Today, genes are called upon to explain almost every aspect of our lives, from social inequalities to health, sexual preference, political orientation & criminality. In this incisive & original account, Steven Rose confronts the fashionable ideology of ultra-Darwinism, which reduces humans to little more than machines for the replication of DNA. Whilst recognising the importance of genes & natural selection, Professor Rose argues that the trajectory of life (lifeline) depends on the complex interactions that occur within cells, organisms & ecosystems through time & space. By placing the organism rather than the gene at the centre of life, he offers a bold new perspective on biology that acknowledges the essentially complex nature of life.