I'm fuzzy on the origins of life and why organisms became driven to
reproduce in the first place.  I expect everyone is but I would like to
see some of the modern logic on the subject.

Bearing in mind that natural selection depends on reproduction and
tends to take a while to make significant change (hundreds of
generations?  Thousands?  surely dozens?)--what current thinking on the
origin of life logically explains the following chain of events.

1)No life  2)Beginning of Life 3)Life reproduces itself 4)Life driven
to reproduce itself.

Steps three and four in particular. What I'm looking for is solid
logic/thinking/theorizing not a videotape (or some "factual"
equivalent) of the first lifeform.  Layman's terms would be appreciated
although I have a decent vocabularly and don't mind the occasional use
of a dictionary.

A reference to a book (and why it's the best one to read),  or a simple
link or a six-page response will be appreciated.  Posts about how
stupid evolution is (unless shockingly above the norm in logic and
factual references) will be ignored.

Thanks to anyone who helps,
Argos
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