The Outer Reaches of Life [Hardcover]

John R. Postgate (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521440106 | ISBN-13: 978-0521440103 | Publication Date: March 25, 1994 | Edition: 1

Since the dawn of life on Earth, the world has been gradually transformed by living things into a comfortable home for plants and animals, including human beings. But many harsh and seemingly inhospitable places remain. It is the inhabitants of such places, mainly invisible microbes, that reveal the remarkable potential and resilience of life itself. How do microbes survive, even flourish, in superheated water or supercooled brine, at enormous pressures, without air, amid poisons? And what part do, and did, they play in making the Earth hospitable? In this fascinating account, engagingly written for lay readers, one of the world's leading microbiologists tells of the diverse adjustments microbes have made to apparently impossible habitats.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Humankind, it turns out, is a rather fragile species, demanding temperate climates, limited atmospheric pressures, and an environment relatively free of acidity, alkalinity, and toxicity in order to survive and reproduce. Microbes are far less picky about their surroundings and, as John Postgate explains in The Outer Reaches of Life, have managed to adapt to virtually every ecological niche that our planet offers. Extremes of heat, pressure, acidity, or alkalinity are no barrier to microbial life. There are microbes that feast on sulfur, iron, nitrogen, and hydrogen--even oils, plastics, and fluoroacetate, a potent pesticide. Postgate adeptly illustrates the variety of the microbial world and explains (in a jargon-free fashion) what scientists understand of its functioning. But perhaps the strongest feature of this book is its ability to convey the intense challenges facing microbe researches who strive to unlock the secrets of microscopic life and its amazing adaptations. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From Library Journal

Science essayists usually write on natural phenomenon that are observable (animal behavior) or subjects that are widely reported, such as DNA. Postgate, author of the classic Microbes and Man (Cambridge Univ. Pr., 1992. 3d ed.) breaks this pattern by devoting an entire work to the smallest pieces of life: microbes. After an introduction, the remaining 17 sections cover individual topics (temperature, pressure, nutrients, and so forth) and that topic's effect on microbial life. Clearly written, the text makes connections between chapters. Evolution, the environment, and antibiotics are a few of the niches filled by Postgate's microbes. Recommended for all general science collections.
- Michael D. Cramer, Virginia Polytechnic & State Univ. Libs, Blacksburg
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press; 1 edition (March 25, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521440106
• ISBN-13: 978-0521440103
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,948,947 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bacteria rule the world!, March 25, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Outer Reaches of Life (Hardcover)

I found this book very enjoyable. John Postgate does an excellent job of describing the different types of environments that bacteria can occupy, from surviving in the deep-freeze arctic to boiling sulfur springs to mineral deposits buried deep within the earth. I was reminded of Stephen Jay Gould's "Full House", where he says that bacteria probably constitute the majority of the biomass of the earth. There's also an excellent chapter on flagella - and it was quite nice to see a good description at the molecular level of the flagella, along the lines of Michael Behe's description in "Darwin's Black Box".

One of the themes I found interesting in the book was that of evolution. He mentions examples of how bacteria might have evolved to digest nasty man-made organic chemicals in the environment, through natural selection of degradation pathways of similar molecules. Also presented is a "time-line", starting with the formation of the Earth and moon, about 4,500,000,000 years ago. Essentially bacteria appeared as soon as fossils could be formed - about 3,500,000,000 years ago, and for the next 2,500,000,000 years it was only bacteria, then a few small multi-cellular organisms, and it's only within the past 500,000,000 years or so that more complex organisms appeared (and really only the last 65,000,000 years saw the development of "modern" plants and animals). So essentially bacteria have "ruled the earth" for most of the history, and still occupy an amazing range of places and, as pointed out in Postgate's last chapter, the bacteria are still necessary for establishing new territory. So, for example, he says that in the future it might be possible to send bacteria to Mars or another planet to start preparing the surface, in terms of generating an atmosphere and also the beginnings of a biological ecosystem, for the eventual habitation of humans.

In summary, I would highly recommend this book!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book examines the basic requirements for Earth life, December 27, 1996

By A Customer

This review is from: The Outer Reaches of Life (Canto original series) (Paperback)

The author, an English microbiologist, describes the extremely harsh environments in which Earth life (particularly bacteria and archaea) can be found. From this survey, he goes on to examine whether life could exist elsewhere (in the solar system or beyond) and what the minimum requirements for such life would be. Postgate is so determined to make the science accessible that he occasionally slips into a condescending tone. This is a small price to pay for some excellent basic information about bacterial lifestyles. The book could also use a bibliography (more condescension toward the non-specialist reader). In general, a first-rate science book

5.0 out of 5 stars Microbiology at its best, January 9, 2007

By 

W. H. Van Eijk - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Outer Reaches of Life (Canto original series) (Paperback)

Excellent overview of where microbial life can go and thrive. Great overview for any microbiologist.