{"product_id":"the-master-builder-9781399809924","title":"The Master Builder","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e''Timely, important and compelling'' Philip Ball\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e''A new and stunning argument'' Azra Raza\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWhat defines who we are?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Until now, the biological answer has been our genes. Leading biologist Alfonso Martinez Arias breaks with popular tradition to make a bold argument: what defines us is our cells.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Drawing on groundbreaking research, he reveals that we are composed of a thrillingly complex, constantly rearranging symphony of cells that know how to count, feel, and give form to our bodies. While DNA is important, nothing in your genes explains why your heart is on the left, why you have five fingers and not ten, why genetically identical twins have different sets of fingerprints, or why it''s possible for a mother to apparently share no DNA with the children she gave birth to!   At the heart of it all is a powerful new conception of the essence of life. Our identities are shaped by the interconnections between cells, working cooperatively, creat\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA timely, important and compelling case for why an understanding of living organisms must start with the cell. He offers a vision of life that shows it to be much more interesting and ingenious than any simplistic notion of genetic blueprints can provide -- Philip Ball, author of CRITICAL MASS and THE BOOK OF MINDS\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis book makes a new and stunning argument, not so much that we should put DNA in its place, but that we can see the grandeur of life as it truly is\u003c\/p\u003e -- Azra Raza, author of THE FIRST CELL\u003cbr\u003eWhat came first, the chicken or the egg? In \u003ci\u003eThe Master Builder\u003c\/i\u003e, Alfonso Martinez Arias poses a different question: what drives biology, genes or cells? His surprising answer shines new light on the fascinating riddle of development and offers a majestic cells-eye view of life itself -- Lee Billings, author of FIVE BILLION YEARS OF SOLITUDE\u003cbr\u003eIn this masterful account, geneticist and developmental biologist Alfonso Martinez Arias shows that, on its own, DNA is powerless, inert . . . This cell's-eye view of life is powerful and striking, helping to reveal why DNA is not the ultimate determinant of ourselves . . . This clearly explained, beautiful book will change how you think about DNA, about how you came to be, and about life itself -- Matthew Cobb, author of AS GODS\u003cbr\u003eAn ingenious argument . . . A rich, detailed exploration of the vitality of cells -- Kirkus Reviews\u003cbr\u003eAlfonso Martinez Arias's novel thesis invigorates, and the lucid scientific discussions will hold readers' attention even through involved examinations of how cells respond to specific proteins. This is the perfect complement to Siddhartha Mukherjee's \u003ci\u003eThe Song of the Cell\u003c\/i\u003e -- Publishers Weekly, starred review","brand":"John Murray Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48738931310935,"sku":"9781399809924","price":21.25,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781399809924.jpg?v=1720050614","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/the-master-builder-9781399809924","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}