Darwin’s theory of natural selection was a monumental step in our understanding of evolution, explaining how useful adaptations are preserved over generations. However, Darwin’s great idea didn’t – and couldn’t – tell us how those adaptations arise in the first place. On its own, can random mutation really be responsible for all the creative marvels in nature?

Renowned evolutionary biologist Andreas Wagner presents the missing piece of Darwin’s theory. Using cutting-edge experimental technologies, he has found that adaptations are driven by a set of laws which allow nature to discover new molecules and mechanisms in a fraction of the time that random variation would take. Meticulously researched, carefully argued, and full of fascinating examples from the animal kingdom, Arrival of the Fittest signals an end to the mystery of life’s rich diversity.

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'Eminent evolutionary biologist Andreas Wagner fills in the parts of the puzzle even Darwin didn't understand.'

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‘Brilliantly polarises scientists’ research into the mystery of life itself’ 

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‘A truly revolutionary book’

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‘Elegantly explores the cunning short cuts nature uses to achieve the seemingly impossible’

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‘Wagner's book is an eye-opener. As a bonus, his writing is clear and elegant, with vivid analogies and concrete examples to illustrate his key points. You'll never think about evolution in the same way again’

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‘Arrival of the Fittest should be mandatory, corrective reading… mind-bending… tremendously exciting’

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‘Quite astounding… The ideas are big, and the numbers hyper-astronomical, but Wagner has a gift for explaining the abstract… elegantly’

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‘The author provides a detailed argument in support of the idea that evolutionary adaptations are not random as Darwin originally proposed, but instead, adaptations obey a set of laws that maximise discovery of new molecules and molecular pathways… I already expect I’ll see this book on next year’s Royal Society Winton Prize shortlist’