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diz_tn's review
5.0
In these days of downsizing and minimalism, it is rare that a book finds a permanent home on my bookshelves. Yet this one has managed to do just that. The Meaning(s) of Life takes the reader on a journey through the development of life from proteins and single-celled organisms up through humans and (potentially) artificial life. Along the way we are given a history lesson on the scientific breakthroughs that allowed us to gain this complete picture of life as we currently know it.
"My aim is not to teach biology, but to select snippets of biology that are now interestingly at odds with the way we are accustomed to thinking about life. It is also not a prescriptive book. It will not teach you how these new perspectives will lead you to a better life. It is mostly a useless book, intended to make you wonder about the meaning of life in new ways - for no reason in particular." p. 13
The author calls these new ways of thinking about life "conceptual gestalt shifts" while the old scientific paradigms he calls "folk biology," "folk chemistry," "folk physics," etc. The author has done an excellent job of breaking complex scientific theories down into easily understandable and logical bits. The analogies were well chosen to illustrate such detail. In spite of that though, I wouldn't necessarily call it an easy read. It is, after all, a book that is meant to make you think.
In spite of claiming to be a useless book, I found the information contained in it very useful. I do indeed look at life in new ways now. In fact, I intend to use this book as a reference if I ever write science fiction that contains alien life. The author goes into great detail about the probable whys of life - why are we bilateral, why do we have a nervous system, etc., etc. It will also make you reconsider (or at least reevaluate) your stance on certain political issues. I would hardly call that useless.
What really captivated me about this book, though, was the integration of a variety of other scientific fields - from philosophy and physics to psychology and sociology.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in science. I believe anyone could walk away from this book with a new perspective on life.
"My aim is not to teach biology, but to select snippets of biology that are now interestingly at odds with the way we are accustomed to thinking about life. It is also not a prescriptive book. It will not teach you how these new perspectives will lead you to a better life. It is mostly a useless book, intended to make you wonder about the meaning of life in new ways - for no reason in particular." p. 13
The author calls these new ways of thinking about life "conceptual gestalt shifts" while the old scientific paradigms he calls "folk biology," "folk chemistry," "folk physics," etc. The author has done an excellent job of breaking complex scientific theories down into easily understandable and logical bits. The analogies were well chosen to illustrate such detail. In spite of that though, I wouldn't necessarily call it an easy read. It is, after all, a book that is meant to make you think.
In spite of claiming to be a useless book, I found the information contained in it very useful. I do indeed look at life in new ways now. In fact, I intend to use this book as a reference if I ever write science fiction that contains alien life. The author goes into great detail about the probable whys of life - why are we bilateral, why do we have a nervous system, etc., etc. It will also make you reconsider (or at least reevaluate) your stance on certain political issues. I would hardly call that useless.
What really captivated me about this book, though, was the integration of a variety of other scientific fields - from philosophy and physics to psychology and sociology.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in science. I believe anyone could walk away from this book with a new perspective on life.
pyker's review
5.0
Before I say anything else I'd like to say, Thank you M.. for the book.
I was worried when I was given the book. How awkward would it be if I didn't like it? Luckily, I really loved M's Meaning of life. Before I say anything about the content, the book is really beautiful. It looks stunning on my bookshelf. As an avid e-book reader and a minimalist, I only keep the pretty ones and this book is here to stay.
Other reviewers have stated that the title is a little misleading and I can see why they would say that since it's a book which founds its questions in biology, not so much philosophy. However, as someone with a degree in Zoology with an emphasis on evolution, I would disagree. This book talks about what atheist scientist see as the wonders of the universe. It presents how wonderful the world is without a creator and how fascinating it can be. It's philosophy from the perspective of science. It's a refreshing read and I hope we'll see more of these kinds of books in the future.
Science is often heavy, however M has done a wonderful job making complicated science an easy read, making it personable, funny and not including more than necessary. If I was left to desire anything, it would be references even if it would take away from the aesthetics of the book.
I was worried when I was given the book. How awkward would it be if I didn't like it? Luckily, I really loved M's Meaning of life. Before I say anything about the content, the book is really beautiful. It looks stunning on my bookshelf. As an avid e-book reader and a minimalist, I only keep the pretty ones and this book is here to stay.
Other reviewers have stated that the title is a little misleading and I can see why they would say that since it's a book which founds its questions in biology, not so much philosophy. However, as someone with a degree in Zoology with an emphasis on evolution, I would disagree. This book talks about what atheist scientist see as the wonders of the universe. It presents how wonderful the world is without a creator and how fascinating it can be. It's philosophy from the perspective of science. It's a refreshing read and I hope we'll see more of these kinds of books in the future.
Science is often heavy, however M has done a wonderful job making complicated science an easy read, making it personable, funny and not including more than necessary. If I was left to desire anything, it would be references even if it would take away from the aesthetics of the book.
charbel14's review
4.0
Note: Thank you to the author for sending me a free copy.
This is a science book. It is mainly about biology, and though the title suggests some mysticism or spirituality, it contains nothing more than pure scientific facts. It was perfect for me.
It's a gateway biology book; it opens the inexperienced reader to an entire genre, and it does it well. It's main objective is to get readers to think about the meaning of life in a way different than the usual philosophical method, something done before by authors such as Stephen Hawking and Richard Dawkins.
The chapters in this book are properly developed, providing the right amount of information to guide the reader, but no so much as to disorient him/her. The progression is thought through brilliantly. The chapters support each other in a manner leading to a holistic understanding of the science. The evolution chapter in particular was excellent, quickly becoming my favorite chapter in the book.
There's not much to criticize about this book,but the occasional mistake in the typing did prove to be somewhat inconvenient, some editing is recommended.
Whether the author did accomplish his objective of enlightening the reader about the meaning of life, I cannot say. But I can say that it was an enjoyable read, which is what we look for in books after all.
Finally, a word about the author. His nom de plume does not reveal much- it is composed of one letter after all- neither does his description. Though a picture is provided, it is only natural to wonder about him and the reason behind the mystery. In the end, however, the book is well-researched (some references would have been nice though) and well-written.
This is a science book. It is mainly about biology, and though the title suggests some mysticism or spirituality, it contains nothing more than pure scientific facts. It was perfect for me.
It's a gateway biology book; it opens the inexperienced reader to an entire genre, and it does it well. It's main objective is to get readers to think about the meaning of life in a way different than the usual philosophical method, something done before by authors such as Stephen Hawking and Richard Dawkins.
The chapters in this book are properly developed, providing the right amount of information to guide the reader, but no so much as to disorient him/her. The progression is thought through brilliantly. The chapters support each other in a manner leading to a holistic understanding of the science. The evolution chapter in particular was excellent, quickly becoming my favorite chapter in the book.
There's not much to criticize about this book,but the occasional mistake in the typing did prove to be somewhat inconvenient, some editing is recommended.
Whether the author did accomplish his objective of enlightening the reader about the meaning of life, I cannot say. But I can say that it was an enjoyable read, which is what we look for in books after all.
Finally, a word about the author. His nom de plume does not reveal much- it is composed of one letter after all- neither does his description. Though a picture is provided, it is only natural to wonder about him and the reason behind the mystery. In the end, however, the book is well-researched (some references would have been nice though) and well-written.
andrewfontenelle's review
4.0
I received my copy of "The Meaning(s) of Life" from GoodReads First Reads Giveaway. Many thanks to Goodreads and M!
This is essentially a book on Biology and the author delves into the origins of life, genetics, death and host of topics which deal with how we are affected by and also impact the environment in which we live. Even love, empathy and freewill is viewed from a rather interesting perspective.
I liked the authors' presentation style which was fairly easy to follow with well reasoned discussion and argument of subjects - even areas which you may be in disagreement with! In particular, I liked the chapter on Evolution which was covered in such a logical manner. There is much to learn as the author introduces many of the recent developments which have helped to change our understanding of how things work!
I think that this book would appeal to someone with an interest in science, but who also wants to gain different perspective on life.
This is essentially a book on Biology and the author delves into the origins of life, genetics, death and host of topics which deal with how we are affected by and also impact the environment in which we live. Even love, empathy and freewill is viewed from a rather interesting perspective.
I liked the authors' presentation style which was fairly easy to follow with well reasoned discussion and argument of subjects - even areas which you may be in disagreement with! In particular, I liked the chapter on Evolution which was covered in such a logical manner. There is much to learn as the author introduces many of the recent developments which have helped to change our understanding of how things work!
I think that this book would appeal to someone with an interest in science, but who also wants to gain different perspective on life.
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