Why We Die - Venki Ramakrishnan

A groundbreaking exploration of the science of longevity from Nobel Prize-winning biologist Venki Ramakrishnan

We are living through an exciting revolution in biology. Giant strides are being made in our understanding of why we age, and why some species live longer than others. Will we soon be able to cheat disease and death and live for a very long time, possibly many times our current lifespan?

Why We Die shares the latest scientific understanding of what causes ageing and how we might prevent it. Ramakrishnan examines the cutting-edge efforts to extend the human lifespan by altering our natural biology, raising profound questions and unravelling mind-bending answers along the way. Does death serve a necessary biological purpose? What will it mean for us all if some people start living longer? And how can we increase our chances of living long, healthy and fulfilled lives?

Review

'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

'The timely, illuminating book Why We Die by 2009 chemistry Nobel co-laureate Venki Ramakrishnan explains the science - and, importantly, separates fact from fiction...Ramakrishnan explains these fundamental processes of ageing in a laudably comprehensible, accessible manner... Why We Die is peppered with fascinating anecdotes, peculiar personalities and valuable historical perspectives, giving it an extra dimension beyond a summary of the state of the art... This book could save a lot of money for investors in anti-ageing companies and for billionaires who, instead of wasting their capital on chasing non-existing elixirs of eternal life for personal benefit, could help humanity by supporting treatments that truly show promise.' ― Nature

About the Author

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.

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