Exploring the Way Life Works: The Science of Biology

This book is excellent! If you're a current or future student of biology (especially a beginner, like me), or even a teacher, you will have no trouble understanding the concepts of biology due to the illustrations and explanations. The book's examples reference everyday life so you can instantly apply what you're reading and seeing. The illustrations are colorful and well defined, and the text is light and even a bit humorous. As a future teacher this book will definitely be added to my permanent collection of reference books.

IF you ever wondered what DNA is all about and do not have the time to read text books on this subject THEN The Way Life Works is for you. Very highly recommended for all ages.

The previous reviewers have pretty much covered all ground so I'm writing this review just to add another 5 star rating to this book, The cartoons are nice but they do make the book about five times as large as it would have been otherwise. Other than that I have no complaints. If you don't know much about cellular biology, here is your chance to learn about photosynthesis, protein synthesis, DNA replication, evolution, etc. and actually ENJOY it!

This is simply the book I had been waiting for all my life!! The book is unquestionably a superb introductory text for the biology ignorant like me. :-) I've always been fascinated by molecular biology and genetic but lack any formal training in general biology. Since my chemistry background has been relatively poor I had been looking for a molecular biology primer that relies more on the conceptual and theoretical understanding than formal chemistry background. This text explains the essential concepts in the simplest terms (but not shallow) that anyone can comprehend and appreciate. Want to know how DNA and RNA work? Want to learn what are ATP, mitochondrion, molecular evolution, etc.? Just read this book! You'll understand and want to learn more about biology in general. The 7 chapters in the text cover essential concepts about biological life: pattern, energy, information, machinery, feedback, community, and evolution. I wish there are more biology books like this one targeted toward the general public who wants to understand the deep issues in molecular biology without overally simplifications. This is the book about Life I'd been looking forward to read all my life! I'm sure many others have been waiting for a book like this to be written. And now it's!! I'd highly recommend it to everyone who is interested in biology but is afraid of too much chemistry and/or too shallow of coverage. Lee