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This is an easy-to-understand delightful little book (which can be read in a couple of days). Taking the title from the seminal work of Erwin Schröedinger, which inspired Nobelists such as Watson and Crick, the author reviews the recent history of biology major steps: the chemical nature of genes, the structure of the DNA molecule and the genetic code together with the heroes behind these milestones. The real goal of the book is to define something such as undefinable as life, something that Schröedinger did not answer. There is no doubt that metabolism, replication and evolution are three characteristics of life, but there are exceptions and it would seem that metabolism is the most fundamental, although some machines, such as cars, function in a way reminiscent of metabolism, but they do not grow or repair themselves such as living beings do. So the question has not yet a clear answer and it is hoped that ET life or artificial life will eventually help to clarify the notion of life which at present is perhaps too earth centric. Naturally there is the added problem (without having a clear definition) to certify when something artificial is deemed to be defined as living. A proposed solution is "à la Touring". When an artificial cell is recognized by other natural cells as living it should be taken as living.
The book describes some of the recent efforts in the direction to create artificial life or synthetize the elements of living organisms. Having been published in 2008 it misses some the most recent results such as those of Sutherland, but this is normal in such rapidly advancing field.
- Hardcover: 208 pages
- Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux; First Edition edition (April 1, 2008)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0374288518
- ISBN-13: 978-0374288518
- Product Dimensions: 5.7 x 0.9 x 7.5 inches
- Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
- Average Customer Review: 12 customer reviews
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Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
#3,824,242 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #16478 in History & Philosophy of Science
- #17801 in Evolution (Books)
- #19236 in Biology & Life Sciences
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