, fresh, and eye-opening.

"...Its style is informal, all terms are carefully explained, and it has many helpful the illustrations...." Read more

"Fantastically interesting fresh look at some of the biggest issues in Biology: origins of life on earth and elsewhere, the unlikely emergence of..." Read more

"...The book is well presented and thoroughly supported with insight and facts. An excellent read for the person questioning the origin of life...." Read more

"...The layout feels half text book and half novel with the balance to keep average readers engrossed without skimming on the details...." Read more

17 customers mention "Credibility"10 positive7 negative

Customers have different views on the book's credibility. Some find the answers convincingly plausible and the information useful, providing a better understanding of simple life forms like bacteria. Others find the content confusing, poorly organized, and lacking coherence. While some readers appreciate the good information, others feel the book lacks clarity and structure, making it frustrating to read.

"...divided into four main sections: The Problem, The Origins of Life, Complexity, and Predictions...." Read more

"...The result wasn't very stable, and needed to quickly evolve (i.e. probably within a few million years) a sophisticated nucleus, plus sexual..." Read more

"...It addresses the origin of life on earth and the complexity of the human body. It is informative but also inspiring and thought-provoking...." Read more

"...The book is plenty interesting, but it will not reinforce anything from an undergraduate biology class...." Read more

6 customers mention "Pacing"3 positive3 negative

Customers have different views on the book's pacing. Some find it engaging and informative, while others find it too detailed and dry.

"...Dr. Lane is brilliant and he really goes deep into the micro biology. Dave Clayton" Read more

"Fascinating but dry. The author has an annoying habit of setting up arguments, then knocking them down...." Read more

"Nick Lane is GENIUS!..." Read more

"I wanted to like it but it felt tedious and dry. There are too many great works of science writing out there to waste one's time on this one." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on October 23, 2016
    Biochemistry is in the midst of a golden age of discovery and Nick Lane is at the forefront, winning numerous awards in his contributions to the life sciences. In this work, he has identified the vital unsolved questions in the field of biology and has provided plausible solutions to these mysteries including: the enigma of why life emerged only once on this planet, why no evolutionary intermediaries exist between simple and complex life, and the most vital question of all, how life began.

    During the earth’s four billion year history, it appears that life emerged only once, just 500 million years after the earth’s formation. Early life consisted of prokaryotes (cells without a nucleus) in the form of bacteria and archaea, a third domain of life discovered by Carl Woese in the 1960s. Over billions of years through extreme environmental and ecological changes, these organisms have filled every conceivable niche on our planet. Photosynthetic bacteria have bioengineered our planet on a colossal scale, creating the oxygen we breathe, changing the chemistry of the atmosphere and oceans, building up continents with sedimentary rock and minerals as their bodies fall to the ocean floor, in short, creating Gaia, our living planet. Yet, after all this time, they have shown little change in form or complexity. Then, seemingly without any intermediate steps, the eukaryotes (cells with a nucleus) sprang into existence giving rise to all plants, animals, and fungi found today.

    According to the cherished standard model of evolution, evolutionary changes occur incrementally. With this in mind it is hard to understand how complex eukaryotic cells appeared virtually overnight.

    In 1967, Biologist Lynn Margulis proposed a modification to the standard model of evolution. Her astute analysis of paleontological history revealed that evolution rarely occurs in a Darwinian or Malthusian way in which species battle for limited resources. Instead, she discovered that most evolutionary advances occur as a result of cooperation and symbiotic relationships.

    Margulis went further when she proposed the radical idea that cells cooperated so closely that they merged by getting inside one another. It is now widely accepted that mitochondria in animals and chloroplasts in plants are the result of endosymbiosis between bacteria and archaea.

    Author Nick Lane believes that early on in the history of life on earth complex eukaryotic cells arose on just one occasion through a singular endosymbiosis between an archaeon host cell and a bacterial invader creating the precursor of eukaryotic cells. Lane says that this endosymbiotic event might have occurred more than once but those experiments never survived. Over time, all of the complex features of modern eukaryotes including straight chromosomes, a membrane-bound nucleus, mitochondria, specialized organelles, a dynamic cytoskeleton, and total organism replication and reproduction arose by standard Darwinian evolution. Evolutionary theory tells us how life begets life, but it tells us nothing about how life began in the first place. This was the vital question Lane set out to solve.

    All cells, both eukaryotic and prokaryotic, have one essential commonality involving the method of energy production by burning food in the process of respiration. All living cells power themselves through a process of pumping protons across a membrane creating a reservoir of electrical imbalance. The back-flow of these protons is used by cells to produce physical work such as turning the rotors of nanomachines, just as water through a dam turns a turbine. This process provided Lane a clue in his attempt to find geochemical processes that would mimic biological energy production. If he could discover this mechanism in the natural world, it would go a long way in solving the mystery as to how life emerged from geochemical processes.

    In this vein, Lane formulated his own recipe for the emergence of biological chemistry from geochemistry—rock, water, and carbon dioxide. These simple ingredients are not only abundant in our atmosphere but are abundant throughout the known universe. But one cannot simply put these ingredients in a bowl and stir. To begin the chain of chemical reactions leading to life, it is necessary for hydrogen gas (H2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) to react with one another to produce one of the simplest organic molecules—methane (C4). This reaction does not occur under normal conditions. In fact, it is very difficult for hydrogen to react with carbon dioxide and this was one of the problems that confronted Lane.

    All cells derive their energy from reduction/oxidation (redox) reactions in which electrons are transferred from a donor to an accepter molecule. Typically, the accepter is oxygen but any two molecules can perform redox reactions. The molecule that receives electrons is said to be reduced and the molecule that gives up electrons is said to be oxidized. In respiration, or in a fire, where carbon is burned, oxygen is reduced to water, in which oxygen atoms pick up two electrons (as well as two protons that make up the hydrogen atom) producing a final product of water and carbon dioxide.

    In the case of hydrogen gas (H2), an alkaline, and carbon dioxide (CO2), an acid, it is hydrogen gas that wants to give up its electrons and become oxidized. Carbon dioxide, on the other hand, wants to accept electrons and be reduced. Each has a reduction potential, which is the amount of energy released when the reaction occurs. If a molecule (in this case hydrogen gas) wants to give up electrons, it has a negative value (-414 at a neutral PH) for a reduction potential, and alternatively, a molecule that wants to accept electrons, in this case carbon dioxide, has a positive value. The reduction potential is dependent on the acidity of a solution. High acidity increases the reduction potential of carbon dioxide making it more positive and easier to accept electrons whereas alkaline solution increases the reduction potential of hydrogen gas making it more negative and more likely to give up its electrons. One would think that by changing the acidity of a solution it would be easier for hydrogen gas and carbon dioxide to readily react with each other, but changing the acidity of a solution affects all of the molecules in the solution in the same way, so hydrogen gas (H2) will tend to pass on its electrons to H+ to form CO2 and H2. Nothing is gained and we’re right back where we started. Simply changing the acidity of a solution won’t make it any more likely carbon dioxide and hydrogen gas will react to produce methane.

    Lane was not deterred, believing that if there really is a continuum between geochemical and biological processes there should be a way to react CO2 with H2 naturally. He turned his thoughts to the ocean depths. Alkaline hydrothermal vents seemed to Lane to be good candidate for the continuum between geochemical and biochemical processes. Alkaline vents are not volcanic, but originate from the sea floor and are a product of a chemical reaction between water and rocks rich in olivine. Olivine is rich in ferrous iron and magnesium and when mixed with water the ferrous iron is oxidized to ferric oxide releasing heat and generating hydrogen gas dissolved in warm alkaline fluids containing magnesium hydroxides.

    According to Lane, alkaline hydrothermal vents have the perfect physical and chemical environment to kick-start life. Alkaline vents have a microporous structure like a sponge with thin electrically conductive walls separating interconnected pores. Warm currents passing through these micropores concentrate organic molecules such as amino acids, fatty acids, and nucleotides. The interactions between these molecules often precipitate fatty acids into vesicles, the precursors of cell walls, and occasionally they will polymerize amino acids and nucleotides into proteins and RNA. These porous vent structures mimic the biological structures in mitochondria that pump protons across a gradient. But before it is possible to concentrate organic molecules, it is necessary to create them and this was only one of the problems facing Lane: If these alkaline hydrothermal vents create life, then why aren’t they incubating life today?

    It occurred to Lane that conditions three and one half billion years ago in Hadean times are far different than conditions now. Under today’s conditions, there is not enough carbon to incubate life; however, estimates suggest that CO2 levels were anywhere from one hundred to one thousand times higher in Hadean times making the oceans more acidic. The combination of high carbon dioxide levels, mildly acidic oceans (PH 5-7), and warm alkaline fluids flowing through thin electrically conductive Iron sulfide vent walls would have made them ideally suited to react carbon dioxide with hydrogen gas to form methane (C4) as long as oxygen is not present. Under these conditions with temperatures between 25 and 125 degrees centigrade, the formation of all four of the macromolecules essential for life: amino acids, fatty acids, carbohydrates and nucleotides should form spontaneously from the reaction between hydrogen gas and carbon dioxide releasing energy in the process.

    Lane had found his geologic “mitochondria” in the form of alkaline vents on the ocean bottom. His hypothesis of a seamless transition between inorganic processes and organic processes was realized.

    Nick lane’s book The Vital Question is dense but accessible for the lay person who has patience. I think this is one of those landmark books that offer very plausible hypotheses for the vital questions concerning evolution, and the origins of life.
    42 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 2025
    This book gave the best explanations to life and it's complexities I have ever read. Great if you like to learn stuff.
  • Reviewed in the United States on October 19, 2016
    This book describes a partial theory of how life initially evolved, followed by a more detailed theory of how eukaryotes evolved.

    Lane claims the hardest step in evolving complex life was the development of complex eukaryotic cells. Many traits such as eyes and wings evolved multiple times. Yet eukaryotes have many traits which evolved exactly once (including mitochondria, sex, and nuclear membranes).

    Eukaryotes apparently originated in a single act of an archaeon engulfing a bacterium. The result wasn't very stable, and needed to quickly evolve (i.e. probably within a few million years) a sophisticated nucleus, plus sexual reproduction.

    Only organisms that go through these steps will be able to evolve a more complex genome than bacteria do. This suggests that complex life is rare outside of earth, although simple life may be common.

    The book talks a lot about mitochondrial DNA, and make some related claims about aging.

    Cells have a threshold for apoptosis which responds to the effects of poor mitochondrial DNA, killing weak embryos before they can take up much parental resources. Lane sees evolution making important tradeoffs, with species that have intense energy demands (such as most birds) setting their thresholds high, and more ordinary species (e.g. rats) setting the threshold lower. This tradeoff causes less age-related damage in birds, at the cost of lower fertility.

    Lane claims that the DNA needs to be close to the mitochondria in order to make quick decisions. I found this confusing until I checked Wikipedia and figured out it probably refers to the CoRR hypothesis. I'm still confused, but at least now I can attribute the confusion to the topic being hard. Aubrey de Grey's criticism of CoRR suggests there's a consensus that CoRR has problems, and the main confusion revolves around the credibility of competing hypotheses.

    Lane is quite pessimistic about attempts to cure aging. Only a small part of that disagreement with Aubrey can be explained by the modest differences in their scientific hypotheses. Much of the difference seems to come from Lane's focus on doing science, versus Aubrey's focus on engineering. Lane keeps pointing out (correctly) that cells are really complex and finely tuned. Yet Lane is well aware that evolution makes many changes that affect aging in spite of the complexity. I suspect he's too focused on the inadequacy of typical bioengineering to imagine really good engineering.

    Some less relevant tidbits include:
    why vibrant plumage in male birds may be due to females being heterogametic
    why male mammals age faster than females

    Many of Lane's ideas are controversial, and only weakly supported by the evidence. But given the difficulty of getting good evidence on these topics, that still represents progress.

    The book is pretty dense, and requires some knowledge of biochemistry. It has many ideas and evidence that were developed since I last looked into this subject. I expect to forget many of those ideas fairly quickly. The book is worth reading if you have enough free time, but understanding these topics does not feel vital.
    9 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • keith g.
    5.0 out of 5 stars THIS IS THE BEST...THANX
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 5, 2024
    good nick,good book.
  • Dionysios Dendrinos
    5.0 out of 5 stars A must read book
    Reviewed in Germany on March 13, 2023
    One of the best and influential book I have read in my lifespan
  • Diego Santiago Alarcon
    5.0 out of 5 stars A must read to have a view on the origin of life
    Reviewed in Mexico on January 7, 2019
    It is a very well written book, very entertaining, lots of knowledge. However, be aware that this book present only a single possibility (i.e., a theory) for the origin of life, which has also presented problems in recent years. Although very appealing, alkaline hydrothermal vents are not without their troubles.
  • Client d'Amazon
    5.0 out of 5 stars Une brillante synthèse de notre compréhension de ce qu'est la vie
    Reviewed in France on December 1, 2016
    Un livre essentiel pour suivre l'évolution de la connaissance, ici sur l'origine de la vie et les mécanismes qui en son le fondement,
  • grumpy
    5.0 out of 5 stars must read
    Reviewed in Canada on June 24, 2016
    This summer I read "The Vital Question" and
    Life on the Edge: The Coming of Age of Quantum Biology.

    The vital question is a straight account of the author's hypothesis of the origin of 'higher life'. He pulls this off convincingly and I expect this to become text book material. 40 years out of school, I found this fascinating material, both from an evolutionary perspective as well the
    energy efficiency of life explained through quantum effects... Nothing to argue with.

    This book stays clear of the 'origin of life' questions and how it all started. This emphasizes the strength of arguments put forward, I suspect that discussing the overall origin of life would have taken away from it.

    "Life on the Edge" is a good complementary read, which goes over an account of the established origin of life hypothesis. It is also an excellent read, mostly because of the creative story telling and by bringing the scientists behind the science to life. Lots of good materials about quantum effects in biology. The one area I expected but wasn't covered in detail is the 'brain'.