by Lynn Margulis and Dorian Sagan
This book presents the sweeping epic of biological evolution on Earth. Margulis and Sagan present evidence against the popular (and wrong) notion that survival of the fittest means exclusively survival of the most ruthless. Instead, they write, “Life did not take over the globe by combat, but by networking.” In addition, the authors show that symbiosis is a major source of novelty upon which natural selection works. “Symbiosis, the merging of organisms into new collectives, proves to be a major power of change on Earth.” This book tells us that we humans are partners with other creatures on the planet, not lords domineering all. Our symbiotic relationships with other creatures is a “symbiotic, cooperative venture in which partners triumph.”