How to Grow a Human: Adventures in Who We Are and How We Are Made

A cutting-edge examination of what it means to be human and to have a 'self' in the face of new scientific developments in genetic editing, cloning and neural downloading. After seeing his own cells used to grow clumps of new neurons – essentially mini-brains – Philip Ball begins to examine the concepts of identity and consciousness. Delving into humanity's deep evolutionary past to look at how complex creatures like us emerged from single-celled life, he offers a new perspective on how humans think about ourselves. In an age when we are increasingly encouraged to regard the 'self' as an abstract sequence of genetic information, or as a pattern of neural activity that might be 'downloaded' to a computer, he return us to the body – to flesh and blood – and anchors a conception of personhood in this unique and ephemeral mortal coil. How to Build a Human brings us back to ourselves – but in doing so, it challenges old preconceptions and values. It asks us to rethink how we exist in the world. In How to Grow a Human, Philip Ball, a renowned science writer, takes us on a journey through the complex world of biology, philosophy, and ethics. His research and insights challenge our understanding of self and consciousness in the age of advanced medical sciences. For fans of Richard Dawkins (The Four Horsemen), Kassia St Clair (The Golden Thread), Hugh Aldersey-Williams (Dutch Light), Jim Al-Khalili (Pathfinders), and Robert M Sapolsky (Behave).