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153rd out of 382 books
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585 voters
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Oxygen: The Molecule That Made the World
by
Nick Lane
In Oxygen, Nick Lane takes the reader on an enthralling journey as he unravels the unexpected ways in which oxygen spurred the evolution of life and death. He shows how oxygen underpins the origin of biological complexity, the birth of photosynthesis, the sudden evolution of animals, the need for two sexes, the accelerated aging of cloned animals like Dolly the sheep, and ...more
Paperback, 384 pages
Published
March 1st 2004
by Oxford University Press, USA
(first published September 26th 2002)
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I was so enthusiastic about Lane's book about mitochondria that this book was a bit of a let down. In particular, unlike the case with the other book, Lane ventured here into describing a topic I'm familiar with--metabolic diseases, most notably diabetes and alzheimers, and when he did so, his writing shook my confidence in his reporting because of the way he grossly oversimplified issues and accepted theories that are based on flawed or questionable research.
I realize this book was...more
I realize this book was...more
This was a wonderful book. Written to be accessible to interested and educated laymen, Oxygen: The Molecule that Made the World brilliantly illuminates the vital role oxygen has played, both directly and otherwise, in shaping both this planet and the life that inhabits it. The genetic traits shared by all terrestrial life; the Earth's ability to retain water, rather than suffer the eventual planetary evaporation such as happened on Mars; the probable reason for both why the dinosaurs could gr...more
The book was very slow going in the beginning with the history of how oxygen appeared on Earth. Kinda redundant and technical. Thesecond half of the book was much better. It discussed how free radicals affect our health and aging and the role of mitochondria in the production of free radicals. It also discussed how antioxidants work and how effective they are in combatting free radicals. I found this to be very interesting and easier to follow.
Interesting theories about the role of oxygen in shaping our world and biology. I'm not entirely convinced by his arguments, and I question his interpretation of natural selection, but he makes some good points. He tries to avooid being too technical, but those are the parts I liked best. His detailed discussion of the metabolism of Vitamin C demonstrates how far our knowledge has advanced since the birth of the megadose movement in the 1960s.
While I can't say that it was always exciting reading, the content was impressive in the depth and breadth of Lane's erudition. What other book can say that it encompasses so wide a range of material, from the formation of the Earth, the evolution and diversification of life, changing levels of oxygen in the atmosphere, Vitamin C, anti-oxidents, free radicals and the science of aging? I learned so much from this interesting little book.
I really enjoyed this book. The author says it is written for a general audience, but at times he does get pretty heavy into some different areas of science, most notably chemistry. Don't let that put you off though, as the book distills a lot of recent research from a number of fields and gives insight into evolution, biochemistry, and aging and does so in an accessible manner.
An interesting look at the molecule oxygen and its impact on human life and evolution. I found the theory of fecundity versus longevity particularly compeling. One almost wants to reread this book several times to absorb all of Lane's theories. This may be a good idea in a society that is obsessed with antioxidants and generally clueless as to their actual function.
A thoughtful look at the role of oxygen in a wide range of events from the origins of life to the why different sexes evolved to why we age. Although, somewhat speculative Lane does a nice job of concisely discusses the seminal papers and arguments in his favor. At times he give the old wave of hands to opposing theories, occasionally over interpreting others work. A clear anti-exercise bias is ripe throughout the book as he fails to provide convincing arguments as to why exercise on one hand...more
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Carol
marked it as to-read
"Possible rivulets of liquid water (the dark streaks in a band across the middle of the image) flow down the sides of a Martian gully in this image, which combines photographs from a Mars-orbiting spacecraft with a 3-D simulation of the terrain. Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has seen rivulets appear in the same location every Martian spring and summer, suggesting that they are formed by liquid water spewing from below the surface. The water is probably quite salty, and would evaporate fairly ...more
This was a fascinating book! Very comprehensive, and while it isn't a quick read, it isn't hard to follow.
Oxygen is slowly killing me! I didn't realise it was so toxic. Unfortunately, a rudimentary knowledge of biochemistry prevented any real enjoyment of this book.
very interesting overall, part very technical chemistry talk I didn't understand, part utterly amazing information.
Read for my Cosmology of Life course. A good little text on the history of the Earth.
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| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Science and Natur...: December 2011 - Oxygen: The Molecule that Made the World by Nick Lane | 5 | 7 | Jan 14, 2012 02:20pm | |
| On Oxygen | 1 | 2 | Feb 21, 2010 09:12am |
