“Informative and entertaining.”–Science“A meticulously detailed history of oxygen on our planet…. Lane’s book ranges widely over a host of topics, from the usefulness of antioxidants such as vitamin C in curing colds, to the potential for prolonging human life with enzymes that repair damaged DNA. And it turns out that the jump from the geological theme in the first part of the book to the medical theme in the second is not as great as it seems. A unifying thread of Lane’s narrative, fascinating in its irony, binds it all together: oxygen, an essential element of life, is also an agent of death.”–Natural History

“Lane marshals an impressive array of evidence–from the mechanics of insect flight to the levels of carbon 13 in rocks–to suggest that the ancient atmosphere may indeed have been oxygen-rich after all. But an explanation for the giant forests and creatures of the Carboniferous age is only a single part of this ambitious narrative. Oxygen is a piece of radical scientific polemic, nothing less than a total rethink of how life evolved between about 3.5 billion and 543 million years ago, and how that relates to the diseases we suffer from today…. This is scientific writing at its best.”–Financial Times

“A breathtaking, broad vision of the role of a single gas in our life, from the origin of organisms, through the emergence of creatures, and to their deaths…packed full of interesting life–and death–stories…. A wonderful read.”–Peter Atkins

“One of the most thought-provoking books I have ever read.”–John Emsley

“Provocative and complexly argued.”–Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“A worthy effort with a clearly argued message, full of informative and entertaining details.”–Christian de Duve, American Scientist

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