The famous science fiction writer, world-famous scientist, great popularizer of science, author of about 500 science fiction, historical and popular science publications invites you on an exciting journey through the expanses of the science of living nature. The book tells the story of the complex path of development of biology since ancient times to the present day. You will learn about doctors and philosophers of antiquity, about monks and alchemists of the Middle Ages, about physicists, geologists and paleontologists of the Age of Enlightenment, about modern scientists who made a huge contribution to science, which became the founder of many new scientific directions. The book also contains many interesting and witty stories about illusions and superstitions, discoveries and phenomena, hypotheses and prospects for the complex science of biology. A. Azimov’s book is an original combination of scientific authenticity, vivid imagery, and masterful presentation