A broad overview of the science of evolution,and why understanding it matters in our everyday lives. Explaining Life through Evolution tells the origin story of life on this planet and how we arrived at the tremendous diversity among organisms that we see around us today. Prosanta Chakrabarty explains evolution in a conciseaccessibleand engaging wayemphasizing the importance of understanding evolution in everyday contemporary life. Weaving his own lived experience among discussions of Darwin and the origins of evolutionary thoughtChakrabarty also covers key concepts to our understanding of our current conditionincluding mutation; the spectrum of racesexgenderand sexuality; the limitations of ancestry tests; and the evolution of viruses like SARS-CoV-2the virus at the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic. Offering a contemporary update to classic popular evolution books by Stephen Jay GouldJerry Coyneand othersExplaining Life through Evolution is not only an illuminating readbut also an essential guide to the kind of scientific literacy that we need in order to face the challenges of our collective future.