The enormous amount of knowledge we carry outside of our biological selves is one of the most peculiar and possibly unique characteristics of humans. However, in our haste to establish the infrastructure for the 20 quintillion bits we generate every day, we have neglected to consider the precise rationale for the escalating consumption of resources, energy, and labour required to preserve all of this data. Caleb Scharf makes the case that information is, in a very real sense, alive by drawing on profound concepts and cutting-edge thinking in evolutionary biology, computer science, information theory, and astrobiology. Our entire body of data?including all of our emails, tweets, selfies, prose produced by artificial intelligence, and amusing cat videos?amounts to an overall lifeform. It has requirements and objectives. It can affect how we act and how well we feel. This mutually beneficial relationship between knowledge and people offers a startlingly fresh perspective on the world. We don't merely create data; it is the very foundation of our existence. This innovative concept has the potential to revolutionise the way we view technology, our place in society, and the essence of existence. A vision of a universe made of and for information is presented in The Ascent of Information. Scharf investigates how our interaction with data will impact our species' continuous evolution. It will be essential to comprehend this relationship if we are to prevent the misuse of our data and maintain the possibility of a future for people.