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Cells: The Illustrated Story of Life
For fans of The Song of the Cell—a profusely, creatively illustrated journey through the origins and evolution of the building blocks of life, from an award-winning biologist and illustrator
In the fifteenth century, while astronomers were discovering the heavens and explorers were mapping the globe, scientist Robert Hooke discovered that everything that lives on Earth—from animals to plants, algae to fungi—is made up of cells. Two centuries later, Charles Darwin proposed that all cells on Earth originate from the same common ancestral LUCA (Last Universal Common Ancestor).
Understanding how LUCA appeared billions of years ago and evolved to form all organisms is a fascinating journey through history, biology, and what it means to be alive. Combining art with science, biologist and illustrator Christian Sardet breaks down DNA, RNA, protists, viruses, cell reproduction and death, and more.
Written in simple, easy-to-understand language and accompanied by a wide array of beautiful, information-rich illustrations, Cells is an authoritative overview of the building blocks of life. Written with visual and lifelong learners in mind, this adventure through the origins of life will bring every curious reader up to speed on recent research and teach you everything there is to know about cells— how they work, how they have evolved over time, and why we find them so fascinating.
In the fifteenth century, while astronomers were discovering the heavens and explorers were mapping the globe, scientist Robert Hooke discovered that everything that lives on Earth—from animals to plants, algae to fungi—is made up of cells. Two centuries later, Charles Darwin proposed that all cells on Earth originate from the same common ancestral LUCA (Last Universal Common Ancestor).
Understanding how LUCA appeared billions of years ago and evolved to form all organisms is a fascinating journey through history, biology, and what it means to be alive. Combining art with science, biologist and illustrator Christian Sardet breaks down DNA, RNA, protists, viruses, cell reproduction and death, and more.
Written in simple, easy-to-understand language and accompanied by a wide array of beautiful, information-rich illustrations, Cells is an authoritative overview of the building blocks of life. Written with visual and lifelong learners in mind, this adventure through the origins of life will bring every curious reader up to speed on recent research and teach you everything there is to know about cells— how they work, how they have evolved over time, and why we find them so fascinating.
224 pages, Paperback
Published December 2, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 2, 2025
I haven’t read a science non-fiction book in a good long while, and this one brought my fondness for them flooding back!
Whether you’re a seasoned scientist or an interested science reader, it’s a perfect read. You might have left science at school, or are maybe undertaking a life science or biology related course at university - perhaps science is your full-time day job, there’s something in this book for everyone. It’s a fab whistle stop tour through all things life. It also goes into a lot of depth which surprised me, as I thought it would be more basic but was more than pleasantly surprised as to how much detail this had!
Reading this really makes you appreciate not only the subtle complexities of life but also the sheer luck that we are even here! We follow the tale for the origin of life, how cells came to be, a quick blip into chemistry and physics and a toe thoroughly dipped into biology.
And of course, all accompanied by some absolutely stunning illustrations and images that really made reading this a breeze. It’s also reaffirmed my love for fluorescence microscopy as those images are just stunning and I also loved that there were interactive QR codes to further get you into the subject material.
Whilst I had this as an ebook, books like these are perfect to have in your hands! It’s even easier to appreciate the whole book and would be an impressive addition to any a bookshelf.
Thank you to the author and publisher for this book on NetGalley in return for my honest thoughts and review.
Whether you’re a seasoned scientist or an interested science reader, it’s a perfect read. You might have left science at school, or are maybe undertaking a life science or biology related course at university - perhaps science is your full-time day job, there’s something in this book for everyone. It’s a fab whistle stop tour through all things life. It also goes into a lot of depth which surprised me, as I thought it would be more basic but was more than pleasantly surprised as to how much detail this had!
Reading this really makes you appreciate not only the subtle complexities of life but also the sheer luck that we are even here! We follow the tale for the origin of life, how cells came to be, a quick blip into chemistry and physics and a toe thoroughly dipped into biology.
And of course, all accompanied by some absolutely stunning illustrations and images that really made reading this a breeze. It’s also reaffirmed my love for fluorescence microscopy as those images are just stunning and I also loved that there were interactive QR codes to further get you into the subject material.
Whilst I had this as an ebook, books like these are perfect to have in your hands! It’s even easier to appreciate the whole book and would be an impressive addition to any a bookshelf.
Thank you to the author and publisher for this book on NetGalley in return for my honest thoughts and review.
September 2, 2025
Somewhere around the 70 page mark or so, this starts getting TOUGH to follow.
BUT. That's not the author's fault - cells and the biology of life as it turns out are really complicated and almost everything about them is ironically incredibly foreign and alien to us. I will flatter myself slightly that I am at least as knowledgeable on the subject of this book as any person who took biology in a public high school and didn't goof off more than 50% of the time. As a result, I had some familiar terms and jargon to hang on to. A few times, the author would describe a process and a vague light in the back of my head turned on as my brain rifled through the archives for knowledge gained and stored nearly two decades ago.
All of which is to say that for a book that seems to want to market itself to the casual reader who wishes to be illuminated on the functions of cells, there is a hell of a learning curve about a third of the way through the book (or sooner or later depending on your educational background). The illustrations are gorgeous and fun to look at - both those drawn by the author and those digitally created by specialized computer programs - which may be a boon to visual learners which I am not. So clearly, this book was in several ways just not made for me.
Despite that, it was plainly obvious that even if I couldn't make sense of every last tidbit of information contained within, that this was a lovingly crafted book. It is dense and scientific, and the scaffolding of knowledge doesn't quite work out in as straight a line as it could, but for all its flaws, the author's love for the subject matter shines through. If you are a visual learner and have a better basic grasp of biology than I did going in, you'll love this.
Thank you to NetGalley and The Experiment for advanced access to this book set to be published December 2, 2025 at time of writing.
BUT. That's not the author's fault - cells and the biology of life as it turns out are really complicated and almost everything about them is ironically incredibly foreign and alien to us. I will flatter myself slightly that I am at least as knowledgeable on the subject of this book as any person who took biology in a public high school and didn't goof off more than 50% of the time. As a result, I had some familiar terms and jargon to hang on to. A few times, the author would describe a process and a vague light in the back of my head turned on as my brain rifled through the archives for knowledge gained and stored nearly two decades ago.
All of which is to say that for a book that seems to want to market itself to the casual reader who wishes to be illuminated on the functions of cells, there is a hell of a learning curve about a third of the way through the book (or sooner or later depending on your educational background). The illustrations are gorgeous and fun to look at - both those drawn by the author and those digitally created by specialized computer programs - which may be a boon to visual learners which I am not. So clearly, this book was in several ways just not made for me.
Despite that, it was plainly obvious that even if I couldn't make sense of every last tidbit of information contained within, that this was a lovingly crafted book. It is dense and scientific, and the scaffolding of knowledge doesn't quite work out in as straight a line as it could, but for all its flaws, the author's love for the subject matter shines through. If you are a visual learner and have a better basic grasp of biology than I did going in, you'll love this.
Thank you to NetGalley and The Experiment for advanced access to this book set to be published December 2, 2025 at time of writing.
November 4, 2025
I really enjoyed this book. It offers a fascinating and visually engaging journey into the microscopic world of cells, and it’s given me some excellent anecdotes to include for my biology lessons, particularly on topics like the Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMV) and Nettie Maria Stevens.
This would make an excellent read for high-achieving GCSE students or A Level biology students, as it bridges scientific accuracy with artistic presentation in a way that makes complex ideas more approachable. Unless you already have a good understanding of biology, some sections may be challenging, although I don’t think it would be too taxing for biology graduates.
I personally didn’t find that the neon artwork or some of the artistic depictions added much, I tend to prefer highly detailed, annotated biological illustrations in the style of Ernst Haeckel (who is, fittingly, heavily referenced throughout the book). I can still appreciate that art is subjective, and many readers will enjoy the creative visual approach.
I would question the translation too as a phylogeny tree that is shown early on has mushrooms highlighted when I would expect it to be Fungi.
Overall, Cells: The Illustrated Story of Life is a beautiful and informative exploration of cell biology that blends science and art in an accessible way. It’s a valuable addition to any biology enthusiast’s library, especially for students looking to deepen their understanding of life.
Thank you to NetGalley and The Experiment for advanced access to this book in exchange for an honest review.
This would make an excellent read for high-achieving GCSE students or A Level biology students, as it bridges scientific accuracy with artistic presentation in a way that makes complex ideas more approachable. Unless you already have a good understanding of biology, some sections may be challenging, although I don’t think it would be too taxing for biology graduates.
I personally didn’t find that the neon artwork or some of the artistic depictions added much, I tend to prefer highly detailed, annotated biological illustrations in the style of Ernst Haeckel (who is, fittingly, heavily referenced throughout the book). I can still appreciate that art is subjective, and many readers will enjoy the creative visual approach.
I would question the translation too as a phylogeny tree that is shown early on has mushrooms highlighted when I would expect it to be Fungi.
Overall, Cells: The Illustrated Story of Life is a beautiful and informative exploration of cell biology that blends science and art in an accessible way. It’s a valuable addition to any biology enthusiast’s library, especially for students looking to deepen their understanding of life.
Thank you to NetGalley and The Experiment for advanced access to this book in exchange for an honest review.
August 4, 2025
Wow. Older children, parents, adults, students scientists, schools and libraries you should definitely get this book.
We can all think of those information books that are bland and so dense they are a struggle to get to page two, let alone the end.
This is NOT a boring book!!! The complete opposite.
I’ve been cover to cover, twice. And I think I’m going to be looking at bits of this everyday for a long time.
On receiving the book. I was mesmerised by the cover and illustrations. Colourful, eye-catching and detailed, and perfectly chosen to match the text. In fact when I opened the book I just went through it looking at the pictures.
Then the text. Everything you could wish to know about cells is here. Split up into many short sections. The history of cell discovery - it’s here. The Scientists who made the discoveries - they are here, including some gems forgotten in the history of who actually made the discovery. What is a cell - it’s here. What types of cells are there - it’s here. How cells function - it’s here. The breadth of how cells and life came about - it’s here. I could go on and on.
Okay these things are in other books too. Yes. But I’ve never before seen such an accessible dive into the fantastic world of Cells as presented in these pages.
As I said previously. This is the book to get!
Thank you to The Experiment and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.
We can all think of those information books that are bland and so dense they are a struggle to get to page two, let alone the end.
This is NOT a boring book!!! The complete opposite.
I’ve been cover to cover, twice. And I think I’m going to be looking at bits of this everyday for a long time.
On receiving the book. I was mesmerised by the cover and illustrations. Colourful, eye-catching and detailed, and perfectly chosen to match the text. In fact when I opened the book I just went through it looking at the pictures.
Then the text. Everything you could wish to know about cells is here. Split up into many short sections. The history of cell discovery - it’s here. The Scientists who made the discoveries - they are here, including some gems forgotten in the history of who actually made the discovery. What is a cell - it’s here. What types of cells are there - it’s here. How cells function - it’s here. The breadth of how cells and life came about - it’s here. I could go on and on.
Okay these things are in other books too. Yes. But I’ve never before seen such an accessible dive into the fantastic world of Cells as presented in these pages.
As I said previously. This is the book to get!
Thank you to The Experiment and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.
December 3, 2025
A Voyage of Discovery Through the Origins of Life
I had the privilege of reading Cells: The Illustrated Story of Life just as it was released. Christian Sardet has achieved something rare here. Rather than just compiling facts like many biology books, he's written a biography of life on Earth.
Sardet manages to educate us about the vast voyage of biological discovery, from the origins of life to the complex systems of today, in the context of the life of the Earth itself. The narrative feels personal and urgent, rather than academic. This is key. It's fun to read!
One of its outstanding features is the artwork. We often think of science and art as opposing disciplines, but Sardet fuses them perfectly. The illustrations serve the science, using vivid drawings and "calligrams" to explain mechanisms that standard textbooks often make confusing.
As a writer, I appreciate how he treats the subjects: protists, viruses, and cells, almost like characters with their own motivations and history. This is a "must-read" for anyone with even a slight interest in life. I honestly wish I’d had a book like this when I was in school studying biology but now it lives on my desk, within easy reach, any time I want to learn a little more about life.
Disclaimer: I received an advance copy of this book from the author. These opinions are my own.
I had the privilege of reading Cells: The Illustrated Story of Life just as it was released. Christian Sardet has achieved something rare here. Rather than just compiling facts like many biology books, he's written a biography of life on Earth.
Sardet manages to educate us about the vast voyage of biological discovery, from the origins of life to the complex systems of today, in the context of the life of the Earth itself. The narrative feels personal and urgent, rather than academic. This is key. It's fun to read!
One of its outstanding features is the artwork. We often think of science and art as opposing disciplines, but Sardet fuses them perfectly. The illustrations serve the science, using vivid drawings and "calligrams" to explain mechanisms that standard textbooks often make confusing.
As a writer, I appreciate how he treats the subjects: protists, viruses, and cells, almost like characters with their own motivations and history. This is a "must-read" for anyone with even a slight interest in life. I honestly wish I’d had a book like this when I was in school studying biology but now it lives on my desk, within easy reach, any time I want to learn a little more about life.
Disclaimer: I received an advance copy of this book from the author. These opinions are my own.
September 20, 2025
I decided to abandon this book at the 25% point. Contrary to the publisher’s description (which attracted me to the book in the first place) this is certainly not written “in clear, accessible language.” It is not for the average layperson—i.e., an individual who hasn’t recently studied chemistry and biology. It isn’t even for a motivated and curious reader like me who has some basic knowledge of cell biology and is willing to do a bit of work. I see it more as a text for someone already quite well informed about sugars, amino acids, nucleotides, lipids, and metabolites, comfortable in his or her understanding of reactive oxygen species, who knows, for example, what a “micelle” is. I say this because the author does not explain any of these things. Sardet assumes his reader is familiar with a lot of this stuff. His book reads like a review for those already in the know.
I acknowledge that I learned a few things—as far as I got—and that the book’s illustrations and layout are attractive, but the struggle involved was not at all what I anticipated. I’ll take a decent biology text over this any day. Not recommended.
I acknowledge that I learned a few things—as far as I got—and that the book’s illustrations and layout are attractive, but the struggle involved was not at all what I anticipated. I’ll take a decent biology text over this any day. Not recommended.
November 25, 2025
As a college biology/pre-medicine major, I was required to take embryology and comparative anatomy. Neither course was not that easy, but I totally enjoyed both of them. So, when I had to opportunity to read “Cells: The Illustrated Story of Life,” I jumped at the chance and I wasn’t disappointed.
I will warn you that this is not a book for a causal reader. It covers the evolution of the cell from simple organisms like amoeba to the most complex, such as mammals.
“Cells: The Illustrated Story of Life” was a translated from the French book “Les Cellules: Une Histoire de la Vie” by Les Editions Eugen Ulmer in 2023. Kudos to the translation team, because I didn’t find any of the phrasing to be convoluted or awkward given the complexity of the subject matter.
In fact, I found the text totally readable and, while not necessarily easy to comprehend, I was able to follow the ideas because of my vast science background.
The book is lavishly illustrated and, as someone who is a connoisseur of medical and biological illustrations, I really enjoyed them. The only downside I found was the author’s own drawings of the various organelles and processes of the cell.
Author Christian Sardet writes that he was inspired by Guillaume Apollinaire’s “calligrams,” a form of visual poetry. I wasn’t familiar with the term, so I had to look it up and found that it is a “poem or piece of text in which the words are arranged to form a shape that visually represents the topic of words.”
I honestly found them distracting and I felt they didn’t really add to the subject at hand. I would have much preferred that the space be used for more scientifically accurate illustrations, rather than “poetic scribblings.”
Please don’t allow my dissatisfaction with the author’s illustrations to be a deterrent but, as I stated above, this isn’t an easy book to read.
If this sounds like a book that might pique your interest, then by all means dig in. It’s well worth reading and I would seriously consider adding it to my own large collection of science books.
5/5 stars
[Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the advanced ebook copy in exchange for my honest and objective opinion, which I have given here.]
I will warn you that this is not a book for a causal reader. It covers the evolution of the cell from simple organisms like amoeba to the most complex, such as mammals.
“Cells: The Illustrated Story of Life” was a translated from the French book “Les Cellules: Une Histoire de la Vie” by Les Editions Eugen Ulmer in 2023. Kudos to the translation team, because I didn’t find any of the phrasing to be convoluted or awkward given the complexity of the subject matter.
In fact, I found the text totally readable and, while not necessarily easy to comprehend, I was able to follow the ideas because of my vast science background.
The book is lavishly illustrated and, as someone who is a connoisseur of medical and biological illustrations, I really enjoyed them. The only downside I found was the author’s own drawings of the various organelles and processes of the cell.
Author Christian Sardet writes that he was inspired by Guillaume Apollinaire’s “calligrams,” a form of visual poetry. I wasn’t familiar with the term, so I had to look it up and found that it is a “poem or piece of text in which the words are arranged to form a shape that visually represents the topic of words.”
I honestly found them distracting and I felt they didn’t really add to the subject at hand. I would have much preferred that the space be used for more scientifically accurate illustrations, rather than “poetic scribblings.”
Please don’t allow my dissatisfaction with the author’s illustrations to be a deterrent but, as I stated above, this isn’t an easy book to read.
If this sounds like a book that might pique your interest, then by all means dig in. It’s well worth reading and I would seriously consider adding it to my own large collection of science books.
5/5 stars
[Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the advanced ebook copy in exchange for my honest and objective opinion, which I have given here.]
September 27, 2025
I loved this book. The subject matter is fascinating and I found the tone of the writing to be conversational. I could feel the author’s enthusiasm for the subject matter. I studied biology long ago so this book gave me a great refresher and update. But to me, the book is about the visuals. They are gorgeous and made the information come to life. They did a really good job of expanding on the information in the text. I recommend this book for anyone interested in the cell and I think it would make a great coffee-table book/gift for biology lovers. Thank you to Netgalley and The Experiment for the advance reader copy. .
November 9, 2025
I got this book as it is illustrated, and I definitely wasn't disappointed. They were wonderful. A black canvas with pops of vibrant colours. They really were delightful.
The information was all very interesting, but sometimes quite difficult to understand. I re-read many passages over again and still don't fully understand. I do think it would be easier to read in physical form.
All in all, I found this book really fascinating, with marvellous illustrations.. but at times not the easiest to consume and absorb.
The information was all very interesting, but sometimes quite difficult to understand. I re-read many passages over again and still don't fully understand. I do think it would be easier to read in physical form.
All in all, I found this book really fascinating, with marvellous illustrations.. but at times not the easiest to consume and absorb.
August 7, 2025
A comprehensive and beautifully illustrated book that blends science and art. It walks through the discovery of life in chronological order, making it easier to connect the dots between different concepts. Ideal for visual learners or anyone looking to reinforce what they’ve learned in school. The illustrations are actively help with understanding. Highly recommended as a refresher or companion to school science.
Thanks Netgalley for the ARC!
Thanks Netgalley for the ARC!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews