Throughout most of human history, babies were surprises. People knew the basics: men and women had sex, and sometimes babies followed. But beyond that the origins of life were a colossal mystery. The Seeds of Life is the remarkable and rollicking story of how a series of blundering geniuses and brilliant amateurs struggled for two centuries to discover where, exactly, babies come from.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 289-296) and index.

Part one : Peering into the body -- Part two : The search for the egg -- Part three : Russian dolls -- Part four : The clockwork topples and a new theory rises.