Books like Beginner's Guide to Immortality by Maria Birmingham

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks follows the story of Henrietta Lacks, a poor black tobacco farmer whose cancer cells were taken in 1951 without her consent and later became the first immortal human cell line, HeLa, driving major scientific breakthroughs while raising questions of ethics, race, and medical exploitation.

Journalist Adam Leith Gollner weaves together religion, science, and mythology in an exploration of the most universal of human obsessions: immortality. Raised without religion, Gollner was struck by mankind's tireless efforts to cheat aging and death. In a narrative that pivots between profundity and hilarity, he brings us into the world of those whose lives are shaped by a belief in immortality. Combining immersive reporting, rigorous research, and lyrical prose, he charts the rise of longevity science from its alchemical beginnings to modern-day genetic interventions, and delves into the symbolic representation of eternal life and its connection to water. Interlaced throughout is a meditation on the nature of belief, showing how every story we tell about immortality is a story about the meaning of death.--From publisher description.

1 volume (unpaged) : color illustrations ; 23 cm.570L Lexile

This rollicking scientific adventure story is science writing of the highest order and with the highest stakes. Could we live forever? And if we could--would we want to?--From publisher description.

A concise, engaging biography of Charles Darwin, detailing his early dislike of school, his Beagle voyage, and the discoveries that led to the theory of evolution.

This book presents illustrated retellings of Egyptian myths, with sidebars for each god, goddess, monster, and mortal that link the tales to history, geography, and culture.