Book picks similar to
The Neuron: Cell and Molecular Biology by Irwin B. Levitan
science
neuroscience
biology
non-fiction
Guardian Angel: My Journey from Leftism to Sanity
Melanie Phillips - 2013
Beginning with her solitary childhood in London, it took years for Melanie Phillips to understand her parents’ emotional frailties and even longer to escape from them. But Phillips inherited her family’s strong Jewish values and a passionate commitment to freedom from oppression. It was this moral foundation that ultimately turned her against the warped and tyrannical attitudes of the Left, requiring her to break away not only from her parents—but also from the people she had seen as her wider political family. Through her poignant story of transformation and separation, we gain insight into the political uproar that has engulfed the West. Britain’s vote to leave the EU, the rise of far-Right political parties in Europe, and the stunning election of US president Donald Trump all involve a revolt against the elites by millions. It is these disdained masses who have been championed by Melanie Phillips in a career as prescient as it has been provocative. Guardian Angel is not only an affecting personal story, but it provides a vital explanation why the West is at a critical crossroads today. “Melanie Phillips has been one of the brave and necessary voices of our time, unafraid to speak the language of moral responsibility in an age of obfuscation and denial. This searing account of her personal journey is compelling testimony to her courage in speaking truth to power.”—Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks
The Second Intelligent Species: How Humans Will Become as Irrelevant as Cockroaches
Marshall Brain - 2015
We currently see no evidence of any kind indicating that extraterrestrials exist outside of our solar system. But at this moment, millions of engineers, scientists, corporations, universities and entrepreneurs are racing to create the second intelligent species right here on planet earth. And we can see the second intelligent species coming from all directions in the form of self-driving cars, automated call centers, chess-playing and Jeopardy-playing computers that beat all human players, airport kiosks, restaurant tablet systems, etc. The frightening thing is that these robots will soon be eliminating human jobs in startling numbers. The first wave of unemployed workers is likely to be a million truck drivers who are replaced by self-driving trucks. Pilots will be eliminated soon as well. Then, as new computer vision systems come online, we will see tens of millions of workers in retail stores, fast food restaurants and construction sites replaced by robots. Unless we take steps now to change the economy, we will soon have tens of millions of workers who are unemployed and seeking welfare because they will have no other choice. Marshall Brain's new book "The Second Intelligent Species: How Humans Will Become as Irrelevant as Cockroaches" explores how the future will unfold as the second intelligent species emerges. The book answers questions like: - How will new computer vision systems affect the job market? - How many people will become unemployed by the second intelligent species? - What will happen to millions of newly unemployed workers? - How can modern society and modern economies cope with run-away unemployment caused by robots? - What will happen when the first sentient, conscious computer appears? - What moral and ethical principles will guide the second intelligent species? - Why do we see no extraterrestrials in our universe? "The Second Intelligent Species" offers a unique and fascinating look at the future of the human race, and the choices we will need to make to avoid massive unemployment and poverty worldwide as intelligent machines start eliminating millions of jobs.
Anatomy 101: From Muscles and Bones to Organs and Systems, Your Guide to How the Human Body Works
Kevin Langford - 2015
Too often, textbooks turn the fascinating systems, processes, and figures of anatomy into tedious discourse that even Leonardo Da Vinci would reject. This easy-to-read guide cuts out the boring details, and instead, provides you with a compelling lesson in anatomy. Covering every aspect of anatomical development and physiology, each chapter details the different parts of the human body, how systems are formed, and disorders that could disrupt bodily functions. You'll unravel the mysteries of anatomy with unique, accessible elements like:
Detailed charts of each system in the body
Illustrations of cross sections
Unique profiles of the most influential figures in medical history
From cell chemistry to the respiratory system, Anatomy 101 is packed with hundreds of entertaining facts that you can't get anywhere else!
At the Bench: A Laboratory Navigator, Updated Edition: A Laboratory Navigator
Kathy Barker - 1998
In this newly revised edition, chapters have been rewritten to accommodate the impact of computer technology and the Internet, not only on the acquisition and analysis of data, but also on its organization and presentation. Alternatives to the use of radiation have been expanded, and figures and illustrations have been redrawn to reflect changes in laboratory equipment and procedures.
The Epigenetics Revolution
Nessa Carey - 2011
The Human Genome Project finished sequencing human DNA. It seemed it was only a matter of time until we had all the answers to the secrets of life on this planet. The cutting-edge of biology, however, is telling us that we still don't even know all of the questions. How is it that, despite each cell in your body carrying exactly the same DNA, you don't have teeth growing out of your eyeballs or toenails on your liver? How is it that identical twins share exactly the same DNA and yet can exhibit dramatic differences in the way that they live and grow? It turns out that cells read the genetic code in DNA more like a script to be interpreted than a mould that replicates the same result each time. This is epigenetics and it's the fastest-moving field in biology today. The Epigenetics Revolution traces the thrilling path this discipline has taken over the last twenty years. Biologist Nessa Carey deftly explains such diverse phenomena as how queen bees and ants control their colonies, why tortoiseshell cats are always female, why some plants need a period of cold before they can flower, why we age, develop disease and become addicted to drugs, and much more. Most excitingly, Carey reveals the amazing possibilities for humankind that epigenetics offers for us all - and in the surprisingly near future.
Visual Intelligence: How We Create What We See
Donald D. Hoffman - 1998
Hoffman aptly demonstrates the mysterious constructive powers of our eye-brain machines using lots of simple drawings and diagrams to illustrate basic rules of the visual road. Many of the examples are familiar optical illusions--perspective-confounding cubes, a few lines that add up to a more complex shape than seems right. Hoffman also takes a cue from Oliver Sacks, employing anecdotes about people with various specific visual malfunctions to both further his mechanical explanation of visual intelligence and drive home how important this little-understood aspect of cognition can be in our lives. An especially intriguing example involves a boy, blind from birth, who is surgically given the power to see. At first, he is completely unable to visually distinguish objects familiar by touch, such as the cat and the dog. Other poignant examples show clearly how image construction is normally linked to our emotional well-being and sense of place. Visual Intelligence is a fascinating, confounding look (as it were) at an aspect of human physiology and psychology that very few of us think about much at all. --Therese Littleton
Human Osteology
Tim D. White - 1991
Now revised and updated for a third edition, the book continues to build on its foundation of detailed photographs and practical real-world application of science. New information, expanded coverage of existing chapters, and additional supportive photographs keep this book current and valuable for both classroom and field work. Osteologists, archaeologists, anatomists, forensic scientists and paleontologists will all find practical information on accurately identifying, recovering, and analyzing and reporting on human skeletal remains and on making correct deductions from those remains. KEY FEATURES: * From the world renowned and bestselling team of osteologist Tim D. White, Michael T. Black and photographer Pieter A. Folkens* Includes hundreds of exceptional photographs in exquisite detail showing the maximum amount of anatomical information* Features updated and expanded coverage including forensic damage to bone and updated case study examples* Presents life sized images of skeletal parts for ease of study and reference
Molecular Biology of the Cell
Bruce Alberts - 1983
By extracting the fundamental concepts from this enormous and ever-growing field, the authors tell the story of cell biology, and create a coherent framework through which non-expert readers may approach the subject. Written in clear and concise language, and beautifully illustrated, the book is enjoyable to read, and it provides a clear sense of the excitement of modern biology. Molecular Biology of the Cell sets forth the current understanding of cell biology (completely updated as of Autumn 2001), and it explores the intriguing implications and possibilities of the great deal that remains unknown. The hallmark features of previous editions continue in the Fourth Edition. The book is designed with a clean and open, single-column layout. The art program maintains a completely consistent format and style, and includes over 1,600 photographs, electron micrographs, and original drawings by the authors. Clear and concise concept headings introduce each section. Every chapter contains extensive references. Most important, every chapter has been subjected to a rigorous, collaborative revision process where, in addition to incorporating comments from expert reviewers, each co-author reads and reviews the other authors' prose. The result is a truly integrated work with a single authorial voice. Features : - Places the latest hot topics sensibly in context - including genomics, protein structure, array technology, stem cells and genetics diseases. - Incorporates and emphasises new genomic data. - All of molecular biology is brought together into one section (chapters 4-7) covering classically defined molecular biology and molecular genetics. - Two chapters deal exclusively with methods and contain information on the latest tools and techniques. - New chapters on "Pathogens, Infection, and Innate Immunity". - Cell Biology Interactive CD-ROM is packaged with every copy of the book. - Contains over 1,600 illustrations, electron micrographs and photographs, of which over 1,000 are originally conceived by the authors.
30-Second Anatomy: The 50 Most Important Structures And System In The Body, Each Explained In Half A Minute
Gabrielle M. Finn - 2012
Whether you are a student of medicine or biology, an artist, an athlete, or simply dying to know what your physician means when he mentions your plexus or your humerus, this is the quickest route to get under your own skin. Or, indeed, to understand exactly how your own skin works. Dissecting the detail of everything from your bones to your brain into 30-Second summaries, using no more than two pages, 300 words, and one picture, this is the hip way to understand the basic structures and systems that are you. Illustrated with gory graphics and supported by biographies of medical pioneers, time lines, and glossaries, it's the book of body parts that would have kept Burke and Hare in at nights.
The Longevity Paradox: How to Die Young at a Ripe Old Age
Steven R. Gundry - 2019
But aging does not have to mean decline. World-renowned surgeon Dr. Steven Gundry has been treating mature patients for most of his career. He knows that everyone thinks they want to live forever, until they hit middle age and witness the suffering of their parents and even their peers. So how do we solve the paradox of wanting to live to a ripe old age—but enjoy the benefits of youth?This groundbreaking book holds the answer. Working with thousands of patients, Dr. Gundry has discovered that the “diseases of aging” we most fear are not simply a function of age; rather, they are a byproduct of the way we have lived over the decades. In The Longevity Paradox, he maps out a new approach to aging well—one that is based on supporting the health of the “oldest” parts of us: the microorganisms that live within our bodies.Our gut bugs—the bacteria that make up the microbiome—largely determine our health over the years. From diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s to common ailments like arthritis to our weight and the appearance of our skin, these bugs are in the driver’s seat, controlling our quality of life as we age.The good news is, it’s never too late to support these microbes and give them what they need to help them—and you—thrive. In The Longevity Paradox, Dr. Gundry outlines a nutrition and lifestyle plan to support gut health and live well for decades to come. A progressive take on the new science of aging, The Longevity Paradox offers an action plan to prevent and reverse disease as well as simple hacks to help anyone look and feel younger and more vital.
Biochemistry
U. Satyanarayana - 2013
The book has undergone three editions, several reprints, and revised reprints in a span of 13 years. There are many biochemistry textbooks in the market. Some of them are purely basic while others are applied, and there are very few books which cover both these aspects together. For this reason, the students learning biochemistry in their undergraduate courses have to depend on multiple books to acquire a sound knowledge of the subject. This book, ‘Biochemistry’ is unique with a simultaneous and equal emphasis on basic and applied aspects of biochemistry. This textbook offers an integration of medical and pure sciences, comprehensively written to meet the curriculum requirements of undergraduate courses in medical, dental, pharmacy, life-sciences and other categories (agriculture, veterinary, etc.). This book is designed to develop in students a sustained interest and enthusiasm to learn and develop the concepts in biochemistry in a logical and stepwise manner. It incorporates a variety of pedagogic aids, besides colour illustrations to help the students understand the subject quickly and to the maximum. The summary and biomedical/clinical concepts are intended for a rapid absorption and assimilation of the facts and concepts in biochemistry. The self-assessment exercises will stimulate the students to think rather than merely learn the subject. In addition, these exercises (essays, short notes, fill in the blanks, multiple choice questions) set at different difficulty levels, will cater to the needs of all the categories of learners.New to This Edition The book offers an integration of medical and pure sciences, and is comprehensively written, revised and updated to meet the curriculum requirements of Medical, Pharmacy, Dental, Veterinary, Biotechnology, Agricultural Sciences, Life Sciences, and others studying Biochemistry as one of the subjects. It is the first text book on Biochemistry in English with multi-colour illustrations by an author from Asia. The use of multicolours is for a clearer understanding of the complicated biochemical reactions. It is written in a lucid style with the subject being presented as an engaging story growing from elementary information to the most recent advances, and with theoretical discussions being supplemented with illustrations, flowcharts, and tables for easy understanding of Biochemistry. It has each chapter beginning with a four-line verse followed by the text, biomedical concepts, a summary, and self-assessment exercises. The lively illustrations and text with appropriate headings and sub-headings in bold type faces facilitate reading path clarity and quick recall. It provides the most recent and essential information on Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Diabetes, Cancer, Free Radicals, Free radicals and Antioxidants, Prostaglandins, etc. It describes a wide variety of case studies and biochemical correlations and several newer biomedical aspects- Metabolic syndrome, Therapeutic diets, Atkins diet, Trans fatty acids, Epigenetics, Nutrigenomics, Recombinant ribozymes, Membrane transport disorders, Pleural fluid etc. It contains the basics (Bioorganic and Biophysical Chemistry, Tools of Biochemistry, Immunology, and Genetics) for beginners to learn easily Biochemistry, origins of biochemical words, confusables in Biochemistry, principles of Practical Biochemistry, and Clinical Biochemistry Laboratory.
The Analysis of Biological Data
Michael C. Whitlock - 2008
To reach this unique audience, Whitlock and Schluter motivate learning with interesting biological and medical examples; they emphasize intuitive understanding; and they focus on real data. The book covers basic topics in introductory statistics, including graphs, confidence intervals, hypothesis testing, comparison of means, regression, and designing experiments. It also introduces the principles behind such modern topics as likelihood, linear models, meta-analysis and computer-intensive methods. Instructors and students consistently praise the book's clear and engaging writing, strong visualization techniques, and its variety of fascinating and relevant biological examples.
The Lives of a Cell: Notes of a Biology Watcher
Lewis Thomas - 1978
Force of Nature: The Life of Linus Pauling
Thomas Hager - 1995
He decried the internment of Japanese-Americans in World War Two, agitated against nuclear weapons, promoted vitamin C as a cure for the common cold and researched the idea of DNA.