Review: The lives of a cell

An assemblage of twenty-nine short essays on the recent genetic and molecular biologic revolution, presenting a holistic vision of nature: the earth as a superorganism of species, societies as superorganisms of individuals, man as the superorganism of organelles, and so on. Thomas, a pathologist at N.Y.U., has a quasi-religious faith in the ultimate power of genetic coding and the mysteries of probability and possibility. He proposes that the in-born template for human behavior is a capacity for grammatical construction. As the purpose of a termite community is nest-building, correspondingly human beings are under genetic instructions to order information into language. The scientists are ready to get in touch with interested celestial bodies for a little extraterrestrial conversation, and Thomas votes for Bach as emissary -- ""all of Bach, streamed out into space, over and over again."" He's something of a cosmic dreamer, but romance is no doubt a prerequisite for this kind of laboratory research.

2002
Full of interesting facts, details, and connections, but most powerfully an argument for the interconnectedness of all life, the sociability of man, and the power of language.

Review: The Lives of a Cell: Notes of a Biology Watcher

The lives of a cell is an amazing book, which i believe most people should read, if they can handle it. The reason i say this is because it explores the human vision of the world around us, and the ... Read full review

Review: The Lives of a Cell: Notes of a Biology Watcher

Perhaps I screwed up by reading The Medusa and the Snail first. Or at all. For the most part, the writings here would actually appear to do with *gasp* biology. (Perish the thought!) Compare this to ... Read full review

Review: The Lives of a Cell: Notes of a Biology Watcher

An anthology of short, philosophical meditations on the biology and ecology of life, pondering such varied topics as; Can we learn from ant colonies? How would an alien species view us? What exactly ...

Review: The Lives of a Cell: Notes of a Biology Watcher

The essays herein are a bit more narrow than those included in The Medusa & The Snail (and, in my opinion, a tad less interesting), but so well-written. And, honestly, a man who writes a statement ... Read full review

Review: The Lives of a Cell: Notes of a Biology Watcher

The essays herein are a bit more narrow than those included in The Medusa & The Snail (and, in my opinion, a tad less interesting), but so well-written. And, honestly, a man who writes a statement ... Read full review

Review: The Lives of a Cell: Notes of a Biology Watcher

This book was recommended to me, and I'm definitely glad that I read it. It's a collection of brief essays about biology, the wonder of cells and their internal machinery, and human society. Thomas ... Read full review

Review: The Lives of a Cell: Notes of a Biology Watcher

Although written in the 1970′s, these essays by Lewis Thomas cover subjects that are still some of the most interesting questions in biology today. From the awe-inspiring complexity of a single cell ... Read full review

Review: The Lives of a Cell: Notes of a Biology Watcher

The musings of a poetic biology polymath are put together in this series of essays covering a vast variety of topics from cells, to death, to complexity, to linguistics, to mythology, to the nature of ... Read full review