"Discovering Life's Story" is an insightful and thought provoking exploration of human history and our understanding of the world around us. The book follows a timeline, stretching from 8th century Islamic scholars to 19th century philosophers such as Charles Darwin. It highlights major events that served as turning points in this vast history in a way that is easy for the reader to understand. Unlike many historical books published today, it is written in a way that immerses the reader as it plays out like a narrative rather than the author typing dates and facts onto the paper. The book also does an excellent job at making the reader understand the situation and beliefs of the time that may have impacted a certain decision or event. It also has a slightly humorous and sometimes sarcastic tone which is only exemplified by the exploits of scientists getting everything wrong. One small thing that disoriented me slightly when I read it were the shorter stand alone stories that spotted the book. While the information and storytelling elements of each short story were fantastic like the rest of the book, I felt as though the placement was confusing. Oftentimes, the book would cut off, without even finishing a sentence, and move on to the short story. By the time I had finished reading the 1-3 page story, I would forget where I was in the larger book and have to backtrack to find it. However, this is a very small nitpick for the amazing book. Although brief, the book serves as an informative introduction to the history of biology, perfect for those looking to understand the foundations of life science. Overall, its a fantastic read that captures the spirit of early biology and its impact on our world.
About This Book
Trace the history of life science in the first of a four-part MITeen series by mega-best-selling author Joy Hakim, who brought us The History of US .
When did we start learning the scientific secrets of life? Step back to the Islamic Golden Age, when scholars ask questions about life science and medicine that will establish those fields. Chart a path through the Renaissance, as Leonardo da Vinci dissects cadavers by candlelight to learn human anatomy firsthand. In this first of four volumes spanning hundreds of years of scientific innovation and discovery, follow the evolution of life science up to the late 1800s, when a baffled Dutch biologist finds a tiny infectious particle destroying tobacco crops and gives this particle a new virus . With Biology’s Discovering Life's Story , best-selling author Joy Hakim begins a quartet of volumes mapping the path of human discovery as we unlock the biological secrets of our own existence. Richly illustrated with archival source materials and fine art, this STEM treasure trove features a wealth of back matter certain to kindle the appetite of science lovers.
