Life's Engines
Book description
For almost four billion years, microbes had the primordial oceans all to themselves. The stewards of Earth, these organisms transformed the chemistry of our planet to make it habitable for plants, animals, and us. Life's Engines takes readers deep into the microscopic world to explore how these marvelous creatures made…
Why read it?
2 authors picked Life's Engines as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
For me, the most enthralling revelation of recent biology has been that living cells really do contain engines: protein structures more complex than a petrol engine, with moving parts. One is even a nano electric motor with a rotor. This is known in exquisite detail thanks to the miracles of modern imaging and gene and protein sequencing. This nano machinery developed billions of years ago in bacteria and is little changed today in all living cells. Falkowski updates Margulis’s work from 20 years earlier with these modern marvels. These nano engines run photosynthesis in bacteria and plants and give all…
From Peter's list on the deep history of life on earth.
On a riverbank in the tiny town of Rifle, Colorado, is an unassuming plot of land that most people would pass without a second thought. For me, though, that spot is like a temple — because it is there that researchers discovered 28 entirely new phyla of microorganisms. (By way of comparison, the entire kingdom Animalia contains approximately 31 phyla.) I wouldn’t have known to appreciate this discovery, though, if I hadn’t first read Paul Falkowski’s wonderful book about microbes. Like most folks, I’d known that all life on our planet stemmed from the creatures so small we cannot see…
From Matthew's list on for feeling awestruck about the world.
Want books like Life's Engines?
Our community of 10,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Life's Engines.
Browse books like Life's Engines
5 book lists we think you will like!
Interested in evolution, bacteria, and microorganisms?
10,000+ authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about evolution, bacteria, and microorganisms.