A primer that explains the countless substances that make up the most complex of all life-forms: human beings Countless chemicals, fluids, and substances mix and merge to make the complex life-form we call a human being. And while there is still much that remains to be understood, science has come a long way toward uncovering the nature and purpose of these essential ingredients. In "The Stuff of Life," Eric P. Widmaier deconstructs the fundamental processes of the human body and focuses on those vital biological substances that are particularly well understood. By examining the blueprints that dictate what we are, Widmaier gets us to rethink basic body processes that we thought we understood but didn't. Such as: --Why are some fats worse than others?--Is cholesterol actually good for anything? --How does the stomach digest food? -- Where does our energy come from? A concise, easy-to-read handbook, complete with illustrations, "The Stuff of Life" offers answers to these and many more common questions about how the body works.