The Way Life Works: The Science Lover's Illustrated Guide to How Life Grows, Develops, Reproduces, and Gets Along (Paperback)

by Mahlon Hoagland (Author), Bert Dodson (Author) "To see life as a whole-to observe what all life has in common-requires a shift in the way we normally look at things..." (more)
Key Phrases: New York

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Subtitled The Science Lover's Illustrated Guide to How Life Grows, Develops, Reproduces, and Gets Along, The Way Life Works is what happens when a biologist and artist share an interest in life from bacteria to humans, and collaborate on taking their knowledge public. The result is a most magnificent science book, devoted to the wonder and unity of the natural world. The chapters start with Patterns and Energy, continue with Information, Machinery, Feedback, and Community, and end with Evolution. Each is superbly written, delightfully illustrated, and supremely informative.

Take the chapter on energy and its explanation of ATP, a.k.a. the conversion of light energy into chemical energy. The metaphor is dance, with an illustration showing electrons as jitterbuggers in the Chloroplast Ballroom. The text explains that

as the lights spin and the band breaks into "Sugar Jump," the dancers go wild. Suddenly a bystander inspired by a couple on the floor gets dancing feet. This in turn excites a second bystander to dance and before long a chain reaction takes place, each new dancer energizing the next bystander.

It's a brilliant start to a lucid explanation of a subject that plunges many a biology student into a panic, here made so readily accessible that readers, ages 10 to 100, can come away with a working mental model of the process. And so it goes for division of cells, DNA double helixes, fermentation, and the adaptation of genes. Hoagland and Dodson have succeeded in producing that most beauteous of reference books, the resource that makes you interested in what you had thought was dull as dishwater, then, once you're hooked, raises your understanding to a high standard of comprehension. It's a truly laudatory work of science and art. --Stephanie Gold

Product Description
In the tradition of David Macaulay's The Way Things Work, this popular-science book--a unique collaboration between a world-renowned molecular biologist and an equally talented artist--explains how life grows, develops, reproduces, and gets by. Full color.


From the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Three Rivers Press (November 17, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812928881
• ISBN-13: 978-0812928884
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #177,264 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best book I ever read!, July 18, 2000

By	Marco Ruiz (San Diego, CA United States) - See all my reviews

Style is awesome!. The graphics and analogies are so well done that almost anybody without previous biology knowledge can get the full picture of the basics (and even some level of detail) of molecular and cell biology after reading this book. The level of abstraction is so good that sometimes I had to stop to think about what I read to get the real dimension that the writers wanted to expossed. It is a real master piece describing life (as life and not as an specific species) in its full dimension. Congrats to the authors!, I have read so many books, but I can't remember one with such an in depth, simply and universal style. That book is worth far more than the $20 I paid for it.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Way Science Should Be Taught!, April 29, 1999

By A Customer

As soon as I browsed through this book at a local bookstore, I knew I had to have it. For visual thinkers, this book is a must. I've read about many biological processes for years but when I read this book I constantly find myself saying, "Aha! So that's what's happening." Very educational and enjoyable to say the least. It deserves 10 stars.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The everyone's gateway to biology !, April 3, 2000

By	VAHIDA Behzad (RUEIL MALMAISON France) - See all my reviews

I've just terminated to read this book, and I think the authors have done a fantastic job. Explaining major biology themes in such a pleasant way is really wonderful. It's difficult to imagine a better introduction to biology !

The book explains what is life, how it produces energy, what is genetics,... Even evolution is covered in a very clear manner. Latest theories and thoughts about these topics are included, for example about the origin of life.

I have read some books on biology (I'm a mechanical engineer), and I think this one is the best to begin with. It's a great refreshing to see all these beautiful drawings (the work of Bert Dodson is great), and to read a text so sharp and clear (thanks to Mahlon Hoagland) !

A vital book for everybody amazed by life and biology, who feels some gap in his/her knowledge about the subject.