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gnome_friend's review
5.0
This is a very different book than Turner's previous work, [b:The Tinkerer's Accomplice: How Design Emerges from Life Itself|614768|The Tinkerer's Accomplice How Design Emerges from Life Itself|J. Scott Turner|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1348015638s/614768.jpg|601209], but is both a worthy sequel and an exposition of the concepts modern biology has lost in its quest for reductionist explanations of life. It traces the history of evolutionary vitalism and mechanism, from their beginnings in the days of Darwin, Lamarck, and Cuvier up through the Neo-Darwinian synthesis, and emerges with the realization that both are necessary to understand adaptation and natural selection. Critical to such an understanding is the concept of homeostasis, the maintenance of environments by organisms to best perpetuate themselves. Homeostasis is critical to the survival of any organism, and here is finally put into a theoretical framework that should allow for exciting discoveries in the years to come.
I do have to add that the epilogue poorly explains its ideas, but the book overall is very well written.
I do have to add that the epilogue poorly explains its ideas, but the book overall is very well written.
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