What is Life? How Chemistry Becomes Biology

What is Life? How Chemistry Becomes Biology

Addy Pross

What it’s about

The book critiques reductionist views (life as just complex chemistry) and holistic ones (life as undefinable), proposing instead a systems chemistry approach: Life emerges when replicating chemical networks achieve persistence through kinetic selection (faster/better replicators dominate), even as thermodynamics pulls toward disorder. Pross bridges the historical "how did it happen on Earth?" question (likely unanswerable in detail) with the general "how could chemistry become biology?" one, emphasizing principles over specifics.

Why I like it

This book helps to fill gaps in my limited understanding. It explains nicely how finite energy drives kinetic replication as nature's value filter, pruning non-replicators like overvalued franchises. Random chemistry "happens," but systemic forces (kinetic selection) allocate scarce resources to adapters, mirroring the global life form's portfolio.