Enigma of Evolution and the Challenge of Chance

Evolution. It is not a question of if, but a question of how. Commonly accepted, Darwin's Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection leaves unanswered some fundamental questions.How did life originate?How did the DNA code originate?How did multi-cellular life originate?How did sex originate?We all know about evolution, the brain-child of Charles Darwin which he announced in his celebrated book, On the Origin of Species. Although possibly the most famous book ever published, few have actually read it. Nevertheless, pretty much every educated person on the planet knows the name, Darwin, and most have at least a general notion of his theory of evolution. Evolution however is a broad and contentious topic that touches on very many aspects of human concern - from the origins of humanity down to the workings of the genetic code. This book sweeps across from the ancient Greeks to the latest ideas in genomics, and embraces it all.In the middle of this rich context sits Darwin and the machinations known as 'the delicate arrangement' - a curious and endlessly mysterious few weeks of events in the mid 19th century. The popular Darwin narrative is firmly established, but a few of the legs it stands on, indeed relies on, are not totally solid.Within the breath-taking survey of the many enigmas thrown up by the idea of evolution, this book also probes deeply into the puzzles within the delicate arrangement itself. Dr Carrington-Smith not only exposes the oddities but composes and presents her own, quite dramatic, tale of deceit and double dealing that explains them.