Everyone is familiar with DNA. It is the core of our existence and shapes who we are and what we teach our offspring. However, without a machine to decode it, the information in DNA cannot be used. That device is the ribosome. It is the mother of all molecules, dating back further than DNA itself. In almost every cell, the ribosome or proteins that were also synthesised by the ribosome were responsible for producing the molecules. Venki Ramakrishnan describes the race to understand the ribosome's incredibly complicated structure, a vital discovery that answers a long-standing question about life itself and may help scientists create more effective antibiotics. Gene Machine, an interesting insider story, follows Ramakrishnan's unexpected path from his first bumbling