This Is Life: How the Science of the Cosmos Explains What We Are

Embark on a breathtaking journey to uncover the secrets of life itself, from the author of the international bestseller, The Universe in Your Hand.

In this immersive and mind-expanding book, acclaimed physicist Christophe Galfard takes you on an adventure like no other to answer the fundamental question: what is life? You’ll travel back in time to witness the cataclysmic asteroid impact that doomed the dinosaurs, experience the tumultuous forces that shaped our planet, and discover how the first stirrings of life emerged from inanimate matter.

But your journey won’t end there: you’ll be shrunk down to the microscopic level and explore one of your own cells, witnessing the complex and awe-inspiring machinery that powers your very existence. Along the way, you’ll be introduced to the groundbreaking ideas of scientific legends like Charles Darwin, Marie Tharp, Watson & Crick, Barbara McClintock and a whole host of other geniuses from both the past and the present.

A truly comprehensive and deeply accessible guide to the living world, This Is Life will ensure that you’ll never look at living things the same way again.