This up-to-date report on the field of fossil paleontology provides a summary of what is known about the origins of life YA A short history of life on earth, as revealed by the fossil record. If that sounds dull, this book is not. It is, in Eldredge's words, ``a walk through time,'' with special emphasis on ``key episodes''turning points in the evolutionary cycle of life. The walk is taken by stepping through the looking-glass of the fossil record, and what is seen there supplies a great deal of information about life today. Eldredge, a well-known paleontologist, skillfully communicates his knowledge to laymen. Thus, reading Life Pulse gives a sense of ``paleontologist at work'': science as a process, and not simply a body of knowledge. Evolution is shown in terms of not simply how, but why. A well-documented book, recommended for reports and readers just interested in the subject. Karl Penny, Houston Public Library Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. Eldredge discusses several critical events in life history, including the origin of life, the Phanerozoic radiation, and the Cambrian, Paleozoic, and Cretaceous extinctions. His themes and interpretations, which depart from traditional Darwinian views, will be familiar to readers of his Unfinished Synthesis ( LJ 10/15/85). He argues that evolutionary history is episodic, rather than slow and continuous. Radiations of new life are followed by long periods of relative stability, then by massive extinctions wiping out entire ecosystems. Surviving such extinctions is a matter of luck, not adaptation. In fact Eldredge denies progress in evolution, positing the success or failure of equally viable alternatives. But much of the theory he proposes is not fully substantiated by the data and logic presented. Walter P. Coombs, Jr., Biology Dept., Western New England Coll., Springfield, Mass. Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. Used Book in Good Condition