Paul Nurse, "What is Life? Five Great Ideas in Biology"

In his new book, the renowned biologist Paul Nurse takes up the challenge of describing what it means to be alive. He illuminates five great ideas that underpin biology―the Cell, the Gene, Evolution by Natural Selection, Life as Chemistry, and Life as Information. He introduces the scientists who made the most important advances, and describes the challenges, the lucky breaks, and the thrilling eureka moments of discovery.

Sir Paul Nurse is director of the Francis Crick Institute in London. He previously served as president of Rockefeller University, president of the Royal Society, and trustee of the British Museum. He is a recipient of the 2001 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.