This book investigates the limitations of the gene-centered view of evolution and proposes a systems-biology framework to explain the complexity of life. Denis Noble, a professor of cardiovascular physiology, utilizes his expertise in mathematical modeling and biological systems to challenge the reductionist paradigm that equates an organism solely with its genome. He argues that biological function emerges from interactions across multiple levels, from molecular components to the entire organism and its environment.

Experts in evolutionary biology and systems theory recognize this work as a significant critique of neo-Darwinian orthodoxy. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which requires a foundational understanding of biological concepts to fully grasp the author's arguments.