This is a very lateral-minded hypothesis which purports to explain how organic substances were able to reach sufficient complexity to reproduce themselves. Once that stage had, been reached, of course, the hugely powerful process of evolution by natural selection was able to exert its influence, resulting in - among other things - us. The author goes against most received wisdom by contending that it was inorganic substances - namely, complex forms of clay crystal which evolved after a fashion - that provided the essential initial springboard for organic evolution*.

* Although the visionary J.D.Bernal, author of The World, The Flesh, and The Devil', had actually made a similar hypothesis in the late 1940s.

To get back to the review, '7 Clues', whether true or not, is an extremely challenging book, and a lesson to all budding lateral thinkers.

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