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What Is Life?: Five Great Ideas in Biology
by
Paul Nurse
4.28 · Rating details · 227 ratings · 41 reviews
The renowned biologist Paul Nurse has spent his career revealing how living cells work. In What Is Life?, he takes up the challenge of describing what it means to be alive in a way that every reader can understand.
It is a shared journey of discovery; step-by-step Nurse illuminates five great ideas that underpin biology—the Cell, the Gene, Evolution by Natural Selection, Li ...more
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Hardcover, 160 pages
Published February 2nd 2021 by W. W. Norton Company (first published September 3rd 2020)
Original Title
What Is Life?: Understand Biology In Five Steps
ISBN
0393541150 (ISBN13: 9780393541151)
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Oct 03, 2020☘Misericordia☘ ⚡ϟ⚡⛈⚡☁ ❇️❤❣ rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
Shelves: underrated, favorites
A fun collection of a famous Nobel prize-winner life scientist's perspective on what life precisely is....
Life as genes, as info, as chemistry (oh, la-la, that pesky chem!), as evolution... Among other things....
How DNA works (as much as we know - we don't geteverything, just bits). Quite a lot of interesting insights on genetical research.
How cellular information is managed and applied. Or, better yet, how everything cecllular works? Or seems to work?
How one becomes a Nobel prize-winning author?
What questions are still baffling us? What ideas are key ones right now? What can we consider to be the cornerstone of our current understanding of how life developed? And a lot of other things ....
In a nutshell, a great read! (less)
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Nov 03, 2020Bernardo rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
Shelves: science, non-fiction
What is Life?
It’s a question that scientists and philosophers have wondered about for a long time. And what is it that defines and differentiates life from non-life? While philosophers may, to a certain degree, be able to give an answer, most likely it won’t be complete or fully satisfying. Biologists are the people that should be asked about these questions. They’re the ones trying to work out the physics and chemistry of living organisms. To answer the question What is Life? one must first understand life.
Life is incredibly complex. It has been evolving for about 3.5 billion years in our planet. In the beginning there were only single cell organisms. All the biodiversity we see today came from the same common ancestor. Life’s branches are numerous and they stretch long. As we go on about our daily lives, we might not think about this facts. That’s why I believe books like this one are so important. They remind us that there is a connectedness between humans and all other living organisms, in terms of the cell, genes, evolution, chemistry, information, and others.
I was very surprised to learn that this is Paul Nurse’s first book. He is as distinguished a biologist as you’ll find, having won the Nobel Prize in 2001 and having been the president of the Royal Society until a few years ago. His writing is engaging and captivating. Whenever necessary he uses technical terms, while also remaining clear and approachable throughout the book. He also comes across as a very humble person, despite how much he has achieved. Complemented by some fascinating stories about his life and work, this book actually feels quite personal, which is remarkable, considering that it’s a science book.
This is a wonderful book that works remarkably well as an introduction to modern biology. It’s also written by a highly distinguished biologist. Paul Nurse not only guides us through the major steps of biology in order to answer the initial question, but also shares his opinions about life, viruses, society, religion and the future, among others. I hope that he keeps on writing more books. (less)
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Sep 18, 2020Brian Clegg rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
Ever since the success of Carlo Rovelli's Seven Brief Lessons in Physics there has been a fashion for short, smart-looking small hardbacks which almost always have a number in the title or subtitle. Paul Nurse's new (and first) book fits in perfectly as an attractive little number with the subtitle 'understanding biology in five steps'.
Such books fall into two broad categories. Some (like Seven Brief Lessons) are little more than expensive collections of a handfuls of woffly essays. But some - and What is Life? is a good example - manage to pack a surprising amount of content into an informative, readable bite-sized chunk, easily consumed on a commute or at bedtime.
Nurse makes no secret of the fact this is not a very original title, echoing amongst others quantum physicist Schrödinger's vastly influential book from the 1940s. However, what Nurse does here is quite different. Each of his five steps is a major component to understanding the nature of life: cells - his own subject which he describes as 'biology's atom' - genes, evolution, life as chemistry and life as information. All are good, but I was blown away by the 'life as chemistry' section, bring home as it does the sheer complexity and scale of the vast numbers of chemical reactions that are happening all the time through an organism, with many different reactions occurring within the confines of a cell.
For me, the weakest part of the book is that it isn't really in five steps. I'm happy to allow Nurse an introduction and a 'pull it all together' bit at the end, but there's a sixth step before that called 'changing the world' which seems to be an unstructured mix of opinion material that was quite interesting, but not directly relevant to the book's theme, such as his support for GM crops. It rather feels like the publisher lost their nerve about the five steps and asked for a bit more.
This certainly isn't a huge problem, though. There's so much in those five steps sections I'm happy anyway. If, like me, you have limited experience of biology - especially modern biology - it's a beautiful, succinct introduction to those five fascinating components.
(less)
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Nov 09, 2020Steve rated it it was amazing
Shelves: popular-science
An excellent popular science book on biology that I highly recommend. Written by Paul Nurse, a Nobel Prize winner, and well known science populariser in the UK media (not least during this 2020 CoVid pandemic).
I read it as someone who enjoys being abreast of the latest developments in the physical sciences and who’s had a career mainly involving mechanical engineering. I’m knowledgable on the inanimate but I’m profoundly ignorant of the Life Sciences, initially a consequence of my schooling. So this popular book read was intended to help remedy that omission in my education. And, on balance, it met my intent.
A word on the book’s structure may help the new reader as I was initially not sure of the intended level of the book. The first chapter entitled Cells, was brief and light on details, mostly happy to leave us with the knowledge that a cell is a ball of liquid chemistry encapsulated by a membrane. Similarly the subsequent chapters on Genes (and DNA), and then on Evolution, were brief and to the point. I thought at that stage that I hadn’t learnt much that was new to me, and that maybe the book might be too elementary. But the book really took flight for me in the subsequent chapters (eg Life as Chemistry and Life as Information) where these earlier basics are built on and combined as we are taken fully into the complexity of life’s detailed processes. We get details on how life from its building blocks to the multi-celled structures function, even a concluding chapter on how life may have originated.
I found it a satisfying and easy, well written, read. I realised that maybe I knew a little more biology than I thought I did but this book brought it all together for me, ‘under one roof’. Not a reference book for those after an academic foundation to biology but a comprehensive overview for the popular science reader.
The epitome of a good popular science book - not too detailed, light on jargon, a sensible length at 200 pages, and the fascinating details and anecdotes you’d expect from the first hand experience of a practising scientist. Enjoyable. (less)
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Jan 31, 2021Aaron Akbar rated it really liked it
Up to date on the latest science and highly acessible through 5 easy to understand lenses. It's a quick path for the everyday person to become an armchair expert in biology in a mere 160 pages. Easy and engaging. (less)
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Oct 28, 2020Marcos Malumbres rated it really liked it · review of another edition
Shelves: biology-medicine, _ebook
Paul's book represents a very smart and almost poetical view of modern Biology, from philosophical concepts to implications in modern life. The key concepts are very well fixed in Paul's thinking as it was obvious from his lecture in 2003 The Great Ideas of Biology: The Romanes Lecture for 2003.
It is actually quite difficult to compress all these ideas in five concepts and a few pages, and the text may seem too dense is some paragraphs and very obvious in others, although I guess this depends on the background of the reader. In some sentences, I have the impression that the author spent too much time is some obvious descriptions but I may understand that editors want to make the text accesible to everyone even if results a bit boring. In any case, even if the reader is close to the actual content of the text, the way the author describes some ideas is brilliant and speaks about the level of his thinking.
I liked the less-scientific sections beyond the 5 key concepts. In one of them, the author discusses the implications in the way we have to see and treat our planet, Covid19, insects, etc. This may seem too subjective for some readers with different opinion, but I always think that opinions are more than welcome when they come from a brilliant mind. The last section is unique. Whereas the 5 key concepts summarize current thinking and can be described using (not very) different classifications or approaches, the definition of what is life in the last chapter provides a cohesive way to put all the concepts together and to see Biology with sparkling eyes. (less)
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Oct 23, 2020Amber Shott rated it really liked it
I now know a little more about life.
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Nov 08, 2020mo.problemo rated it it was amazing
If I had read this when I was in school I might have turned out to be a molecular biologist, or at least a better bioprocess engineer!
Honestly I feel this book should be a prerequisite to the sciences. Very well written and even though I have a degree and masters in chemical engineering/ bioengineering, I benefitted immensely from this short book written almost like a novel.
Touching off philosophy, the inevitable direction in which the sciences are now heading, I think I finally came to terms with death while reading the book. (less)
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Oct 11, 2020Remo Biagioni rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
The book takes you through five facets of life: the cell, genes, evolution, chemistry and information. Nurse then ties these together into a workable definition of life. Through that lens there may not appear to be much that is new. The joy of this book is the way Nurse explains and draws the ideas together. I found the chapter on 'Life as Information' particularly interesting. I'd assumed that cells and organs were just specialised machines with coordination and memory delegated to the brain and nervous system. Rather each cell has a "memory" both of the recent past and much further back that enables it to modify its state with purpose.
The author's skill and mastery of his subject (a Nobel prize and many, many other awards) are demonstrated as the book explains complex ideas simply, building one on top of another without ever losing the reader. For example, his explanation of how the chemical factories work in the cell is amazing. It's the first time I've understood why the shape of proteins matters and how something as simple as a cell can have a memory. The book leaves the reader with a sense of wonder and feeling enlightened. (less)
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Jun 28, 2020Scribe Publications added it · review of another edition
Shelves: non-fiction, popular-science, science, history, biology
Paul Nurse is about as distinguished a scientist as there could be. He is also a great communicator. This book explains, in a way that is both clear and elegant, how the processes of life unfold, and does as much as science can to answer the question posed by the title. It’s also profoundly important, at a time when the world is connected so closely that any new illness can sweep from nation to nation with immense speed, that all of us — including politicians — should be as well-informed as possible. This book provides the sort of clarity and understanding that could save many thousands of lives. I learned a great deal, and I enjoyed the process enormously.
Sir Philip Pullman
A masterful overview of biology that draws together big ideas, luminous details and personal insights. You emerge with a more profound sense of wonder about the diversity, complexity and interconnectedness of living organisms. It’s the biggest question in biology. And this book represents the best answer I’ve ever seen. Paul Nurse is a rare life-form — a Nobel-winning scientist and a brilliant communicator.
Alice Roberts
In this vibrant, lively book, Sir Paul Nurse, discoverer of some of the crucial genes that control the division of cells, takes a deep dive into biology by illuminating five of the essential characteristics of “life”. The writing is so spirited and knowledgeable — and the five sections so full of wondrous revelations — that I could not put it down. This is a book that will inspire a generation of biologists.
Siddhartha Mukherjee
A beautifully written exploration of perhaps the most important question in science. I felt I was being given rare access to a truly deep understanding of a complex and profound subject. This is the best introduction to modern biology I’ve read.
Brian Cox
A nearly perfect guide to the wonder and complexity of existence.
Bill Bryson
Nurse provides a concise, lucid response to an age-old question. His writing is not just informed by long experience, but also wise, visionary, and personal. I read the book in one sitting, and felt exhilarated by the end, as though I'd run for miles — from the author’s own garden into the interior of the cell, back in time to humankind’s most distant ancestors, and through the laboratory of a dedicated scientist at work on what he most loves to do.
Dava Sobel
Nobel Prize-winning biologist Paul Nurse’s exploration of this eternal question is nothing if not clear-eyed and elegantly communicated. An urgent book for our times.
Happy Magazine
Nurse, a Nobel laureate in medicine and director of the Francis Crick Institute, walks readers through five essential components of life, from the cell to evolution by natural selection, in a guide that’s part textbook and part history of ideas.
New York Times ‘New & Noteworthy’
Nobel Prize—winning geneticist Nurse takes a look at what makes up life in this eloquent introduction to biology … Nurse has a knack for presenting biological ideas in precise, accessible language. Anyone wondering how life works would do well to pick this up.
Publishers Weekly
[S]erves as an easy-to-understand introduction to cellular biology. Nurse illuminates the expected … and ventures into the surprising … An amiable book about scientific discovery and wonder, controlling chaos in biological systems, and the underlying connectedness of all life on Earth.
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Nov 15, 2020Kim Symes rated it liked it
Shelves: science, non-fiction, biology
Paul Nurse is a Nobel prize winning biologist, and director of the Francis Crick institute in London. Rather surprisingly this is his first book, and from the valedictory tone he sometimes adopts in this text, I suspect it maybe his only book.
It is a short volume (invitingly short) which describes biology in a nutshell. The five great ideas are: The Cell, The Gene, Natural Selection, Life as Chemistry and Life as Information. If you already have some biological knowledge you will find much of what is covered here very familiar. In fact most of it would be covered at GCSE level. The book does not contain any illustrations or diagrams, which some may feel adds to its charm, but also makes processes such as meiosis harder to imagine. For those who are already familiar with the material this isn't a great problem, but it isn't clear what readership the book is aimed at. The writer assumes little or no previous knowledge of biology, yet I feel he could have assumed at least a little (since, in the UK at least, it is compulsory to study Biology and Chemistry up to the age of 16).
The most interesting parts are where he digresses from his summary of the basics of biology to give us anecdotes about his own research on the chemistry of cell division in yeasts. If he were to write another book, I would be interested in reading more about this side of things - about the day-to-day life of a Nobel prize winner.
The best chapters for me were the last two, where he moves on to look at the place of humanity in the world, the role of science, and future scenarios.
Overall quite interesting, but not a classic of popular science. Possibly more enlightening for those with little prior knowledge of biology. I was slightly disappointed as I have a very high regard for Professor Nurse, and would have liked to hear more about his views on the role of science in society and his projections for the future. (less)
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Dec 27, 2020Sarah Ensor rated it liked it
This is an accessible, fun explanation of how biology works. It is about understanding organisms by evolutionary theory without recourse to ideas of a Creator. But it doesn't feel like a Dawkinsesque attack on people who hold religious ideas but an argument for taking science seriously. This is necessary in the age of Trump and assorted demagogues who rubbish experts and science by association. So Paul Nurse is appalled that science-based Covid19 advice has been ignored and defends the NHS.
The bit that disappoints me is in the last chapter 'changing the world' where he defends GM crops with the example of Golden rice. Golden rice is genetically modified to include vitamin A, the lack of which can kill. Nurse criticises anti-GM campaigners for preventing the experiments that could help these people. But he must know that children could get all the vitamin A they need if they were able to eat, say a carrot a day or a mango or papaya. Nurse doesn't ask why these children are so poor they may go blind for lack of a daily fresh fruit or vegetable.
Golden rice won't fix the problem of over a billion people being too poor to access sufficient nutritious food every day when the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation has made it very clear there is enough food already to feed everyone well.
GM crops are only a few lines in this book but they illustrate a serious issue. Scientists need to engage with science in society and question the system they work in or risk perpetuating problems endemic to capitalism. (less)
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Jan 25, 2021M rated it really liked it · review of another edition
This book's main asset is that it is easy-to-read and accessible, hopefully allowing more people to read it and be inspired by it. One thing I think Nurse does well, that is perhaps more rare, is discuss how he became a scientist and provide an insight into the life of a scientist although it is brief. Nurse also adds a voice by telling relevant, meaningful, short anecdotes. However, the title is rather misleading. The book concentrates on Nurse's specialism: genetics. Whilst this is a very interesting and crucial part of biology, I was hoping for a broader overview. As a result, towards the end I found the book covered the same topics, adding slightly more information each time. The last important note about this book isn't necessarily positive or negative but something for the reader to be aware of, especially towards the end of the book Nurse is very opinionated even though he somewhat addresses it and provides some counter arguments. (less)
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Feb 07, 2021Trey Shipp rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
Don't miss out on this gem of a book
If, like me, you always rushed through biology texts to get to the next fact, you will appreciate this beautifully written book that shows the grand scheme of it all. In five short chapters, Paul Nurse describes the key features of life:
1. The Cell is the basic unit of life.
2. The Gene is the information that builds, maintains, and reproduces life.
3. Evolution by natural selection allows life to adapt.
4. Chemistry is the basis of everything living things do.
5. Collecting and using information is central to life.
The book is short and easy to read. It is not a textbook on these concepts. Nurse is explaining how these five concepts define life. I enjoyed his wit and the stories he shares about his life (fascinating, but I won't spoil it for you), his discoveries, and the scientists he knew.
A fabulous book.
(less)
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Nov 19, 2020John Mannion rated it really liked it · review of another edition
Shelves: history, science
This begins with necessary but familiar sections on cells, genes and evolution by natural selection but really takes off when it examines the topics of life as chemistry and life as information.
Along with the biological information there are insights into Nurse's life, career and working practices. The style is clear and unfussy throughout and he is unfailingly generous in his references to other scientists.
The final two sections concern the impact of life and its inextricable interconnected this. They also provide a ringing endorsement of the scientific method in the face of recent populist challenges. (less)
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Feb 06, 2021Patrick Pilz rated it it was amazing
Biology in a nutshell.
Paul Nurse does a fantastic job in distilling down current science in the field of biology using laymen terms while trying to answer one of the most fundamental questions of life on Earth. His conclusions are more are closer to "what life does', yet he delivers on the promise of the book better than anyone before him using the same book title.
You can look at this book as a short summary on what you still should remember from biology class at school. If you feel that THAT is not much, you may want to get this book as a solid refresher. It is important in current times. (less)
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Nov 01, 2020Simon Dobson rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
Shelves: bonanza
A quick and clear introduction to all the main currents in modern biology, especially cell and molecular biology, explained with a fantastic clarity.
The five main chapters and the conclusion all address the core idea of approaching the question of "what is life?" from multiple perspectives. But there's also an additional chapter on how science and scientists need to engage with the wider world, with decision-makers and popular culture, that deserves more prominence than as what is, essentially, an essay sitting slightly uncomfortably with the thrust of the rest of the book. (less)
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Dec 08, 2020Sookie rated it liked it · review of another edition
Shelves: non-fiction
it was a pretty good listen during a monotonous day of testing. though there are no five steps and the question is borrowed from the famous Schrodinger - Paul Nurse confesses to this early on, to his credit, its a little fun foray into this modern undertaking of taking a subject matter and giving a deep science twist to it. the narration is spiffy, biology is kept simple (and pretty superficial) and the scientist tries (and succeeds) to cohesively put together a picture of life and a plausible answer for its origins.
its a good read. (less)
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Jan 29, 2021Gibson rated it it was amazing
Great science writers are masters of their field and can express themselves clearly and directly.
Paul Nurse’s book is expository for 5 chapters before arguing optimistically in the last two chapters in favour of, for example, great health care and scientifically sound environmental practice.
There is awe and grandeur in this writing. It aspires to ethical, evidence-based decision making that is appealing and refreshing. A complete antidote to the politics of the country in which I was born and in which I live.
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Review
Wise, visionary, and personal. I read the book in one sitting, and felt exhilarated by the end, as though I'd run for miles--from the author's own garden into the interior of the cell, back in time to humankind's most distant ancestors, and through the laboratory of a dedicated scientist at work on what he most loves to do.--Dava Sobel
[E]loquent...Anyone wondering how life works would do well to pick this up.--Publishers Weekly
A beautifully written exploration of perhaps the most important question in science.--Brian Cox
Paul Nurse is about as distinguished a scientist as there could be. He is also a great communicator. This book explains, in a way that is both clear and elegant, how the processes of life unfold, and does as much as science can to answer the question posed by the title. It's also profoundly important, at a time when the world is connected so closely that any new illness can sweep from nation to nation with immense speed, that all of us--including politicians--should be as well informed as possible. This book provides the sort of clarity and understanding that could save many thousands of lives.--Philip Pullman
A nearly perfect guide to the wonder and complexity of existence.--Bill Bryson
In this vibrant, lively book, Paul Nurse, discoverer of some of the crucial genes that control the division of cells, takes a deep dive into biology by illuminating five of the essential characteristics of 'life.' The writing is so spirited and knowledgeable--and the five sections so full of wondrous revelations--that I could not put it down. This is a book that will inspire a generation of biologists.--Siddhartha Mukherjee
About the Author
Sir Paul Nurse is director of the Francis Crick Institute in London. He previously served as president of Rockefeller University, president of the Royal Society, and trustee of the British Museum. He is a recipient of the 2001 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Informative, thought-provoking, and easy to readReviewed in the United States on 13 February 2021
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I really enjoyed this book! Nurse breaks down rather complicated biological processes into simple language, so that you don't have to have a background in biology to understand his points. He has a knack for explaining complex ideas in as few words as possible, while adding in a bit of humor, so it doesn't feel like reading a textbook. It is a fairly short book at about 140 pages, so it was comfortable for me to read in one sitting.
I especially liked the later sections of the book towards the end, when Nurse explains his own personal definition of what it means to be alive. His definition of life actually seems to include viruses as being alive, even though not all biologists seem to agree on that. He also points out that in all of the billions of years of history on this planet, the fact that all life shares several common traits points to life having evolved here exactly once. If there were multiple independent instances of life evolving from non-living materials, it would be highly unlikely that all would operate so similarly.
Nurse even mentions his own personal brush with death, and how our collective knowledge of the biological processes helped to save his life. It is really remarkable how many things he ties together, while still creating an easy to read and interesting narrative.
Nurse explains some of the ideas in this book in a recent World Science Festival podcast/interview, and that might also be helpful to anyone that is thinking about getting this, or would just like to hear him expound on some of these ideas.
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Trey Shipp
5.0 out of 5 stars Don't miss out on this gem of a bookReviewed in the United States on 8 February 2021
Verified Purchase
If, like me, you always rushed through biology texts to get to the next fact, you will appreciate this beautifully written book that shows the grand scheme of it all. In five short chapters, Paul Nurse describes the key features of life:
1. The Cell is the basic unit of life.
2. The Gene is the information that builds, maintains, and reproduces life.
3. Evolution by natural selection allows life to adapt.
4. Chemistry is the basis of everything living things do.
5. Collecting and using information is central to life.
The book is short and easy to read. It is not a textbook on these concepts. Nurse is explaining how these five concepts define life. I enjoyed his wit and the stories he shares about his life (fascinating, but I won't spoil it for you), his discoveries, and the scientists he knew.
A fabulous book.
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Donn Carstens
5.0 out of 5 stars Life is!Reviewed in the United States on 8 February 2021
Verified Purchase
This book provides a remarkable path from defining what life is, to traveling through the incredible and magnificent activity of the living cell and what is common it’s all living cells. It concludes by speculating on how life began. It is quite a remarkable 3.5 billion year journey.
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Thank you, Paul. (less)
