Overview

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.

Full Product Details

9781529032031

Table of Contents

Reviews

What a fun book! Reading Christophe Galfard feels like you’re having a chat with a friendly scientist over a coffee – a chat that ends with a grand appreciation for how the physical universe enables our own existence -- Steve Brusatte, bestselling author of <i>The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs</i> I can't remember when I last enjoyed a biology book so much. Christophe Galfard brings to life with remarkable storytelling his exploration of where we come from as a species -- Brian Clegg, author of <i>The Universe Inside You</i> A wonderful, compelling read. Few popular science books are so unputdownable -- David Beerling, author of <i>The Emerald Planet</i> A gorgeous, glorious romp through the sciences to address the biggest question of all: What is life? The reader is in safe hands with Christophe Galfard, whose charming, expressive writing leads you gently through some of the greatest discoveries humans have ever made -- David Tong, Professor of Theoretical Physics at the University of Cambridge With child-like curiosity, Galfard sets out to explain just about everything we know about the world and how it began, from the birth of the sun to the microbiology of our own cells. He is a marvellously irrepressible guide, the science teacher you'll wish you'd had. This hugely ambitious book reminds us of the wonderments of life -- Michael Bond, author of <i>Animate</i> A thoroughly original, enjoyable read, written with much humanity and humour, Christophe Galfard's book takes the reader across eons of time from the first chemical building blocks to the emerge of the vast zoo of life on Earth we know today, capturing all the trials and challenges along the way -- Charles Cockell, author of <i>The Equations of Life</i> Peppered with delightful and unexpected anecdotes . . . The editors of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy would do well to base their next entry for Earth on this book -- Felix Flicker, author of <i>The Magick of Matter</i>

I can't remember when I last enjoyed a biology book so much. Christophe Galfard brings to life with remarkable storytelling his exploration of where we come from as a species -- Brian Clegg, author of <i>The Universe Inside You</i> A gorgeous, glorious romp through the sciences to address the biggest question of all: What is life? The reader is in safe hands with Christophe Galfard, whose charming, expressive writing leads you gently through some of the greatest discoveries humans have ever made -- David Tong, Professor of Theoretical Physics at the University of Cambridge

Author Information

Christophe Galfard holds a Ph.D. in theoretical physics from the University of Cambridge, where he was Stephen Hawking's graduate student from 2000 to 2006, researching the so-called black hole information paradox. With Stephen Hawking and his daughter Lucy Hawking, he co-authored George's Secret Key to the Universe. His own book, The Universe in Your Hand, has been translated into over twenty languages.

Tab Content 6

Countries Available