The Web Of Life (Perspectives in Science & Engineering)

Traditionally biology has been considered as a descriptive science. However, the birth of an embryo, the development and differentiation of the fetus, the pre-eminence of the brain as the seat of mind, memory and intelligence as conspicuous attributes of humankind, and the processes of aging, disease and death have retained elements of mysticism. This book is designed to provide a sampling of the processes and enigmas governing life at every stage of evolution on this planet.
The evolution of the disciplines of biochemistry, biophysics, molecular biology and more recently, genetic engineering has clearly contributed to an understanding of life processes in molecular terms. However, molecules and their interaction cannot in themselves constitute life or the processes of life, as life has to be examined from the appropriate perspective. This is achieved by starting from an appreciation of the fundamental laws enshrined in mathematics. From there one must proceed on to an appreciation of molecul

This compact anthology on a wide range of biological topics is a delightful read.
–Quarterly Review of Biology