Books.org participates in affiliate programs including Bookshop.org and the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through links on this page, at no additional cost to you.
Overview
Do genes explain life? Can advances in evolutionary and molecular biology account for what we look like, how we behave, and why we die? In this powerful intervention into current biological thinking, Brian Goodwin argues that such genetic reductionism has important limits.
Drawing on the sciences of complexity, the author shows how an understanding of the self-organizing patterns of networks is necessary for making sense of nature. Genes are important, but only as part of a process constrained by environment, physical laws, and the universal tendencies of complex adaptive systems. In a new preface for this edition, Goodwin reflects on the advances in both genetics and the sciences of complexity since the book's original publication.
Synopsis
"This is a brilliant book, wonderfully written. . . . Goodwin is a real scholar, of great breadth and insight. He writes beautifully, conveying difficult themes in an exciting manner."--Simon Levin, Princeton University
New York Times - David Papineau
[Goodwin's] book genuinely illuminates the mysteries of biological development.
Editorials
New York Times -
[Goodwin's] book genuinely illuminates the mysteries of biological development.New York Times
[Goodwin's] book genuinely illuminates the mysteries of biological development.— David Papineau
David Papineau
[Goodwin's] book genuinely illuminates the mysteries of biological development.— New York Times