How We Live and Why We Die by Lewis Wolpert
Acclaimed biologist Lewis Wolpert eloquently narrates the basics of human life through the lens of its smallest component: the cell.
"Wolpert engages the reader at a level everyone can relate to…Impressively up to date…Wolpert manages to pack a great deal of cell biology into the book’s couple hundred pages" -- Helen Pickersgill - Science
"It is a book in a tradition, not limited to science, of explaining the visible in terms of the invisible…How We Live and Why We Die is a translation from another language—biology." -- John Galloway - Nature
"This is a marvellous piece of work…[a] wondrously informative book…Read it. You will learn more than you can imagine about something you cannot possibly imagine: the fabulous complexity of being alive." -- Brian Appleyard - New Statesman
"In 200 or so short pages, Lewis Wolpert breezes through all we know about cell biology…Wolpert is an engaging host with an eye for a clever analogy. Perhaps the biggest thrill to be had is when he lays bare the awe-inspiring intricacy of the living cell." -- New Scientist
"How We Live and Why We Die is a layperson’s guide to the world within us. It is clear, authoritative and readable. And, as cells are constantly in the news—whether via genetic engineering or DNA testing, cloning or stem cell research—it is also timely…[Wolpert] makes it clear that to understand human nature, we must understand the nature of cells from which we are made. This book is a fine place to start." -- Stephen Cave - Financial Times
"Like a nail-biting mystery, the author unravels the secrets locked up in the cell…A mind-expanding read." -- D. Wayne Dworsky - San Francisco Book Review
"Engaging…As Wolpert shows, concepts as broad as evolution can be understood using the cell as a starting point, and charting the cell’s discovery reveals the greater shape of the history of science in this profound, yet eminently readable book." -- Seed Magazine
"Wolpert projects curiosity and clarity that carries along his audience…[His] work will absorb anyone fascinated by the universe inside the cell." -- Gilbert Taylor - Booklist
"It is a book in a tradition, not limited to science, of explaining the visible in terms of the invisible…How We Live and Why We Die is a translation from another language—biology." -- John Galloway - Nature
"This is a marvellous piece of work…[a] wondrously informative book…Read it. You will learn more than you can imagine about something you cannot possibly imagine: the fabulous complexity of being alive." -- Brian Appleyard - New Statesman
"In 200 or so short pages, Lewis Wolpert breezes through all we know about cell biology…Wolpert is an engaging host with an eye for a clever analogy. Perhaps the biggest thrill to be had is when he lays bare the awe-inspiring intricacy of the living cell." -- New Scientist
"How We Live and Why We Die is a layperson’s guide to the world within us. It is clear, authoritative and readable. And, as cells are constantly in the news—whether via genetic engineering or DNA testing, cloning or stem cell research—it is also timely…[Wolpert] makes it clear that to understand human nature, we must understand the nature of cells from which we are made. This book is a fine place to start." -- Stephen Cave - Financial Times
"Like a nail-biting mystery, the author unravels the secrets locked up in the cell…A mind-expanding read." -- D. Wayne Dworsky - San Francisco Book Review
"Engaging…As Wolpert shows, concepts as broad as evolution can be understood using the cell as a starting point, and charting the cell’s discovery reveals the greater shape of the history of science in this profound, yet eminently readable book." -- Seed Magazine
"Wolpert projects curiosity and clarity that carries along his audience…[His] work will absorb anyone fascinated by the universe inside the cell." -- Gilbert Taylor - Booklist
Lewis Wolpert (1929—2021) was Professor Emeritus of Biology as Applied to Medicine at University College, London. His books include Six Impossible Things before Breakfast, How We Live and Why We Die, and Malignant Sadness, the basis for a BBC television series.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780393339383 |
| ISBN 10 | 0393339386 |
| Title | How We Live and Why We Die |
| Author | Lewis Wolpert |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | WW Norton & Co |
| Year published | 2011-02-04 |
| Number of pages | 256 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |