Just read 'The Origin of Life' by Paul Davies
http://www.amazon.co.uk/.../ref=sr_1_2_1/026-5360615-2634061
Really enjoyed it, apart from the first and last chapters where he drifts rather into philosophy rather than science. The central part of the book is a fascinating discussion and investigation of the various ideas about the formation of the first living things and their relative strengths and weaknesses.
Recommended by me.