This book takes on the big task of summarizing a variety of ideas ranging across a variety of scientific pursuits, all to answer the question: What are our foundational elements, and how do they work together? This is also one of the most accessible versions of this type of book that I've read. What I especially appreciated was that Levitt tackles the questions of not just how the elements that make up our bodies were formed (which many popular astrophysics books tackle), but also how they combined and evolved over time to create sustainable life. For that reason, the chapters on the discovery of photosynthesis, and how cells came to be, were the most interesting chapters to me. I also appreciated the stories of the scientists whose work led to what we understand about our world today. This is a great introduction to scientific principles that will appeal to anyone curious about the science behind the origin of life.

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Another accessible astrophysics book, particle physicist Harry Cliff parses the discovery of the various pieces of fundamental matter that create our universe by examining Carl Sagan's famous statement: "If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe." In order to do that, Cliff visits some of the most famous labs across the earth that focus on this research.

The discovery of cells—and the reframing of the human body as a cellular ecosystem—announced the birth of a new kind of medicine based on the therapeutic manipulations of cells. A hip fracture, a cardiac arrest, Alzheimer's, dementia, AIDS, pneumonia, lung cancer, kidney failure, arthritis, COVID—all could be viewed as the results of cells, or systems of cells, functioning abnormally. And all could be perceived as loci of cellular therapies. In The Song of the Cell, Mukherjee tells the story of how scientists discovered cells, began to understand them, and are now using that knowledge to create new treatments and new humans.

Nonpareil science writer David Quammen explains how recent discoveries in molecular biology can change our understanding of evolution and life's history, with powerful implications for human health and even our own human nature.

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