And to appreciate the very tiny layer of air and water that allows life to exist on our tiny home.
Yeah, and to realize that "single-celled life-forms persisted
alone in the biosphere for perhaps 3 billion years." [Stuart Kauffman,
At Home In The Universe] Only then did multi-celled life forms appear.
Speaking of cells, one of the most amazing books I've ever read is
Song of the Cell by Siddhartha Mukherjee.
"Filled with writing so vivid, lucid, and suspenseful that complex science becomes thrilling, The Song of the Cell tells the story of how scientists discovered cells, began to understand them, and are now using that knowledge to create new humans. Told in six parts, and laced with Mukherjee’s own experience as a researcher, a doctor, and a prolific reader, The Song of the Cell is both panoramic and intimate—a masterpiece on what it means to be human."