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There is black sharpie on the inside front cover where it looks like someone covered up a name and address. Some other light exterior wear but overall the book is in great shape. The binding is solid and no other markings on the interior were noted. If you buy this book from me I would be grateful for a positive review on Amazon if you're pleased with the transaction. Thank you! There is black sharpie on the inside front cover where it looks like someone covered up a name and address. Some other light exterior wear but overall the book is in great shape. The binding is solid and no other markings on the interior were noted. If you buy this book from me I would be grateful for a positive review on Amazon if you're pleased with the transaction. Thank you! See less
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From One Cell: A Journey into Life's Origins and the Future of Medicine

by Ben Stanger (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 56 ratings
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Shortlisted for the 2023 Athenaeum of Philadelphia Literary Award

Inside the quest to unlock the mysteries of development―and find the key to transforming our future.

Each of us began life as a single cell. From this humble origin, we embarked on a risky journey fraught with opportunities for disaster. Yet, amazingly, we reached our destination intact, emerging as dazzlingly complex, exquisitely engineered assemblages of trillions of cells. This metamorphosis constitutes one of nature’s most spectacular yet commonplace magic tricks―and one of its most coveted secrets. In From One Cell, physician and researcher Ben Stanger offers a breathtaking glimpse into what scientists are discovering about how life and the body take shape, and how these revelations stand to revolutionize medicine and the future of human health.

In vivid prose, Stanger leads readers on a gripping odyssey retracing this universal, yet unremembered, rite of passage. Through the eyes of the scientists unraveling development’s riddles in experiments as painstaking as they are inventive, we confront fascinating puzzles: how does the plethora of different tissues that compose our bodies arise from a single source? How do cells know what they are meant to become―skin or bone, blood or muscle―when all carry the same set of genetic instructions? Once a cell starts developing down one path, can it change its mind, or is its destiny irrevocably sealed?

As Stanger shows us, the answers to these questions may at last empower us to solve some of our most persistently confounding medical challenges, from cancer to cognitive decline to degenerative disease. Recognizing tumors as evil doppelgangers of the embryo points the way toward new, more targeted cancer therapies. Learning how cells choose their identities and find their way in space could unlock lifesaving breakthroughs in regenerative medicine. The possibilities are extraordinary.

Popular science at its best, From One Cell celebrates the power and beauty of understanding our collective beginnings.

40 illustrations
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  1. ISBN-10
    1324005424
  2. ISBN-13
    978-1324005421
  3. Publisher
    W. W. Norton & Company
  4. Publication date
    August 8, 2023
  5. Language
    English
  6. Dimensions
    6.3 x 1.3 x 9.6 inches
  7. Print length
    368 pages
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Insightful and erudite. . . . Dr. Stanger artfully guides us through key experiments that contributed to the foundations of our knowledge about embryonic development."
― Adrian Woolfson, Wall Street Journal

"Remarkably effective. . . . From One Cell is replete with fascinating stories."
― Jonathan Shaw, Harvard Magazine

"[A] superb debut. . . . Readers will marvel at this stimulating and comprehensive deep dive."
― Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"An authoritative account of a critical area of medical research and the promises it holds."
― Kirkus

"Fascinating from beginning to end, Ben Stanger’s From One Cell takes us through the most important journey in all of our lives. Stanger is an enthusiastic and knowledgeable tour guide through the science that will impact our lives in the future."
― Neil Shubin, paleontologist and author of Your Inner Fish

"From the scientific quest to understand how a minuscule fertilized egg becomes a whole person, a universe of human biology opens up, leading to big new ideas for medicine. An inspiring, masterful, and authoritative account of this vital scientific frontier―rendered in brilliant, beautiful prose―From One Cell is about you, your beginning, and your future."
― Daniel M. Davis, author of The Beautiful Cure and The Secret Body

"Showing the erudition and leaps of imagination of a writer who is deeply immersed in both scientific research and the rich history of human culture, From One Cell is a pleasure to read―elegant, accessible, and endlessly exciting."
― Robert A. Weinberg, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, author of The Biology of Cancer

"One of the great mysteries in all of science is how individual fertilized eggs transform into the beautiful, exceedingly complex forms of life we see in nature and in ourselves.… In this knowledge lie seeds that will someday bear fruit in revolutionizing human health. Lucid and engrossing, From One Cell is a wondrous journey into the marvel of how life develops and the future of regenerative medicine."
― Cliff Tabin, professor and chair of genetics, Harvard Medical School

"From One Cell tells the remarkable story of the discoveries that have led to our current understanding of developmental biology, cellular reprogramming, cancer, and regenerative medicine. As a developmental biologist and medical geneticist myself, I picked up the book already familiar with many of these tales, but Stanger brings them and the scientists to such vivid life that I could hardly put it down. A fascinating read."
― Tony Wynshaw-Boris, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine

"From One Cell marvels in some of the highlights of the field of developmental biology, a discipline whose significance touches so many other areas in the life sciences. A gifted writer, Ben Stanger describes how we came to be from a single cell, emphasizing the incredible good fortune behind each step in this process and employing wonderful metaphors to explain complex phenomena. If you’re even the tiniest bit interested in how all cells in our body came from a single cell, I highly recommend that you read this book."
― William Anderson, Director of Education, Harvard Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology

About the Author

Ben Stanger is the Hanna Wise Professor in Cancer Research and a professor of medicine and cell and developmental biology at the University of Pennsylvania. He is also a practicing gastroenterologist with Penn Medicine. He lives in the suburbs of Philadelphia.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ W. W. Norton & Company (August 8, 2023)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 368 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1324005424
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1324005421
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.38 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.3 x 1.3 x 9.6 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 56 ratings

About the author

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Ben Stanger

Ben Stanger

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BEN STANGER, MD PhD is the Hanna Wise Professor in Cancer Research at the University of Pennsylvania. A graduate of MIT and Harvard Medical School, he has published over 150 scientific articles, teaches students and postgraduate fellows, and maintains an active clinical practice. From One Cell - the story of embryonic development - is his first book. (More info and reviews at https://bstanger.com)

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
56 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Robert A. Copeland
5.0 out of 5 stars A fabulous journey through cell biology
Reviewed in the United States on September 16, 2023
Verified Purchase
This is an outstanding narrative that describes our current understanding of embryonic development, the history of science that has led to this understanding, and the current and future medical implications of this understanding. Written in an approachable and engaging style. An important book for students of science and motivated lay audiences.
2 people found this helpful
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Jen Glantz
5.0 out of 5 stars Engaging and Informative
Reviewed in the United States on August 14, 2023
Verified Purchase
This book was fascinating. I don't have a science background but was curious about the topics discussed by reading the summary of the book. I was blown away by the stories, research, and explanations inside of the book. There were major takeaways throughout the book that have been topics of conversation ever since i put the book down. Well-written, researched, and easy to read. Highly recommend!
8 people found this helpful
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Joel C. Jacobson
5.0 out of 5 stars Clear orderly view of cell growth from embryonic to cancerous
Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2023
Verified Purchase
Clear presentation of the complex relationship between cell growth and maturation and organization in various types of life... embryonic development, mutation, cancerous growth, and treatment oriented Research based on cellular and molecular properties. A well written introduction to the subject for interested non professionals.
2 people found this helpful
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Donnie
5.0 out of 5 stars The most fascinating and enjoyable book I've read in decades
Reviewed in the United States on September 13, 2023
Verified Purchase
As a physician trained in the 70s with courses in vertebrate embryology and human cells behind me, I was intrigued by the review in the Wall Street Journal and hoped to catch up on decades of discovery I've missed. From page one to the last, this book was everything I had hoped. I was familiar with much of the terminology but the author clearly explained everything for all readers and used metaphors that helped me understand newer concepts. I kept waiting for the book to get boring, but every page was fascinating and complete with stories and ended with frank questions about the next ethical steps in research to learn even more.
3 people found this helpful
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H. Ray
5.0 out of 5 stars Couldn't put it down
Reviewed in the United States on September 24, 2023
Verified Purchase
As a physician I thought I knew most of the subject matter......I WAS WRONG. I've never had this presented in such an interesting way. One of the best writers that ever lived......I maintain an entire library of non-fiction books which I've read over the last 45 years. THIS BOOK STANDS OUT...(I wish I could write that in LARGER LETTERS). Out of my 500 books, this is top 5. I'd like to tell the author personally ....that I think he's a genius.....buy this book if you're curious about who we are and how we arrived here
3 people found this helpful
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deanna delnicki
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing
Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2024
Verified Purchase
He tackles many issues in this book. It was done with humility, eloquence. I need more books like this in my life! Well done! Really great book!
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Pathman
5.0 out of 5 stars The future of medicine
Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2023
Verified Purchase
This book takes you gently through the history of cell biology from its beginning to the very latest research. The already visible rewards in translational medicine and future potential applications are described and provide a glimpse into the future of medicine. Some of the chapters will be challenging for those without prior knowledge but are essential in understanding the rapid recent progress made in this field.
One person found this helpful
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DZL
5.0 out of 5 stars Biology's answer to "A Brief History of Time"
Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2023
I loved this book. "From One Cell" is biology’s answer to "A Brief History of Time". With beautiful prose, Ben Stanger makes accessible our intricate, miraculous journey from one cell to trillions. While extremely informative, it also inspires wonder, and offers a glimpse into the future of genetic research. Anyone from high school students to medical students to readers with absolutely no background in science will find this book captivating. I will recommend it to absolutely everyone I know.
5 people found this helpful
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