The Living Clock: The Orchestrator of Biological Rhythms 1st Edition

by John D. Palmer (Author)

6 ratings

ISBN-13: 978-0195143409

ISBN-10: 019514340X

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From one-celled paramecium to giant blue whales, we all have internal clocks that regulate the rhythms we live by. In The Living Clock, John Palmer, one of the world's leading authorities on these rhythms, takes us on a tour of this broad and multifaceted subject, examining everything from
glowing fruit flies to the best cures for jet lag.
Palmer has a wonderful sense of humor and an eye for the startling fact. We learn that fiddler crabs--in a lab where there are no time nor tide cues--remain active when low tide would occur and motionless during high tide, the same pattern they follow in their natural habitat. (In fact, you can
remove a crab's leg and the leg will keep a tidal rhythm as long as it's kept alive.) Moreover, humans are subject to more than one hundred biological rhythms. Mental acuity peaks in the afternoon, for instance, and our blood pressure peaks at seven in the morning (when most heart attacks occur).
The time of day you take medication can affect how well it works. And Palmer shows that when our clocks are thrown off kilter, trouble follows, especially for rotating shift workers--the Bhopal spill, the Chernobyl reactor explosion, and the Three Mile Island accident all happened when new crews
began early-hour shifts.
No one has discovered exactly how our internal clocks work--Palmer says a Nobel Prize awaits that lucky scientist--but they are no less fascinating for their inexplicable nature. Frequently amusing and always eye-opening, The Living Clock is a treat for everyone curious about the nature of life
as well as anyone planning a long jet flight.

Review

"Palmer has written a whimsical, 'gosh can you believe that' account for the interested lay reader, which is also a book that will further fascinate serious chronobiologists with the wonders of their subject. It is a reminder of the marvels of nature and of the critical role that endogenous
biological timing plays in the life cycles of almost every organism." -- C.P. Kyriacou, Science

"Its rare to be able to recommend a book on science for holiday reading, but this one, The Living Clock, is a griper from the first page and never lets go.... The topic is fascinating: the internal clocks that we all possess in common with almost every form of life on Earth.... Take it with you to
the beach."--Roy Herbert, New Scientist

"Anyone fortunate enough to read Professor Palmer's new book will not only appreciate the crucial role of rhythms in all of life's forms, but will be greatly entertained, and even astonished, by the wonderful tales woven into the plot."--John Carlson Aldrich, Department of Zoology, Trinity College,
Dublin

"Everyone knows somebody who claims not to need an alarm clock. These people will tell you that they have woken up every day at 6:00 a.m. for twenty years and don't even bother to set the alarm anymore. How do they do that? In The Living Clock, Professor John Palmer tells us the story of the
discovery of the internal clocks which exist in almost every living thing, from bacteria to humans. This book is both a work of scientific popularization and a scientific autobiography since Professor Palmer has personally contributed a great deal to our understanding of the living clock. Professor
Palmer's personal annecdotes are, in fact, the highlight of the book. Told with humor but also with a seasoned scientist's keen eye for detail, these stories take us on a journey of discovery."--Marc R. Roussel, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Lethbridge

"An erudite and entertaining journey through the world of biological clocks, ranging from such human details as when best to take aspirin to the ubiquitous per gene. Gleaning illustrations from the entire spectrum, botanical and zoological, Palmer demonstrates the universal importance of temporal
rhythms in organismal and cellular biology. The clock concept plays an equally crucial role in modern medical practice and in understanding such arcane phenomena as the annual breeding cycle of the palolo worm. The Living Clock belongs in that small exclusive library of books ideally suited for
creating an exciting introductory course in biology for non-biologists, and even for non-scientists. It was fun to read."--Peter Marler, Section of Neurobiology, Physiology & Behavior, University of California, Davis

About the Author

John D. Palmer is Professor of Biology at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and spends most summers at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole. One of the world's leading authorities on living clocks, he has worked in the field for forty years.

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Product information

Technical Details

Publisher

‎Oxford University Press; 1st edition (March 1, 2002)

Language

‎English

Hardcover

‎176 pages

ISBN-10

‎019514340X

ISBN-13

‎978-0195143409

Item Weight

‎13.3 ounces

Dimensions

‎8.44 x 6.88 x 0.76 inches

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5 star		66%
4 star		23%
3 star		11%
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Eastern Sue

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2015

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A fascinating read -- biological clocks seem to be in nearly all living organisms.

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Olivia chilton

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2014

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It was good

One person found this helpful

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Kindle Customer

body clock

Reviewed in the United States on December 5, 2012

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I am a strong believer in the body clock and this book had very good information regarding the process. Fairly easy to read. Fascinationg subject and this book had some good information.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

My biological clock doesn't keep accurate time.

Reviewed in the United States on June 19, 2016

I wish the book had some info on broken biological clocks. Circadian rhythm disorders can cause disability so it would be interesting to know the mechanism by which they operate.

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Top reviews from other countries

moon

applauds to the orchestrator..

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 21, 2013

Verified Purchase

very nice book that gives a overview of biological rhythms
written in a very nice style, with funny anectode
probably very interesting to non-biologists (and non-scientists) too

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The Living Clock: The Orchestrator of Biological Rhythms 1st Edition

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