Book & podcast collection

Beyond Inheritance: Our Ever-Mutating Cells and a New Understanding of Health

byRoxanne Khamsi

Science journalist Roxanne Khamsi reveals that inheritance is only the beginning of our genetic story. As cells divide throughout life, their DNA accumulates mutations, creating populations within one body that are not genetically identical. She explores how this mosaicism affects development, aging, cancer, immune function, neurological disease, fertility, and resilience, introducing the researchers learning to detect it. The book replaces the image of a fixed genome with a dynamic one and considers how medicine may change when doctors can track the evolving cellular histories that influence health long after conception.

Publisher

Riverhead Books

Publication date

2026-04-21

Format

Hardcover

Pages

304

ISBN

9780593541913