Why We Die: And How We Live: The New Science of Ageing and Longevity

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'I have so enjoyed reading this spectacular book - it's full of hope and fun and extraordinary research. It beautifully answers the question at the core of every life. Understanding why we must die helps us understand how we must live. It changed my perspective on the whole living world but most of all myself and the time I have left.' -- Chris van Tulleken, bestselling author of Ultra-Processed People
"Combines science, politics, memoir and medicine with ease, grace and lucidity. An incredible journey.' -- Siddhartha Mukherjee
"Enthralling and eminently accessible. ... [Ramakrishnan] probes the essential ethical question that runs through it all. Even if we could live forever, should we" * Bookseller *
"Ramakrishnan is a fine writer, so readers will enjoy his expert if intensely detailed overview of genetics and evolution as it applies to ageing. ... Fascinating. ... An illuminating account of the science of life extension with a more critical eye than most." * Kirkus Reviews *
"[Ramakrishnan] has a knack for making biology accessible, and he brings a searching philosophical sensibility when considering the wisdom of seeking to extend life. ... The result is a strikingly pensive exploration of how bodies decline and whether efforts to slow that process are worth the cost." * Publishers Weekly (starred review) *
"Why We Die is a candid, wide-ranging, and hype-free survey of the latest in longevity research, from tortoises to telomeres. With his delightful gift for storytelling, Venki Ramakrishnan breathes life into the biology of death. If you want to know what science tells us about lifespan, Why We Die is the only book you need." -- Safi Bahcall, bestselling author of Loonshots: Nurture the Crazy Ideas That Win Wars, Cure Diseases, and Transform Industries
'A wide-ranging look at the changes that take place inside our cells as we age, the prospects for being able to prevent them, and the possible consequences of doing that. An engrossing read.' -- Sarah Gilbert - creator of Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine
'Why We Die brilliantly captures the essentials of current understanding of the aging process. This is an enjoyable romp through molecular and cell biology-and thought-provoking about ethical issues.' -- Linda Partridge, Founding Director of the Max Planck Institute for the Biology of Ageing
'Highly accessible . . . poetic . . . Throughout this authoritative book there is a sense of our bodies as complex systems in delicate balance - a balance we still barely understand.' * The Times *
Why We Die is both an engaging, accessible overview of the science of ageing and a barbed takedown of the immortality crowd. It is also a love letter to our fleeting existence... By the end, one realises that Why We Die is not an attempt to solve the enigma of mortality but an exhortation to dine well during our brief appearance at the feast of life. -- Anjana Ahuja * New Statesman *
Ramakrishnan weaves a story that illuminates this existential topic from so many angles - brilliant! -- Tom Cech, Nobel Laureate and former president of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Author Bio

Venki Ramakrishnan won the 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for uncovering the structure of the ribosome. He runs the Ramakrishnan Lab at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, UK. From 2015 to 2020, he served as president of the Royal Society in London. He is the author of the scientific memoir Gene Machine.