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lwb's review against another edition
5.0
Another excellent book from Nick Lane. Covers much the same ground as his earlier books, with the order of presentation shuffled a bit and relative emphasis changed. Some new stuff as well.
Lane's work nicely introduces science as a process while telling stories that are edifying. His books are great for introductory biology students; an antidote to the dullness of traditional textbooks.
His evolutionary biology is still a little shaky. While he is clearly aware of multi-level selection, whenever he doesn't seem to appreciate that a synergy or conflict at a given level can only be assessed when the sum is taken at all relevant levels of selection. This is most glaring in the present treatment in his exclusive mitochondrial perspective on germ line sequestration, when the cell competition effects are clearly also germane. The key point is that the intra- and inter- cellular levels act in synergy.
Another point is that he sometimes mixes up what was once called proximate and ultimate causation. In discussing cytoplasmic male killers, he dismisses the traditional multi-level selection conflict interpretation, on the grounds that some such mutants are metabolic genes (not surprising since they are mitochondrial or chloroplast genes). The genetic mechanism is but a proximate mechanism defining the ultimate selective effect.
But these are quibbles of a professional biologist. In the great tradition of Medawar and Gould, his writing bring the science to life in a form broadly accessible.
Lane's work nicely introduces science as a process while telling stories that are edifying. His books are great for introductory biology students; an antidote to the dullness of traditional textbooks.
His evolutionary biology is still a little shaky. While he is clearly aware of multi-level selection, whenever he doesn't seem to appreciate that a synergy or conflict at a given level can only be assessed when the sum is taken at all relevant levels of selection. This is most glaring in the present treatment in his exclusive mitochondrial perspective on germ line sequestration, when the cell competition effects are clearly also germane. The key point is that the intra- and inter- cellular levels act in synergy.
Another point is that he sometimes mixes up what was once called proximate and ultimate causation. In discussing cytoplasmic male killers, he dismisses the traditional multi-level selection conflict interpretation, on the grounds that some such mutants are metabolic genes (not surprising since they are mitochondrial or chloroplast genes). The genetic mechanism is but a proximate mechanism defining the ultimate selective effect.
But these are quibbles of a professional biologist. In the great tradition of Medawar and Gould, his writing bring the science to life in a form broadly accessible.
mchester24's review against another edition
2.0
The two star rating for this book is much more a reflection of me and how utterly unprepared I was to understand the complex biochemistry Lane focuses on in this book. Perhaps I should have realized earlier that this book wasn't written for me, though in the introduction and in little nuggets throughout the book it really felt like he was trying to write it for a broader audience (he tried to ease the reader into the complex topics and how he would speak about them, but encouraged them it would be understandable to someone who was no expert. he also peppered in pop culture references and relatable metaphors here and there-- but not as much as my lack-of-bio-major mind needed). On top of that, some of the main conclusions he promised to get to-- the origin of life, the science behind aging/dying, what cellular life on other planets might look like-- were enticing enough to keep me going.
In spite of the fact that I struggled through the explanations of many parts of this book, there were little nuggets that I took away and enjoyed.
- He talked about the scientists behind the theories running around today, it really showed how much the scientists themselves-- their nature, their preconceived notions, their stubbornness-- can be just as important as the science itself when it comes to their theories and the vigor with which they hold onto them
- The discussion on how evolution/life "invented" having more than one sex was interesting. What sticks out to me was how he posited that having two sexes was the least beneficial number (if there is one sex, you can mate with everyone; if there are three sexes, you can mate with 2/3 of the population; if there are four sexes it goes up to 3/4, etc. But at 2 sexes, it's only 50%-- the smallest amount!).
- Here and there he applied the lessons of biology and evolution to life at large-- e.g., the most complex organisms arise when there is conflict and adversity much in the same way that someone with an easy life is likely to be less complex/interesting/prepared
- Biologically speaking, Lane gave a brief lesson on the early, or sometimes still existing, hermaphroditic species go to great lengths to avoid becoming the 'female' in any mating, lest they be resigned to the burden of carrying the offspring . This results in a battle to near-death where the loser is the one who gets inseminated. I feel this is another one ready to be discussed as it applies to human society, maybe just with the fact that we should all thank our mothers for what they did to bring us into this world.
In spite of the fact that I struggled through the explanations of many parts of this book, there were little nuggets that I took away and enjoyed.
- He talked about the scientists behind the theories running around today, it really showed how much the scientists themselves-- their nature, their preconceived notions, their stubbornness-- can be just as important as the science itself when it comes to their theories and the vigor with which they hold onto them
- The discussion on how evolution/life "invented" having more than one sex was interesting. What sticks out to me was how he posited that having two sexes was the least beneficial number (if there is one sex, you can mate with everyone; if there are three sexes, you can mate with 2/3 of the population; if there are four sexes it goes up to 3/4, etc. But at 2 sexes, it's only 50%-- the smallest amount!).
- Here and there he applied the lessons of biology and evolution to life at large-- e.g., the most complex organisms arise when there is conflict and adversity much in the same way that someone with an easy life is likely to be less complex/interesting/prepared
- Biologically speaking, Lane gave a brief lesson on the early, or sometimes still existing, hermaphroditic species go to great lengths to avoid becoming the 'female' in any mating, lest they be resigned to the burden of carrying the offspring . This results in a battle to near-death where the loser is the one who gets inseminated. I feel this is another one ready to be discussed as it applies to human society, maybe just with the fact that we should all thank our mothers for what they did to bring us into this world.
wilsondasilva's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
jsilverman84's review against another edition
5.0
It's remarkable to consider the extensive cellular capabilities that resulted from the likely endosymbiosis of two prokaryotes, which likely led to the evolution of eukaryotes. By this theory, these eukaryotic cells brought notably more efficiency, both in terms of energy creation/utilization and information storage/usage. The step function change in cellular capability makes you wonder what other combinatorial innovations are almost within reach.
rg473's review against another edition
5.0
It reads like a thriller, if you are confident with some rudimentary Chemistry.