In an entertaining yet demanding and captivating journey through the various theories of the development of life, the master of system theory of cognition guides us from the heroic phase through the ideological phase to the current systemic phase. His engagement with countless biologists and their theories is based on the two views that the state of theories is best understood through their history and that there is a reciprocal relationship between the spirit of the times and biological theories. Professor Riedl presents us with a cultural history of evolutionary theory in this book, aiming to observe and recognize the changes in insights throughout our cultural development. A must-read for every biologist and philosopher.