How to distinguish living from non-living? Where is the border between them? At first glance, these are childish questions. And yet, for many centuries, scientists and philosophers have not been able to come to an answer that satisfies everyone. This topic - what life is - is the subject of Carl Zimmer's new book. The author believes that there is no other object of scientific knowledge to which so many definitions have been given. And is there one thing that is absolutely true? After all, there are a great many manifestations of life. The COVID-19 virus has changed our world, but can it be considered alive? What about a red blood cell or an apple plucked from a tree? Is the fertilized egg alive? Is it possible to declare the death of a person whose brain is dead, but whose body is functioning? How did life originate on Earth and will we understand that aliens are alive when we finally meet extraterrestrial forms of existence? Dark questions! A brilliant popularizer of science, already loved by the Russian-speaking audience, invites the reader to search for answers. Will they be able to find them, will the author achieve his goal? A truly intriguing narrative awaits us!