'A BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN EXPLORATION OF PERHAPS THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION IN SCIENCE.' BRIAN COXLife is all around us, abundant and diverse, it is extraordinary. But what does it actually mean to be alive?Nobel prize-winner Paul Nurse has spent his career revealing how living cells work. In this book, he takes up the challenge of defining life in a way that every reader can understand.It is a shared journey of discovery; step by step he illuminates five great ideas that underpin biology. He traces the roots of his own curiosity and knowledge to reveal how science works, both now and in the past. Using his personal experiences, in and out of the lab, he shares with us the challenges, the lucky breaks, and the thrilling eureka moments of discovery.To survive the challenges that face the human race today – from climate change, to pandemics, loss of biodiversity and food security – it is vital that we all understand what life is.

The 1001 Arabian Nights is perhaps the most famous story collection in the world. It has transcended cultures, languages, and historical eras to become familiar and beloved not only in the Eastern world, but also in the West, where it is the only acknowledged classic of Western literature to have originated from outside the West itself. Despite its prominent place in both Eastern and Western culture, the history of the Nights remains tantalizingly elusive and difficult to define.In Eastern Dreams, author Paul Nurse discusses not only the history of this book, but also the many fascinating people, who become characters themselves, responsible for bringing the Nights to the West and the wider world, and how the Nights has influenced, and continues to influence, global culture.