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Review
'The secret lives of cells' shouldn't be kept a secret, and Wolpert makes a good start at breaking the silence. . . . Impressively up to date.--Helen Pickersgill
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
'The secret lives of cells' shouldn't be kept a secret, and Wolpert makes a good start at breaking the silence. . . . Impressively up to date.--Helen Pickersgill
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
22 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Wolperts 'How We Live and Why We Die' provides a decent introduction to cell theory and the basic workings of cells. It covers topics such as how proteins are made, how gene expression is controlled, the process of embryogenesis, how cells fight invaders, the origin of cancer, and more.
I am extremely passionate about these topics (I actively work in one of the fields), but Wolpert fails, in my opinion, to give anything but the most basic textbook discussions: mRNA goes to the ribosome and this is the machine that makes proteins; this cell moves over here and that one over there during gastrulation etc. He fails to portray the sense of wonder and amazement that I often feel when reading journals and other books about these issues. In fact his chapter on development (where he made his name) is the most disappointing and superficial.
I understand that he is aiming this book towards people with less training in the concepts than me, but that is not the point. I have no formal education past A-level in physics but Brian Greene's books have allowed me to glimpse the workings of the Universe according to modern theoretical physics. If he can do that, I would hope someone like Wolpert could write a book which instills similar sense of wonder about life and cells. This is not that book.
If you are a real beginner to cell biology i.e. if you have no idea what a gene is, or that proteins are made from amino acids, or that cells have membranes, then this might be a decent read to give you a very simple overview of molecular biology. But don't expect to overwhelmed with wonder. Don't expect to be finishing chapters feeling enlightened with a smile on your face.
As a detailed example, I take the chapter on embryogenesis, how we develop into humans from a single cell - the fertilised egg. Wolpert mentions his own French flag model of positional information, but he only touches on the amazing process of regeneration - how certain animals can re-grow limbs and how they know exaclty how big to make them (the best evidence for positional information). Rather than discuss the amazing process that development is, how an embryo can build itself whilst also keeping itself alive - had to absorb nutrients before we had a gut, had to exchange gas before we had lungs, had to build our central nervous system before we knew how to think. All of this development just happens. Rather than give us these sorts of insights, instead Wolpert offers us a garbled and confusing description of gastrulation - though very important, probably not the process someone who is being introduced to development really wants to know about.
Overall, a decent and fairly short introduction to some of the basic ideas of cell biology. Probably good for absolute beginners. But don't expect to be amazed by (1) average writing, or (2) the way he describes the biology.
I am extremely passionate about these topics (I actively work in one of the fields), but Wolpert fails, in my opinion, to give anything but the most basic textbook discussions: mRNA goes to the ribosome and this is the machine that makes proteins; this cell moves over here and that one over there during gastrulation etc. He fails to portray the sense of wonder and amazement that I often feel when reading journals and other books about these issues. In fact his chapter on development (where he made his name) is the most disappointing and superficial.
I understand that he is aiming this book towards people with less training in the concepts than me, but that is not the point. I have no formal education past A-level in physics but Brian Greene's books have allowed me to glimpse the workings of the Universe according to modern theoretical physics. If he can do that, I would hope someone like Wolpert could write a book which instills similar sense of wonder about life and cells. This is not that book.
If you are a real beginner to cell biology i.e. if you have no idea what a gene is, or that proteins are made from amino acids, or that cells have membranes, then this might be a decent read to give you a very simple overview of molecular biology. But don't expect to overwhelmed with wonder. Don't expect to be finishing chapters feeling enlightened with a smile on your face.
As a detailed example, I take the chapter on embryogenesis, how we develop into humans from a single cell - the fertilised egg. Wolpert mentions his own French flag model of positional information, but he only touches on the amazing process of regeneration - how certain animals can re-grow limbs and how they know exaclty how big to make them (the best evidence for positional information). Rather than discuss the amazing process that development is, how an embryo can build itself whilst also keeping itself alive - had to absorb nutrients before we had a gut, had to exchange gas before we had lungs, had to build our central nervous system before we knew how to think. All of this development just happens. Rather than give us these sorts of insights, instead Wolpert offers us a garbled and confusing description of gastrulation - though very important, probably not the process someone who is being introduced to development really wants to know about.
Overall, a decent and fairly short introduction to some of the basic ideas of cell biology. Probably good for absolute beginners. But don't expect to be amazed by (1) average writing, or (2) the way he describes the biology.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I saw this book reviewed by Robin McKie in the Guardian Weekly - reprinted from The Observer. I am not a graduate scientist, just fascinated by Life. Wolpert is easy to read and precise in his detail. He does not talk down to the reader, and uses the scientific names when appropriate, but sprinkles his descriptions of these subtle and invisible processes with easily understood metaphor.
I only had one quibble: he often writes of the hundreds of thousands of different protiens as "engines" taking their fuel from ATP. For me this was one metaphor too far, and remains a mystery.
The book has a useful glossary and index, and opens with an interesting account of the progress of research over the centuries.
I only had one quibble: he often writes of the hundreds of thousands of different protiens as "engines" taking their fuel from ATP. For me this was one metaphor too far, and remains a mystery.
The book has a useful glossary and index, and opens with an interesting account of the progress of research over the centuries.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Wanted a book to give me a good overview of what cells are / how they behave / what all the various components are eg DNA / proteins / chromosones etc..
It does this quite well but some parts are rather dense and difficult to understand. Also the book has no diagrams / photos / sketches - a major omission when many of us learn visually.
It does this quite well but some parts are rather dense and difficult to understand. Also the book has no diagrams / photos / sketches - a major omission when many of us learn visually.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A brilliant insight
After countless attempts to get my head around exactly what cells look like, how a neuron differs to a blood cell and what goes on inside the nucleus, I think this booked has... Read more
Published 9 months ago by katekatecamcam
How We Live and Why We Die
In terms of content, this is an excellent book, but it is badly let down by its lack of drawings or illustrations. Read more
Published 20 months ago by AlanM
No drawings
The task to open up the mind-boggling world of cells and their intricacies to the intelligent layman is a challenging one. Read more
Published 22 months ago by Shinga
Sloppily written, lacking insight
I bought this book hoping for some insights into cellular biology, and how our bodies form, grow old and die. Read more
Published on 16 Mar 2010 by ToneFloat
An exemplary exposition of biological workings
Biology and it's workings are things of wonderment and wide ranging explanations can be almost overwrought with technicalities. Read more
Published on 29 Oct 2009 by Mr. I. B. Mott
How We Live and Why We Die : The Secret Lives of Cells
This interesting presentation of ideas, by Lewis Wolpert, has helped me with my understanding of this aspect of Life.
Published on 6 Jun 2009 by L. M. Ingle
Fascinating Cells!
This was an amazing book. I have read lewis Wolpert's work before and his style suits me and I find it easy to read. Read more
Published on 5 Jun 2009 by B. Wensworth
very interesting - but no pictures
I found this little book quite engrossing, it really puts you in awe of the incredible complexity achieved through evolution and the most amazing thing is that it all seems to work... Read more
Published on 3 Jun 2009 by Peter Innes
Cells: for anyone with an interest in biology
Lewis Wolpert is an eminent biologist. I only studied biology to O-level GCE (equivalent GCSE standard) and always wished I'd gone further. Read more
Published on 20 May 2009 by Chris Bowman
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