ISBN 10: 0786192747 ISBN 13: 9780786192748

Publisher: Blackstone Audiobooks, 2000

Lewis Thomas has been said to be a philosopher who uses the language of biology. His fascinating observations on the quirkiness of the world's infinite creations causes listeners to ponder the workings of the cosmos through the most microscopic of life forms. The medusa, a tiny jellyfish that lives on the ventral surface of a sea slug found in the Bay of Naples, becomes a metaphor for eternal issues of life and death as Thomas further extends the exploration of man and his world which he began in The Lives of a Cell. Among the treasures in this magnificent book are essays on the human genius for making mistakes, on disease and natural death, on cloning, on warts, and on Montaigne, as well as an assessment of medical science and health care. In these essays and others, Thomas once again conveys his observations of the scientific world in his eloquent prose marked by wonder and wit.

About the Author:

Lewis Thomas (1913-1993) was born in New York. He earned a bachelor's degree at Princeton and a doctorate in medicine in 1937. He went on to become professor of pediatric research at the University of Minnesota, chairman of the Departments of Pathology and Medicine and also dean at the New York University--Bellevue Medical Center, chairman of the Department of Pathology and dean at Yale Medical School, and president of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. His now classic book, The Lives of a Cell, won the National Book Award in 1974.

From AudioFile:

This collection of essays continues the late Thomas's musings on the natural world and humanity, which he began in THE LIVES OF A CELL. Varying in length and topic, these essays address death, cloning, symbiotic relationships in nature, as well as a wide range of other subjects. There is an excellent essay on the failure of modern medical education, with Thomas's prescription to fix it. Like any collection of essays, some will be of more interest than others. John Tindle's performance, while not distinguished, is adequate. He has an understated manner of delivery that is meant to bring out the irony, and humor, in many of the essays. Overall, he succeeds, though towards the end his reading tends to be monotonous. Also, it would have been nice to have a listing of the essays for the listener's reference. M.T.F. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine