---
product_id: 31431845
title: "Oxygen: The molecule that made the world (Oxford Landmark Science)"
price: "R711"
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reviews_count: 9
url: https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/31431845-oxygen-the-molecule-that-made-the-world-oxford-landmark-science
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---

# Oxygen: The molecule that made the world (Oxford Landmark Science)

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Review: If it doesn't kill you, it will make you stronger - This is an epic book, combining Geology, History, Chemistry, Medicine, Philosophy and other disciplines, on top of biology. You will learn about Madame Curie, as well as the story of Oedipus. Nick Lane is a masterful writer, and definitely also a polymath, spicing up 'boring' scientific data with interesting bits and pieces from every domain imaginable. It's not an exaggeration to say that the information in this book is worth several college courses, with respect to the amount of info. Sure, it's very demanding and taxing on the reader, but hey, if you find some paragraph not so interesting, just skip it and move on, like I did.. The author gives you the material, but it's a personal choice depending on your interests and education, to invest time in it or not. As in all his books, he is tackling the most difficult questions and beats every candidate theory to death... but that's what real, gutsy science is... To summarize the book in a short statement : Human bodies (and all bodies) are mere vehicles, slaves, serving the needs of Replication and continuation of the species.. which is very close to Richard Dawkins' Selfish Gene. Thanks Nick for another great book, and I hope you quit smoking :)
Review: LUCA's Legacy - We've all heard the story of life on Earth, how animals breathe in oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide while plants take in the carbon dioxide and give off oxygen. Life, then, is in perfect balance with each kingdom providing what the other kingdom needs. Turns out, however, it's a little more complicated than that. In "Oxygen" author and biochemist Nick Lane takes an in depth look at the role oxygen plays in the evolution of life as we know it on Earth. Just how, and when, did life adjust to this deadly element? And, what effect does it have on our everyday lives and aging pricess? While written for layman reader with some background in chemistry this is defiantly not an easy read. Lane pulls no punches when explaining chemical processes and he must often use scientific nomenclature to identify the various enzymes and the inner workings of a cell. The origin of life is not addressed in this book but he does examen current theories on how life evolved from that "Last Common Universal Ancestor" to become the plants, animals and other organisms that we're all familiar with. Life did not create oxygen, it only found a way to free oxygen from its chemical bonds and make use of its benefits while avoiding its dangers. Just how, and when, did LUCA become the complex life forms that populate our world; bacteria, viruses and multi celled organisms. Using the work and theories of other specialists as well as his own extensive background in biology and chemistry, Lane explains how two kinds of bacteria may have joined forces to become the eukaryote life forms that seem to dominate the world. After that the next challenge that life faced was oxygen itself and how life used it while avoiding its dangers. A good portion of the book is devoted to how oxygen is used by most organisms, including humans, and how it influences growth, reproduction, aging and, finally, death. As in his previous books, Lane's writing is clear, concise and ever interesting while explaining this complex subject. I had to struggle through some portions of this book but, in the end, it was worth the effort. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a challenging read on the inner workings of life and the environment. I had no downloading or technical problems with this Kindle edition. Last Ranger

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #320,815 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #27 in Biochemistry (Books) #292 in Chemistry (Books) #319 in General Chemistry |
| Customer Reviews | 4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars (630) |
| Dimensions  | 7.6 x 0.9 x 5 inches |
| Edition  | Revised |
| ISBN-10  | 0198784937 |
| ISBN-13  | 978-0198784937 |
| Item Weight  | 10.2 ounces |
| Language  | English |
| Part of series  | Oxford Landmark Science |
| Print length  | 400 pages |
| Publication date  | July 1, 2016 |
| Publisher  | Oxford University Press |

## Images

![Oxygen: The molecule that made the world (Oxford Landmark Science) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51MMMrKTAKL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ If it doesn't kill you, it will make you stronger
*by L***X on November 22, 2021*

This is an epic book, combining Geology, History, Chemistry, Medicine, Philosophy and other disciplines, on top of biology. You will learn about Madame Curie, as well as the story of Oedipus. Nick Lane is a masterful writer, and definitely also a polymath, spicing up 'boring' scientific data with interesting bits and pieces from every domain imaginable. It's not an exaggeration to say that the information in this book is worth several college courses, with respect to the amount of info. Sure, it's very demanding and taxing on the reader, but hey, if you find some paragraph not so interesting, just skip it and move on, like I did.. The author gives you the material, but it's a personal choice depending on your interests and education, to invest time in it or not. As in all his books, he is tackling the most difficult questions and beats every candidate theory to death... but that's what real, gutsy science is... To summarize the book in a short statement : Human bodies (and all bodies) are mere vehicles, slaves, serving the needs of Replication and continuation of the species.. which is very close to Richard Dawkins' Selfish Gene. Thanks Nick for another great book, and I hope you quit smoking :)

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ LUCA's Legacy
*by L***R on January 1, 2017*

We've all heard the story of life on Earth, how animals breathe in oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide while plants take in the carbon dioxide and give off oxygen. Life, then, is in perfect balance with each kingdom providing what the other kingdom needs. Turns out, however, it's a little more complicated than that. In "Oxygen" author and biochemist Nick Lane takes an in depth look at the role oxygen plays in the evolution of life as we know it on Earth. Just how, and when, did life adjust to this deadly element? And, what effect does it have on our everyday lives and aging pricess? While written for layman reader with some background in chemistry this is defiantly not an easy read. Lane pulls no punches when explaining chemical processes and he must often use scientific nomenclature to identify the various enzymes and the inner workings of a cell. The origin of life is not addressed in this book but he does examen current theories on how life evolved from that "Last Common Universal Ancestor" to become the plants, animals and other organisms that we're all familiar with. Life did not create oxygen, it only found a way to free oxygen from its chemical bonds and make use of its benefits while avoiding its dangers. Just how, and when, did LUCA become the complex life forms that populate our world; bacteria, viruses and multi celled organisms. Using the work and theories of other specialists as well as his own extensive background in biology and chemistry, Lane explains how two kinds of bacteria may have joined forces to become the eukaryote life forms that seem to dominate the world. After that the next challenge that life faced was oxygen itself and how life used it while avoiding its dangers. A good portion of the book is devoted to how oxygen is used by most organisms, including humans, and how it influences growth, reproduction, aging and, finally, death. As in his previous books, Lane's writing is clear, concise and ever interesting while explaining this complex subject. I had to struggle through some portions of this book but, in the end, it was worth the effort. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a challenging read on the inner workings of life and the environment. I had no downloading or technical problems with this Kindle edition. Last Ranger

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ This was hard material for me!
*by D***D on July 23, 2011*

This was a long, difficult read, but it had really great stuff in it, especially the first half. The author gives a great history and explanation of evolution, and a lot of great chemistry lessons as well. It is amazing how much of our world is affected by the properties of oxygen. I did find it very difficult to understand the concepts at times, and my mind would wander while reading it. I felt that I would need to read the book a second time to really understand everything, but I don't think I can face it. The second half of the book was a little more boring for me. It mostly deals with aging, which I find to be a depressing topic, and it was a shift away from all the cool things oxygen can do that filled the first half. Overall, I'm glad I read it. I learned a lot, but I'm not going to read another chemistry book for a long time.

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*Last updated: 2026-02-02*