In The Stuff of Life , Eric P. Widmaier deconstructs the fundamental processes of the human body and focuses on those vital biological substances that aren't particularly well understood. By examining the blueprints that dictate what we are, Widmaier answers questions, including:

- Why are some fats worse than others?
- Is cholesterol actually good for anything?
- How does the stomach digest food?
- Why do we need to breathe and why can't we hold our breath for very long?
- How does a single carbon atom contribute to the difference between a man and a woman?
- Where does our energy come from?

The Stuff of Life answers these and many more common questions about how the body works in a concise, easy-to-read handbook complete with illustrations.

Praise

"[The Stuff of Life ] is full of fascinating details about the molecules that make life possible." -The New Scientist

"Eric Widmaier leads the nonscientist through a compendium of molecules that influence our health, behavior, and thoughts. It is a superb introduction, with science that is up-to-date and writing that is extremely lucid." -Robert Sapolsky, author of Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers and A Primate's Memoir

About the Author(s)

Eric P. Widmaier

Eric Widmaier is the author of Why Geese Don't Get Obese and is a professor of biology at Boston University. He has written numerous articles for scientific and nonscientific publications. He lives in Boston, Massachusettes.