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How We Live and Why We Die: The Secret Lives of Cells Hardcover – October 19, 2009

by Lewis Wolpert (Author)

11 customer reviews

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Biologist Lewis Wolpert eloquently narrates the basics of human life through the lens of its smallest component―the cell.

Everything about our existence―movement and memory, imagination and reproduction, birth and, ultimately, death―is governed by our cells. They are the basis of all life in the universe, from the tiniest bacteria to the most complex animals. In the tradition of the classic Lives of a Cell, but with the benefit of the latest research, internationally acclaimed embryologist Lewis Wolpert demonstrates how human life derives from a single cell and then grows into a body, an incredibly complex society made up of billions of them. When we age, our cells cannot repair the damage they have undergone; when we get ill, it is because cells are so damaged they stop working and die. Wolpert examines the science behind topics that are much discussed but rarely understood―stem cell research, cloning, DNA, mutating cancer cells―and explains how all life evolved from just one cell. Lively and passionate, this is an accessible guide to understanding the human body and life itself.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Wolpert, professor emeritus of biology at University College London (Six Impossible Things Before Breakfast), conceives bodies as complex societies of cells, with each individual cell and cell type fulfilling a very specific role. As Wolpert explains, cells are incredibly complicated, representing evolution in action. Indeed, Wolpert asserts, However clever one thinks cells are, they almost always turn out to exceed one's expectations. He provides basic biological information about cell structure, genetics and reproduction, and then discusses the roles cells play in disease, aging, death, reproduction, memory, emotion and much more. In focusing on the process of human development, he marvels at how a single cell, a fertilized egg, can grow into a complex organism. Along the way, Wolpert lightly touches on some hot-button topics like the ethics of stem cell research; when a developing fetus might be considered human; and the ethics of cloning. His range is so great that he has little time to delve beneath the surface of any of the subjects he raises, making this a cursory introduction for the novice in basic cell biology and its implications. (Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Lewis Wolpert is 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.

Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company; 1 edition (October 19, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0393072215
ISBN-13: 978-0393072211
Product Dimensions: 5.9 x 1 x 8.7 inches
Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 11 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,191,769 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1496 in Molecular Biology (Books)
- #3875 in Anatomy (Books)

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EMC2

The Complex Body

April 5, 2018

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Fascinating book. You need to know some biology, but you get a good snapshot of how cells function (or don't function). Talk about complex interactions and chemistry. Great digest of just how cells operate.

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Julie D. Cullinan

Excellent resource for Biology Classes

June 15, 2012

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

This book is an excellent resource for biology classes (I am using it with my Biology 2 class). This book teaches cells in a 'real life application' sense. I recommend looking into it and checking out on the web the way other teachers are using it.

One person found this helpful

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DJ Outro

Fascinating primer on the state of the art in cell biology

January 20, 2010

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Wolpert gives an expert's overview of everything we know as humans about our own cells. The book is appropriate for anyone with some vague familiarity with biology looking to get up to speed. However, there are two major flaws with this text. First, there are no pictures, diagrams, or even references to accompany the text. This makes understanding the process of cell division, for example, next to impossible. Second, there are glaring grammatical and basic style errors. I encountered many run-on sentences and sudden changes of topic in the middle of paragraphs. I would have expected better writing from such an acclaimed researcher and presumably reasonable editor! Regardless, I enjoyed reading it and recommend it as a primer for more in depth reading on biology elsewhere.

10 people found this helpful

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Zina Rhoad-weinberger

I LOVE SCIENCE!!!

August 15, 2013

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

This is the book that is required for AP Biology at my high school. It is very informative and entertaining reading for a school subject!

One person found this helpful

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Tech Historian

Wonderful Survey of cells - without a single diagram

November 23, 2009

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

If you want to catch up on basic biology of the cell Lewis Wolpert had written the primer. In plain and precise english he takes through a tour of all that's known about the cells that make us who we are. If I was just rating the text, it deserves 5-stars.

Unbelievably this masterful text is dumped on the reader without a single diagram, drawing or illustration. You read this right. Imagine taking your college biology course by just reading 200+ pages of text. I spent hours reading a few pages and then getting on the web to find pictures or videos to help explain what I was reading. I finally gave up when I realized I should just go out and buy a book that had invested the time in illustrating these difficult concepts.

I don't know what the publisher was thinking and why the author would agree to this. If the purpose of the book was to provide the lay-reader with insight into the workings of the cell in the body, this is an unfinished book.

Kudo's to the writer for the text but not worth buying until the book is completed. Shame on the publisher for trying to do this on the cheap.

61 people found this helpful

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College mom

great for AP classes!

August 23, 2013

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

This was mandatory reading for AP class for my son. We purchased a used book which came in great condition.

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S. Erik Skoug

Outstanding !

February 12, 2010

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

The author, Lewis Wolpert, has managed to explain "the secret lives of Cells"
in a way that makes it all understandable for a lay person.
Not only does he make the facts clear but the book is written in such a
way that we - as readers - get the feeling of participating in the
fantastic exploration of the cells of which we are all made.
Fun, and easy reading, about a very important aspects of our lives.

6 people found this helpful

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D. Wayne Dworsky

The Basis of Life

September 29, 2013

Format: Kindle Edition

The base of all life is the cell, of which all living things are composed. Cell study enables scientists to understand How We Live & Why We Die. Cells are amazingly adapted to gather proteins, enzymes and other molecular structures, which provide the building blocks and energy of life. Cells also provide the written instructions of how to build the organism, from their DNA.

Like a nail-biting mystery, the author unravels the secrets locked up in the cell. He reveals the grand contribution of Gregor Mendel and other great scientists who helped develop the theories that explains how life works. Many of these have given rise to new ways to study diseases and understand in a more profound way, the meaning of life itself.

Sensitive to the bases of all life, Wolpert goes on to explain how we become human, how we reproduce, how we move, think and feel, how we grow and why we age, how we survive, how cancer strikes, how deceases are caused and the origin of life. Although he explains his points from the perspective of a scientist, he succeeds in his use of very readable language and draws clear conclusions. A mind-expanding read.

2 people found this helpful

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How We Live and Why We Die: The Secret Lives of Cells Hardcover – October 19, 2009

Editorial Reviews

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About the Author

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How We Live and Why We Die: The Secret Lives of Cells Hardcover – October 19, 2009

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Product details

Related video shorts (0)

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11 customer reviews

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