Product Description

The Machinery of Life is a journey into the sub-microscopic world of molecular machines. Readers are introduced to the types of molecules built by cells, including proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, and polysaccharides; then, in a series of full-color "watercolor" illustrations, which show a portion of a living cell magnified by 1,000,000 times, the reader is guided through the interior world of cells. The book explores the ways in which molecules work in concert to perform the processes of living, and how vitamins, viruses, poisons, and drugs each have their effects on the molecules in our bodies. The book is a fascinating introduction to biochemistry for the non-specialist, and combines a lucid text with an abundance of drawings and computer graphics that present the world of cells and their components in a truly unique way.

This new edition has been updated to include the many major advances of the past decade, and is richly illustrated in full color throughout.

About the Author/Illustrator:

Dr. David S. Goodsell is Associate Professor in the Department of Molecular Biology at The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA. His illustrations have become well known and now appear in many publications as the primary demonstration of the crowded nature of cells. He has also provided expertise and illustrations to many science museums, most recently acting as a "thinking partner” for a new multi-site nanotechnology initiative headed in part by the Exploratorium in San Francisco.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #10870 in Books
• Published on: 2009-04-28
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 167 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780387849249
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Amazon.com Review
The cell is the basic unit of life, but most of us have at best a fuzzy, low-power idea of how cells are put together and what they look like. "The microscopic world of molecules is separated from our everyday world by an insurmountable, million-fold difference in size," says David Goodsell. "I created the illustrations in this book to help bridge this gulf and allow us to look at the molecular structure of cells, if not directly, then in an artistic rendition." Goodsell has succeeded remarkably. His pictures, mostly line drawings, show the structures of crucial biochemicals and the boggling intricacy of their arrangement in living cells. "A few minutes' study may be needed to overcome the feeling of claustrophobia," said Nature, "but will reward the reader with a lasting impression of the density and complexity of this soup of life." --Mary Ellen Curtin

Review

From the reviews of the second edition:

"The Machinery of Life is a journey into the sub-microscopic world of molecular machines. Readers are introduced to the types of molecules within the cell, including proteins, nucleic acids, lipids and polysaccharides. … The Machinery of Life is a pictorial overview of the molecules that orchestrate the processes of life. … The book provides a fascinating introduction to biochemistry and molecular biology for the non-specialists … . It is written in clear, jargon-free text that is accessible to the lay reader." (Medical News Today, May, 2009)

"This book is amazing. … this second edition is a major update. And what it conveys is the sheer unbelievable intricacy – and realness – of every cell in your body. David Goodsell … accomplishes this via amazing full-color illustrations, paintings based on computer animations created from microscope images. … It’s slim, readable and engaging, a nonfiction book that calls to you from the nightstand table. If you are even a little curious about how cells work, get your hands on The Machinery of Life." (Lisa Parsons, The Hippo, July, 2009)

"The Machinery of Life, which is a new edition of Goodsell’s 1993 book of the same name. … the author’s full-color illustrations are astonishing, forcing the reader to dwell for minutes on every picture. They are based on data from scientific papers, electron microscopy and information about molecular structures that were obtained by X-ray crystallography. … He does a good job. … Goodsell’s technique is remarkable. He uses a combination of hand-drawing and computer graphics illustration." (Weanée Kimblewood, Lab Times, Issue 5, September, 2009)

About the Author
Dr. David S. Goodsell is Associate Professor in the Department of Molecular Biology at The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA. His illustrations have become well known and now appear in many publications as the primary demonstration of the crowded nature of cells. He has also provided expertise and illustrations to many science museums, most recently acting as a "thinking partner” for a new multi-site nanotechnology initiative headed in part by the Exploratorium in San Francisco.

Customer Reviews

Beautiful
A beautiful introduction to the cell. Couldn't put it down. Goodsell has a rare combination of beautiful illustrations and lucid, and concise text. Only complaint is that I wish that the publisher had spent the money to put all of the images in color. Goodsell's watercolors are even better and would have been worth the printing price.

Indispensable for cell biologists and biochemists!
Goodsell has written a deceptively simple book. The illustrations should be incorporated into undergraduate and graduate level cell biology and biochemistry classes. Goodsell's point is that the environment of the cell is not that of a test tube. The environment is densely packed with proteins and organelles that will concentrate effective concentrations of reaction constituents and potentially restrict the mobility of larger proteins and organelles. Goodsell illustrates the point that size does matter.

Best Biology Book ever
The Machinery of Life is the best book on molecular biology I have ever read. If you have ever looked into a microscope and saw a blob an wanted to see further into that blob this is the book for you. Microscopes can only go so far. This book goes all the way down to the atom then back up to the small molecule then big molecule, then macro molecule, then even a near atomic understanding of a cell. The tone is clear and the grand architecture of the cell's machinery is masterfully explained as well as illustrated. I bought two copies. One for me and one to give to friends. This is a great book to give to your parents or grandparents who want to know what you do at work if your work in molecular/cellular biology or even immunology.