[crazydoggers]

Agree that the Wikipedia page doesn't do it justice. Richard Dawkins does an excellent job discussing the "monster" and providing context regarding theories on the origin of life in his book, The Ancestor's Tale. The "monster" comes near the end of the book since it's a backward march through time. It's a 700 page book, but so worth the read.

http://www.amazon.com/Ancestors-Tale-Pilgrimage-Dawn-Evoluti...