| |||||||||||||||
 Trade In this Item for up to £0.50
Get an extra £5 when you trade in books worth £10 or more until June 30, 2012. Trade in Power, Sex, Suicide: Mitochondria and the meaning of life for an Amazon.co.uk gift card of up to £0.50, which you can then spend on millions of items across the site. Trade-in values may vary (terms apply). Find more products eligible for trade-in.
|
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
More About the Author
Product Description
Review
Challenging, but rewarding. (Vanessa Thorpe, Observer )
Its the most interesting and significant addendum to Darwin's theory I think I've come across since Richard Dawkins explained how genes are the mechanism for evolution. (Independent on Sunday, )
An enthralling account...The author has accomplished something quite breathtaking... Moreover, he brings the science alive...he is always accessible lively , thought provoking and informative. Every Biologist should read this book
Its the most interesting and significant addendum to Darwin's theory I think I've come across since Richard Dawkins explained how genes are the mechanism for evolution. (Independent on Sunday, )
An enthralling account...The author has accomplished something quite breathtaking... Moreover, he brings the science alive...he is always accessible lively , thought provoking and informative. Every Biologist should read this book
Biologist, October 1, 2006
The author has accomplished something quite breathtaking.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
First Sentence
Mitochondria are tiny organelles inside cells that generate almost all our energy in the form of ATP. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
Mitochondria are tiny organelles inside cells that generate almost all our energy in the form of ATP. Read the first page
Explore More
Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
24 of 25 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book is a real treasure for anyone who wants to understand what life on Earth is all about and why we are the way we are. After you have read "The Selfish Gene", this (admittedly far more specific and complicated) work is the mandatory follow-up.
But talk about a misleading title! (Dare I say "cheap sales trick"?) Of course, strictly speaking, this book is about power - meaning "power" in the sense of "energy", not in the sense of "power over something or somebody". It is about sex - but only in the sense of "how did two-gender organisms emerge", not in any sexy meaning. And it's about suicide - it describes how occasionally cells die willingly if it benefits the organism as a whole. So if Mr. Lane would say under oath that this book is about power, sex and suicide, he could not be convicted of perjury. On the other hand, I don't think there are many people in the world who, seeing the title "Power, Sex, Suicide", would expect to find a book on... mitochondria!
And this book is about mitochondria. They are organelles inside the cells and they supply cells with energy. It doesn't sound like a big deal, but according to this book, mitochondria are the crucial piece of the puzzle that has made life as we know possible. When you read this book, you'll learn that amoeba (one-cell organisms who have mitochondria) are actually closer to humans than to bacteria (one-cell organisms without mitochondria). You'll also learn why bacteria can never evolve into multicellular organisms, and even why Richard Dawkins's "selfish gene" theory isn't applicable on bacteria. Also, the emergence of multiple sexes (there are species that have more than two) and the phenomenon known as cell suicide have been caused by mitochondria. The part on antioxydants was also rather interesting.
Finally, Mr. Lane suggests that the emergence of mitochondria was such a hugely improbable coincidence that it's quite possible that it has never occurred anywhere else in the universe. It means that it's plausible to assume that Earth is the only place where there is any life above the level of bacteria.
My only big complaint is that Mr. Lane just can't do without pathetic politically correct apologies whenever touching subjects that have to do with (human) gender relations.
But talk about a misleading title! (Dare I say "cheap sales trick"?) Of course, strictly speaking, this book is about power - meaning "power" in the sense of "energy", not in the sense of "power over something or somebody". It is about sex - but only in the sense of "how did two-gender organisms emerge", not in any sexy meaning. And it's about suicide - it describes how occasionally cells die willingly if it benefits the organism as a whole. So if Mr. Lane would say under oath that this book is about power, sex and suicide, he could not be convicted of perjury. On the other hand, I don't think there are many people in the world who, seeing the title "Power, Sex, Suicide", would expect to find a book on... mitochondria!
And this book is about mitochondria. They are organelles inside the cells and they supply cells with energy. It doesn't sound like a big deal, but according to this book, mitochondria are the crucial piece of the puzzle that has made life as we know possible. When you read this book, you'll learn that amoeba (one-cell organisms who have mitochondria) are actually closer to humans than to bacteria (one-cell organisms without mitochondria). You'll also learn why bacteria can never evolve into multicellular organisms, and even why Richard Dawkins's "selfish gene" theory isn't applicable on bacteria. Also, the emergence of multiple sexes (there are species that have more than two) and the phenomenon known as cell suicide have been caused by mitochondria. The part on antioxydants was also rather interesting.
Finally, Mr. Lane suggests that the emergence of mitochondria was such a hugely improbable coincidence that it's quite possible that it has never occurred anywhere else in the universe. It means that it's plausible to assume that Earth is the only place where there is any life above the level of bacteria.
My only big complaint is that Mr. Lane just can't do without pathetic politically correct apologies whenever touching subjects that have to do with (human) gender relations.
25 of 27 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
What a book, absolutely fascinating and highly recommended, although I must say that this is not an easy book, in fact is kind of complex if you are not acquainted with the subject. This is not a critic, thing is I would not change a bit of it, but in my opinion, people should have a little knowledge of cellular metabolism and biochemistry before attempting this book.
After reading Dawkins book about the selfish gene, it was inevitable for me to wonder about life origins, why unicellular organisms have that tendency to complexity and to group itself, and how all this machinery works. This book provide a thorough and absorbing biography of Mitochondria and its symbiosis with eukaryotes, what is the function of each one, why there are two sexes and why we aged and finally become history. As you will see, our understanding of these matters is rather modest, the author insinuate possible solutions to some of the big questions, but in any case the subject is so interesting that you read this book excited all the way to the end.
How beautiful is life and how complex ... you can see that just watching a little fly and wonder how on earth this insect manage to fly, as if eukaryotes have a previous knowledge of Physics, as if they have all the basic solutions of nature in a template. I just know one thing: I want to know and read more about it.
After reading Dawkins book about the selfish gene, it was inevitable for me to wonder about life origins, why unicellular organisms have that tendency to complexity and to group itself, and how all this machinery works. This book provide a thorough and absorbing biography of Mitochondria and its symbiosis with eukaryotes, what is the function of each one, why there are two sexes and why we aged and finally become history. As you will see, our understanding of these matters is rather modest, the author insinuate possible solutions to some of the big questions, but in any case the subject is so interesting that you read this book excited all the way to the end.
How beautiful is life and how complex ... you can see that just watching a little fly and wonder how on earth this insect manage to fly, as if eukaryotes have a previous knowledge of Physics, as if they have all the basic solutions of nature in a template. I just know one thing: I want to know and read more about it.
43 of 47 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Cellular biology is a subject, which falls between the interesting and complicated. It is for this reason I warn the reader that unless you have an unquenchable thirst for this subject, think twice about reading this book. For the biologically-orientated individual however, this is an excellent book, which takes account of recent developments and discoveries. It is very readable and the author has made a complex subject a somewhat absorbing field. The reason for the 4 stars is the price. Given the lack of illustrations, the price is a bit on the high side.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Insight into Cell Biology.
A most intriguing journey into cell biology.
In parts hard going, but worth the effort.
Nick Lane has the ability to explain these sometimes difficult concepts in a way... Read more
In parts hard going, but worth the effort.
Nick Lane has the ability to explain these sometimes difficult concepts in a way... Read more
Published 4 months ago by G. Hodgson
Bit of a word bog
Yet very informative. As a layman I found this hard going, particularly as I have no formal qualifications in cell biology. Read more
Published 6 months ago by A. Hall
Brilliant
This book had some quite in-depth ideas for a 'popular science' book. It was very well written and flowed well. Read more
Published 6 months ago by OliverTerrett
Fascinating and unsettling
The miracle of the eukaryotic cell was nothing short of a revelation. GCSE science left me with the impression of the cell as nothing more than a fried egg. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Charlie
Fascinating, but hard work
This is a fascinating book about how cells - the things that make up everything living being - actually work, and particularly how the cells of eucaryotes (which includes all... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Alec Cawley
It's true - mitochondria rule the world
I bought this book on trust, not intuitively understanding how mitochondria could be as dramatically important as was claimed on the cover. Read more
Published 13 months ago by anozama
Zoology Student!
This book is a saviour! It has helped me so much with my cellular and molecular biology module, it's casual yet incredibly informative. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Ms. S. J. Martin
One of the three most informative books I have ever read
I read the hardcover version three years ago and I'm ready to start it again. There is a lot to get hold of, so I would not recommend anyone to tackle this book unless they are... Read more
Published on 7 Dec 2009 by Eberstwil
Hard work, but worth it
Very dense text, detailed, and for me took a big digression in the middle.
But, boy did I learn a lot! Read more
But, boy did I learn a lot! Read more
Published on 17 Sep 2009 by P. C. Hackett
Fascinating but not an easy read.
The story of mitochondria, how cells get powered, with amazing discussions of evolution, the steps to multi-cellular organisms, the reason we have two sexes, cell death and other... Read more
Published on 12 Sep 2009 by R. J. M. Baines
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
- Books > Science & Nature > Biological Sciences > Biological Science > Cell Biology
- Books > Science & Nature > Biological Sciences > Evolution
- Books > Science & Nature > Biological Sciences > Human Biology > Physiology
- Books > Science & Nature > Mathematics > Popular Maths
- Books > Scientific, Technical & Medical
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
|
