THE publishing world is awash with books about basics 鈥� if what you are after is a basic understanding of the smaller end of biology, this could be just the book for you.
In 200 or so short pages, breezes through all we know about cell biology. There aren鈥檛 many surprises, but Wolpert is an engaging host with an eye for a clever analogy. Perhaps the biggest thrill to be had is when he lays bare the awe-inspiring intricacy of the living cell, though he left me hungering for an explanation of how it all works.
Wolpert is well known for taking swipes at the enemies of progress and this book is no exception, but his attacks lack nuance and seem out of place in what is otherwise a nicely written, if didactic, popular science book in the tradition of .
Advertisement
Faber and Faber