The Universe within by Neal Shubin

The Universe within by Neal Shubin
Well written description of why we are what we are. Lots of interesting geology.

https://www.amazon.com/Universe-Within-Discovering-History-Planets/dp/0307378438/ref=mt_hardcover?_encoding=UTF8&me=

Our Mathematical Universe: My Quest for the Ultimate Nature of Reality

Tegmark writes with excellent clarity, but this takes on some concentration.

"Max Tegmark leads us on an astonishing journey through past, present and future, and through the physics, astronomy and mathematics that are the foundation of his work, most particularly his hypothesis that our physical reality is a mathematical structure and his theory of the ultimate multiverse. In a dazzling combination of both popular and groundbreaking science, he not only helps us grasp his often mind-boggling theories, but he also shares with us some of the often surprising triumphs and disappointments that have shaped his life as a scientist. Fascinating from first to last—this is a book that has already prompted the attention and admiration of some of the most prominent scientists and mathematicians."

http://www.amazon.com/Our-Mathematical-Universe-Ultimate-Reality/dp/0307744256/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1459205307&sr=1-1&keywords=our+mathematical+universe

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind

Will annoy and surprise some, but I think he has good insight into the big picture.

"From a renowned historian comes a groundbreaking narrative of humanity’s creation and evolution—a #1 international bestseller—that explores the ways in which biology and history have defined us and enhanced our understanding of what it means to be “human.”

One hundred thousand years ago, at least six different species of humans inhabited Earth. Yet today there is only one—homo sapiens. What happened to the others? And what may happen to us?

Most books about the history of humanity pursue either a historical or a biological approach, but Dr. Yuval Noah Harari breaks the mold with this highly original book that begins about 70,000 years ago with the appearance of modern cognition. From examining the role evolving humans have played in the global ecosystem to charting the rise of empires, Sapiens integrates history and science to reconsider accepted narratives, connect past developments with contemporary concerns, and examine specific events within the context of larger ideas.

Dr. Harari also compels us to look ahead, because over the last few decades humans have begun to bend laws of natural selection that have governed life for the past four billion years. We are acquiring the ability to design not only the world around us, but also ourselves. Where is this leading us, and what do we want to become?

Featuring 27 photographs, 6 maps, and 25 illustrations/diagrams, this provocative and insightful work is sure to spark debate and is essential reading for aficionados of Jared Diamond, James Gleick, Matt Ridley, Robert Wright, and Sharon Moalem."

http://www.amazon.com/Sapiens-A-Brief-History-Humankind/dp/0062316095/ref=pd_sim_14_21?ie=UTF8&dpID=51xwPegEzlL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR107%2C160_&refRID=1QNR737QW0CWNY6X0Y90

The Forest Unseen: A Year's Watch in Nature

Delightful read! Enjoyed every page.

Winner of 2013 Best Book Award from the National Academies.
Finalist for 2013 Pulitzer Prize in General Nonfiction.
Winner of the 2013 Reed Environmental Writing Award.
Winner of the 2012 National Outdoor Book Award for Natural History Literature.
Runner-up for 2013 PEN/E. O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award.

"A biologist reveals the secret world hidden in a single square meter of forest

 

Written with remarkable grace and empathy, The Forest Unseen is a grand tour of nature in all its profundity. Biologist David George Haskell uses a one-square-meter patch of old-growth Tennessee forest as a window onto the entire natural world. Visiting it almost daily for one year to trace nature's path through the seasons, he brings the forest and its inhabitants to vivid life. Beginning with simple observations--a salamander scuttling across the leaf litter, the first blossom of spring wildflowers--Haskell spins a brilliant web of biology, ecology, and poetry, explaining the science binding together ecosystems that have cycled for thousands--sometimes millions--of years."

http://www.amazon.com/Forest-Unseen-Years-Watch-Nature/dp/0143122940/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1459205126&sr=1-1&keywords=the+forest+unseen

The Vital Question;Energy, Evolution, and the Origins of Complex Life

I recently finished a book that goes immediately to my shelf of favorites, "The Vital Question; Energy, Evolution, and the Origins of Complex Life" by Nick Lane. It took me about 6 weeks to read. The closely argued story of life ascending was only clear to me after rereading many passages several times, and only when I was alert and rested. In every session of reading I found multiple epiphanies and delightful passages. I have been reading about evolutionary biology, genetics, epigenetics and biochemistry for about a dozen years, with excursions into geohistory and biochemistry. This very clearly written book severely stressed my layman's knowledge.

Lane brings together the current knowledge of geohistory (what the earth and oceans were like 4 billion years ago), alkaline hydrothermal vent discoveries, and basic redox chemistry, to make plausible the bacterial beginnings of life. The process included discussion of bioenergetics and lipid chemistry, with genetics of bacteria and archaea. These two domains hung around very little changed for about 2 billion years, making a living by various biochemical tricks, and sharing their genes haphazardly. They could not take much advantage of natural selection because they had no organized nucleus. They produce clones. They proliferated widely over the earth, and are still everywhere, and continue to adapt to their environments. 

Then a very unlikely event happened. An archaea merged with a bacteria and the combination prospered. Their genomes interacted and one, the archaea, became host and the bacteria became the mitochondria via natural selection. All multi celled creatures and plants are descended from that event. This story, modulated by the energetics of all life, ATP production,and modern genomics and biochemistry, is what this book is about, why is complex life the way it is. 

There is a 4 page section plus a figure starting on page 238 that brought home to me why this book is so fascinating. The passage discusses the respiratory proteins in mitochondria, which transfer electrons from food to oxygen, along a series of protein complexes embedded in the mitochondrial membrane while pumping protons across the membrane. The complete story is more complicated than I can reproduce here, but the depth of scientific knowledge is breathtaking. Each complex is made up of dozens of proteins, consisting of hundreds of amino acids. The exact  positioning of the complexes and the amino acid placement is critical in the quantum tunneling of the electrons along the membrane from complex to complex to the ATP synthase all embedded in the membrane. Many genetic diseases arise from slight faults in the arrangement if the proteins. One angstrom makes a 10 fold difference in the transfer rate, in turn affecting the ATP production rate. The figure shows a model of the membrane with the embedded complexes. The figure has shading that shows which part of the overall structure is produced from the DNA blueprint in the cell nucleus and which part is from the blueprint in the 13 genes in the mitochondria!. There is a discussion of how the bioenergetics and natural selection brought this complexity about. He also shows 

why complex beings have sex, just  two sexes, and death as part of this discussion. Consilience!

The knowing detail in this passage blows my mind. How can human beings decipher this amazing factory that is in all animal cells? Lots of Nobel prizes came out of this area.  This type of passage fills the book. My enjoyment in this reading comes from putting the discovered facts into a logical structure, suddenly seeing "the big picture"

I also like to read history, economics, mysteries and modern novels, but this kind of book thrills me. 

http://www.amazon.com/The-Vital-Question-Evolution-Origins/dp/0393088812?ie=UTF8&keywords=Lane%20Nick&qid=1459201268&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1

The Meaning of existence

The latest by my hero E O Wilson. He writes with great conviction and clarity.

http://www.amazon.com/Meaning-Human-Existence-Edward-Wilson/dp/1631491148/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1442085013&sr=1-1&keywords=the+meaning+of+human+existence

Life Ascending - 10 greatest inventions of evolution

Outstanding tour of the most important and interesting developments of evolution. Clear explanations of important transitions in story of life on earth.

http://www.amazon.com/Life-Ascending-Great-Inventions-Evolution/dp/0393338665/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1442083054&sr=1-2&keywords=Ten+greatest+inventions

Lifelines -

 Some insights but very defensive and prone to setting up straw men to pompously put down. Seemed jealous of the funds spent on genomics and molecular biology. Very PC about feminism!

http://www.amazon.com/Lifelines-Life-beyond-Steven-Rose/dp/0195150392/ref=sr_1_39?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1442082699&sr=1-39&keywords=lifelines

Atkinson Trilogy of US in WWII

-All volumes excellent. Detailed history of US Army in WW@2 in No Africa, Italy and EU. Interesting portraits of leading figures.

http://www.amazon.com/Army-Dawn-1942-1943-Liberation-Trilogy/dp/0805087249/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1442082565&sr=1-2&keywords=atkinson+rick

How Chemistry Becomes Biology

Interesting book I read before The Vital Question. Less broad in scope, more about dynamic stability in chemical systems.

"Living things are hugely complex and have unique properties, such as self-maintenance and apparently purposeful behaviour which we do not see in inert matter. So how does chemistry give rise to biology? What could have led the first replicating molecules up such a path? Now, developments in the emerging field of 'systems chemistry' are unlocking the problem. Addy Pross shows how the different kind of stability that operates among replicating molecules results in a tendency for chemical systems to become more complex and acquire the properties of life. Strikingly, he demonstrates that Darwinian evolution is the biological expression of a deeper, well-defined chemical concept: the whole story from replicating molecules to complex life is one continuous process governed by an underlying physical principle. The gulf between biology and the physical sciences is finally becoming bridged."


http://www.amazon.com/What-Life-Chemistry-Becomes-Biology/dp/0199687773/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1459202190&sr=1-1&keywords=how+chemistry+becomes+biology