The Problems of Biology

by John Maynard Smith

Concentrating on problems that commonly perplex general readers and beginning students, John Maynard Smith discusses fundamental issues in biology, with emphasis on evolution, development, and cognition. He provides a nontechnical account of molecular genetics, which is the foundation of
modern biology, and explores such issues as heredity, animal behavior, the definition and origin of life, the brain and how we know things, artificial and natural intelligence, and genetics. The book is unique in presenting modern ideas in terms that can be understood without an in-depth knowledge
of biology.

Genres: Biology, Science

144 pages, Paperback

First published March 20, 1986

About the author

John Maynard Smith FRS was a British theoretical and mathematical evolutionary biologist and geneticist. Originally an aeronautical engineer during the Second World War, he took a second degree in genetics under the well-known biologist J. B. S. Haldane

Reviews

[Priyank Chauhan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very concise little book introducing the uninitiated reader into the unsolved problems of biology ( unsolved when the book was published in 1986). OUP should commission a new book that looks into how many of these problems have been now solved and to what extent.

[Krysztyna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bardzo dobra książka, chociaż pewne zagadnienia w niej trzeba przefiltrować przez pryzmat najnowszych odkryć. Niemniej, warto znać dzieła wybitnych naukowców ze swojej dziedziny.

Although some of the mentioned discoveries should be checked if they're still up to date, the book is very good. I think every biologist should know his/her discipline classical author's works.