Loose-Leaf Version for What Is Life? a Guide to Biology by Jay Phelan

Loose-Leaf Version for What Is Life? a Guide to Biology by Jay Phelan

Does the vaccine for measles, mumps, and rubella cause autism?

What is the most common reason that DNA analyses overturn incorrect criminal convictions?

What genetically modified foods do most people in the United States consume (usually without knowing it)?

In his popular classes and bestselling textbooks, Jay Phelan uses questions like these as a way of introducing both the practical impact and awe-inspiring wonder of biological research. Phelan knows how to captivate nonmajors with stories of how scientists investigate life. He is also a master at using study of biology as a context for developing the critical thinking skills and scientific literacy students can draw on through college and beyond.

Phelan's dynamic approach to teaching biology is the driving force behind What Is Life?--the most successful new non-majors biology textbook of the millennium. The rigorously updated new edition brings forward the features that made the book a classroom favorite (chapters anchored to intriguing questions about life, spectacular original illustrations, innovative learning tools) with a more focused and flexible presentation and enhanced art.

And more than ever, this edition is a seamless text/media source, with its dedicated version of LaunchPad, Macmillan's breakthrough online course space which integrates an interactive e-Book, all student media, a wide range of assessment and course management features.

Jay Phelan is a biology professor at UCLA, where he has been teaching introductory biology to majors and nonmajors in huge lectures for the past twelve years. In 1995, he got his PhD in evolutionary biology from Harvard University, as well as master's and bachelor's degrees from Yale and UCLA, respectively. His primary research focus is evolutionary genetics, and he has published unique work in journals such as Evolution, Experimental Gerontology, and the Journal of Integrative and Comparative Biology. His work has been featured on Nightline, CNN, the BBC, and NPR, as well as in Science Times and Elle, as well as in over a hundred newspapers. More than a dozen teaching honors have been bestowed upon him.

Jay coauthored the international best-seller Mean Genes: From Sex to Money to Food--Taming Our Primitive Instincts with Terry Burnham. Mean Genes is a book written for the general public that discusses in simple terms how understanding the genetic basis of human nature can empower people to live more fulfilling lives. Phelan's writing language has been polished through writing for a nonscientific audience, resulting in a style that is both conversational and engaging to students while also being academically precise.