The lives of a cell : notes of a biology watcher

The lives of a cell Notes of a biology watcher

Lewis Thomas, 1913-1993

Book - 1978

The book explores the world around us and examines the complex interdependence of all things.

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Subjects
Biology > Philosophy.
Biology.
Philosophy.
Published
New York : Penguin Books 1978.
Language
English
Main Author
Lewis Thomas, 1913-1993 (author)
Item Description
Essays which appeared in the New England journal of medicine, 1971-73.
Reprint of the ed. published by Viking Press, New York.
Physical Description
v, 152 pages ; 20 cm
Awards
National Book Award for Arts and Letters (Nonfiction), 1974.
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 149-152).
ISBN
9780140047431
9781417617135
  • The lives of a cell
  • Thoughts for a countdown
  • On societies as organisms
  • A fear of pheromones
  • The music of this sphere
  • An earnest proposal
  • The technology of medicine
  • Vibes
  • Ceti
  • The long habit
  • Antaeus in Manhattan
  • The MBL
  • Autonomy
  • Organelles as organisms
  • Germs
  • Your very good health
  • Social talk
  • Information
  • Death in the open
  • Natural science
  • Natural man
  • The iks
  • Computers
  • The planning of science
  • Some biomythology
  • On various words
  • Living language
  • On probability and possibility
  • The world's biggest membrane.
Review by Kirkus Book Review

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. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

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