What do you think?
Rate this book
The Kindly Dr. Guillotin: And Other Essays on Science and Life
Essays discuss the history of science, scientific principles in everyday life, hoaxes, biological themes in literature, evolution, and alternative medicine
199 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 1997
8 people want to read
About the author
Harold J. Morowitz
33 books12 followersHarold Joseph Morowitz was an American biophysicist who studied the application of thermodynamics to living systems. Author of numerous books and articles, his work includes technical monographs as well as essays. The origin of life was his primary research interest for more than fifty years. He was the Robinson Professor of Biology and Natural Philosophy at George Mason University after a long career at Yale.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 15, 2025
This book of essays focuses on scientific subjects such as physics, vaporization, mechanical executions, and genetic bottlenecks. Normally this would all be over my head, but the essays are short which means I can hop along with the author’s thoughts instead of being left behind in a dense fog.
Instead of freestyle essays, Morowitz thoughtfully places them within specific chapter headings.
PEOPLE AND PLACES
This is where the title essay appears, explaining how Joseph Ignace Guillotin came to invent the French Revolution’s terrifying weapon of beheading. Just as one places the best song at the start of an album of music, so does the author place his best essay. Another essay is about the Louisiana Scholars College in Natchitoches, Louisiana. This location would probably not be the first educational pinnacle one would think of when considering a top-notch higher academic program, but the author points out the benefits of a liberal arts program for future adults.
LANGUAGE
Harold J. Morowitz discusses biological themes in literature (a course he taught), going through the various literary works and how they pertain to the subject of nature. My favorite essay in this chapter is How Mouse Became A Verb, which looks at how a little rodent became the basic computer word once technology became common place in households.
SCIENCE
How about an essay entitled, Hello, Dollo!? Louis Antoine Marie Joseph Dollo is the name behind Dollo’s Law, which states that major evolutionary steps, once taken, are never reversed. There’s even an essay on the various forms of worms, which had me more absorbed than I thought I would be.
THE ECOSYSTEM
Here we look at the famous biosphere project of the 1990s and the Ficus plant. The author notes that there may be as many as 3,000 species of fig tree, which is simply astonishing.
CRITICISM
Although this book was published in 1997, it notes the new form of healthcare planning in the United States, with the for-profit corporations taking over the non-profit medical sector. There is also an essay on the animals used in lab experiments, again somewhat ahead of its time.
COMMENTARY
This chapter closes out the book and contains some basic freeform essays. The one that grabbed me was the author’s rental car assignment while on business, which required him to drive a huge car because that’s all that was left at the rental agency. It brings him a profound sense of guilt, which made me laugh as many of us have had the same experience.
All in all, this is a very interesting read. Again, I liked the short chapters and especially, I liked the different subjects, combining history with literature and contemporary studies.
Book Season = Year Round (mental calisthenics)
Instead of freestyle essays, Morowitz thoughtfully places them within specific chapter headings.
PEOPLE AND PLACES
This is where the title essay appears, explaining how Joseph Ignace Guillotin came to invent the French Revolution’s terrifying weapon of beheading. Just as one places the best song at the start of an album of music, so does the author place his best essay. Another essay is about the Louisiana Scholars College in Natchitoches, Louisiana. This location would probably not be the first educational pinnacle one would think of when considering a top-notch higher academic program, but the author points out the benefits of a liberal arts program for future adults.
LANGUAGE
Harold J. Morowitz discusses biological themes in literature (a course he taught), going through the various literary works and how they pertain to the subject of nature. My favorite essay in this chapter is How Mouse Became A Verb, which looks at how a little rodent became the basic computer word once technology became common place in households.
SCIENCE
How about an essay entitled, Hello, Dollo!? Louis Antoine Marie Joseph Dollo is the name behind Dollo’s Law, which states that major evolutionary steps, once taken, are never reversed. There’s even an essay on the various forms of worms, which had me more absorbed than I thought I would be.
THE ECOSYSTEM
Here we look at the famous biosphere project of the 1990s and the Ficus plant. The author notes that there may be as many as 3,000 species of fig tree, which is simply astonishing.
CRITICISM
Although this book was published in 1997, it notes the new form of healthcare planning in the United States, with the for-profit corporations taking over the non-profit medical sector. There is also an essay on the animals used in lab experiments, again somewhat ahead of its time.
COMMENTARY
This chapter closes out the book and contains some basic freeform essays. The one that grabbed me was the author’s rental car assignment while on business, which required him to drive a huge car because that’s all that was left at the rental agency. It brings him a profound sense of guilt, which made me laugh as many of us have had the same experience.
All in all, this is a very interesting read. Again, I liked the short chapters and especially, I liked the different subjects, combining history with literature and contemporary studies.
Book Season = Year Round (mental calisthenics)
October 10, 2013
This is a delightful book of very insightful essays. I have been dipping into it at odd moments over the last few months and I would recommend it to anyone who values good writing and clear analysis. I am unfamiliar with Dr. Morowitz's professional writing, but this was a wonderfully clear and pleasant set of essays.
I was shocked to see the low rating that other reviewers have given this book. The author makes it very clear in the preface what he is setting out to do and he accomplishes it quite well.
I was shocked to see the low rating that other reviewers have given this book. The author makes it very clear in the preface what he is setting out to do and he accomplishes it quite well.
December 25, 2013
El filantrópico doctor Guillotin y otros ensayos sobre la ciencia y la vida es el título de este libro en castellano. Pensba que iba a ser como un "Termodinámica de la Pizza", pero no me ha gustado tanto. Sí vale la pena el primer capítulo que dedica a la imagen del doctor Guillotin y que es muy curiosa. De hecho, pensé que el libro iba a ser bueno después de leer este capítulo. Por lo de más, libro que no llega al aprobado.
October 26, 2012
Meh. Just meh.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews