The Science of Biology
The reviewer was deeply impressed by the grace and clarity with which the author integrated an assortment of facts in presenting his central theme or principle.
Abstract
Instructors and students alike will find Weisz's The Science of Biology artfully presented and intellectually stimulating. The format, common offender in many biology texts, is here logical and original in many respects. Following an orientation for the student on the facets and ethics of science, the author proceeds with the beginnings of chemistry and the origin of cells, cells to multicellularity, organisms and their association with one another, and finally, their habitats. He then returns the reader for a closer view of protoplasm, its chemistry, function, and organization in the plant and animal body. Beyond this, the attributes of living systems-metabolism, steady-state, reproduction and adaptation-are discussed and compared in the plant and animal. The mechanics of adaptation, including the genetic phenomenon of mutation, conclude quite naturally with evolution and descriptions of phyla. The reader is left with a sense of having viewed the entire "struggle" to modify form within the confines of existence. Many excellent and well-selected photographs are included; those from electron microscopy are especially appropriate at this time. Concise and aesthetically pleasing diagrams are amply distributed throughout. The finesse with which the author has used these diagrams to summarize data or to contain a theme is highly commendable. Although they may appear to be simple-this is a misconception. To properly understand them, one must first read the text. This is a valuable asset in the training of students who might otherwise prefer to learn solely by "visual aid." The sections on energetics (metabolism and energy transfer cycles) are thoughtfully and thoroughly treated and are essentially up to date. While they are not always easy to follow, they do include, nevertheless, very pertinent information. It is welcome to find them in this kind of text. The reviewer was deeply impressed by the grace and clarity with which the author integrated an assortment of facts in presenting his central theme or principle. In this, his purpose, he has been most successful. The chemical, physical, anatomical, and functional aspects of a problem are often combined without burying the prospective in an excess of explanatory information. This means, a priori, that the student may have to look elsewhere for information regarding a point he does not understand. Some may regard this a weakness. However, the express purpose of the book has depended upon the presentation of significant facts, integrated for the support of biological principles. To make such principles understandable, or indeed even presentable, within the space of a text, some supportive information must be sought in other areas. Since the author has the ability not only to integrate information but to stimulate thought, it was disturbing to find that he did not introduce con-