415 pages : illustrations (chiefly color), color maps ; 26 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 402-403) and index.
Contents
Before man. On viruses -- On simple cells -- On symbiosis -- On sea life -- On pioneers of the land -- On fish that came ashore -- On biodiversity -- On the rise of reason -- After man. On agriculture -- On material wealth -- On drugs -- On companionship -- On beauty -- On rivalry -- The ladder of life: a table of the top 100 species ranked in order of overall impact -- Postscript: thirty species that nearly made it!