The narrative should appeal to anyone interested in viewing chemistry and biology from a general, perhaps poetic, perspective. Although intended for a general audience, some background knowledge of chemistry, biology, and evolution of the world is probably needed to fully appreciate the story. The style is informal, and the presentation includes many intriguing real-world contexts and examples, and numerous thought-provoking ... Read moremetaphors and analogies.
David M. Hanson, Quarterly Review of Biology
The story told in A World from Dust is a fascinating one and McFarland deserves credit for uniting several scientific fields in an imaginative way.
Jamie Durrani, Chemistry World
The diversity and number of different subjects are such that it would be almost impossible to provide a summary ... a gold mine for those who, almost without a prerequisite for maths, aim to address the origin of life and the chemical reasons for evolution. Teachers in chemistry or geochemistry searching for original examples to illustrate their lessons will find a lot in this book
Marc Hebrant, Structural Chemistry
To quote, this book is "natural history told by a chemist"
and this chemist and author does a superb job. ... As this work is written for non-scientists at an elementary level, it is recommended for all audiences
general and scientific.
R. E. Buntrock, CHOICE
The author makes a decent argument for the chemical predictability of evolution as a bridge between biology and physics. The book's chronological structure and colloquial writing style make the book easy to read. The contents manage to walk the edge between technical and popular.
Rosie Cawkwell, Rosie Writes
McFarland's unique way of looking at things gives new insights to the reader on the topic established in the subtitle: how the periodic table shaped life.
Brian Clegg, Popular Science
Like all good works of science for the general public, McFarland's is full of fascinating examples, a dash of humor, and just plain cool facts.
Publishers Weekly
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