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The Wellsprings of Life
Science.
- GenresScienceBiologyNonfiction
Hardback
First published January 1, 1960
3 people are currently reading
233 people want to read
About the author
Isaac Asimov
4,341 books27.9k followersWorks of prolific Russian-American writer Isaac Asimov include popular explanations of scientific principles,
The Foundation Trilogy
(1951-1953), and other volumes of fiction.
Isaac Asimov, a professor of biochemistry, wrote as a highly successful author, best known for his books.
Asimov, professor, generally considered of all time, edited more than five hundred books and ninety thousand letters and postcards. He published in nine of the ten major categories of the Dewey decimal classification but lacked only an entry in the category of philosophy (100).
People widely considered Asimov, a master of the genre alongside Robert Anson Heinlein and Arthur Charles Clarke as the "big three" during his lifetime. He later tied Galactic Empire and the Robot into the same universe as his most famous series to create a unified "future history" for his stories much like those that Heinlein pioneered and Cordwainer Smith and Poul Anderson previously produced. He penned "Nightfall," voted in 1964 as the best short story of all time; many persons still honor this title. He also produced well mysteries, fantasy, and a great quantity of nonfiction. Asimov used Paul French, the pen name, for the Lucky Starr, series of juvenile novels.
Most books of Asimov in a historical way go as far back to a time with possible question or concept at its simplest stage. He often provides and mentions well nationalities, birth, and death dates for persons and etymologies and pronunciation guides for technical terms. Guide to Science, the tripartite set Understanding Physics, and Chronology of Science and Discovery exemplify these books.
Asimov, a long-time member, reluctantly served as vice president of Mensa international and described some members of that organization as "brain-proud and aggressive about their IQs." He took more pleasure as president of the humanist association. The asteroid 5020 Asimov, the magazine Asimov's Science Fiction, an elementary school in Brooklyn in New York, and two different awards honor his name.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_As...
Isaac Asimov, a professor of biochemistry, wrote as a highly successful author, best known for his books.
Asimov, professor, generally considered of all time, edited more than five hundred books and ninety thousand letters and postcards. He published in nine of the ten major categories of the Dewey decimal classification but lacked only an entry in the category of philosophy (100).
People widely considered Asimov, a master of the genre alongside Robert Anson Heinlein and Arthur Charles Clarke as the "big three" during his lifetime. He later tied Galactic Empire and the Robot into the same universe as his most famous series to create a unified "future history" for his stories much like those that Heinlein pioneered and Cordwainer Smith and Poul Anderson previously produced. He penned "Nightfall," voted in 1964 as the best short story of all time; many persons still honor this title. He also produced well mysteries, fantasy, and a great quantity of nonfiction. Asimov used Paul French, the pen name, for the Lucky Starr, series of juvenile novels.
Most books of Asimov in a historical way go as far back to a time with possible question or concept at its simplest stage. He often provides and mentions well nationalities, birth, and death dates for persons and etymologies and pronunciation guides for technical terms. Guide to Science, the tripartite set Understanding Physics, and Chronology of Science and Discovery exemplify these books.
Asimov, a long-time member, reluctantly served as vice president of Mensa international and described some members of that organization as "brain-proud and aggressive about their IQs." He took more pleasure as president of the humanist association. The asteroid 5020 Asimov, the magazine Asimov's Science Fiction, an elementary school in Brooklyn in New York, and two different awards honor his name.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_As...
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
April 18, 2019
Primer libro que leo de Asimov y realmente no esperaba que fuera de este tipo, sin embargo no es raro ya que estudio ciencias, daba clases de bioquímica y escribio muchos artículos de divulgación científica.
Es un libro que yo clasificaría como ciencia novelada al estilo de cazadores de microbios que inicia con una pregunta ¿de donde vienen los niños? desde ahí parte con una narración que va desde el tratar de explicar el origen de la vida citando a muchos cientificos (bastantes de cazadores de microbios, por eso me lo recordo tanto), clasificación de los seres vivos (aunque un poco atrasada, el solo consideraba dos reinos para el tiempo en que escribio este libro), leyes de Mendel, la célula, las moléculas y como a partir de estas se formó la vida.
Como parte de mi formación académica es la química aunque no sea mi fuerte la bioquímica me parecio bastante interesante y ameno, es un libro un poco viejo y se nota al leerlo por conceptos con los que habla que ahora hay más o son mas completos y clasificaciones que han cambiado en los últimos años, sin embargo si eres QFB, bioquímico o estudiaste algo relacionado a este ramo probablemente te interese el libro.
Es un libro que yo clasificaría como ciencia novelada al estilo de cazadores de microbios que inicia con una pregunta ¿de donde vienen los niños? desde ahí parte con una narración que va desde el tratar de explicar el origen de la vida citando a muchos cientificos (bastantes de cazadores de microbios, por eso me lo recordo tanto), clasificación de los seres vivos (aunque un poco atrasada, el solo consideraba dos reinos para el tiempo en que escribio este libro), leyes de Mendel, la célula, las moléculas y como a partir de estas se formó la vida.
Como parte de mi formación académica es la química aunque no sea mi fuerte la bioquímica me parecio bastante interesante y ameno, es un libro un poco viejo y se nota al leerlo por conceptos con los que habla que ahora hay más o son mas completos y clasificaciones que han cambiado en los últimos años, sin embargo si eres QFB, bioquímico o estudiaste algo relacionado a este ramo probablemente te interese el libro.
April 23, 2022
...
i basically just read a biology/chemistry textbook from 1960. yes i am a nerd, but not really to this extent. also this takes the l+ratio because it aged poorly, imagine not knowing how dna is read to produce proteins! there were some pretty funny historical science ideas that were just ridiculous too. oh and it equates homosexuality to unfavorable genetic traits which is pretty sus. i dont care that it was the past be better >:(
i basically just read a biology/chemistry textbook from 1960. yes i am a nerd, but not really to this extent. also this takes the l+ratio because it aged poorly, imagine not knowing how dna is read to produce proteins! there were some pretty funny historical science ideas that were just ridiculous too. oh and it equates homosexuality to unfavorable genetic traits which is pretty sus. i dont care that it was the past be better >:(
August 7, 2016
This is an amazing history of biological science, written at a time shortly after the DNA structure was discovered thanks to Rosalind Franklin et al.
Starting out from the question "how does life come into existence" the book takes you through the evolution of evolutionary biology, cell biology and finally the humble beginnings of molecular biology. Covering most of the things you would learn in biology 101.
Written more story- than text book-like it's a fun and quick read
Starting out from the question "how does life come into existence" the book takes you through the evolution of evolutionary biology, cell biology and finally the humble beginnings of molecular biology. Covering most of the things you would learn in biology 101.
Written more story- than text book-like it's a fun and quick read
February 20, 2009
This is an excellent trip around the world of biology: Asimov provides a nice synthesis of zoology, molecular biology and biochemistry to provide an answer to the question ''Why are we here?'' (although the book is a bit dated now). Actually, when I say ''a bit dated'' we're talking 1960 so yeah, probably best if you don't quote it in that physiology thesis you're working on. Still, all the main points are correct and the Good Doctor's clarity and wit can never age.
June 18, 2014
This book is essentially an overview of the history of science. What's brilliant about it is that it is not told in a dry, non-fiction kind of way, but as a story. It was engaging and full of insight and the examples are quite stunning.
I definitely recommend this book if you're interested in learning the history of science.
I definitely recommend this book if you're interested in learning the history of science.
February 21, 2025
To look at the history of science is to develop an understanding based on first principles. It is a very effective way of building the scaffold on which all current ideas are held. Sure, there are areas where observations and hypothesis have gone off on a tangent and taken the Science astray but the basis is still there.
This is a brilliant picture of the Science of life as it had advanced up to the mid 60's. It is well presented, easily read, thorough and accurate (as much as possible) to the time of writing.
Asimov presents it in an easily understood format illustrated with numerous examples from history and knowledge of the time (although it does start to get biochemically heavy in the later chapters).
It is a great read and an entertaining introduction to the wellsprings of life.
This is a brilliant picture of the Science of life as it had advanced up to the mid 60's. It is well presented, easily read, thorough and accurate (as much as possible) to the time of writing.
Asimov presents it in an easily understood format illustrated with numerous examples from history and knowledge of the time (although it does start to get biochemically heavy in the later chapters).
It is a great read and an entertaining introduction to the wellsprings of life.
April 21, 2025
A scientific work of non-fiction for laymen penned by science-fiction guru Isaac Asimov.
The history of biology in chronological order—what we know and when we first knew it. The author begins with Darwin’s theory of evolution and proceeds to summarize how life on earth expanded from single cell to multi-cell organisms, from flatworms to round worms, insects to crustaceans, invertebrate to vertebrate, working his way through the classifications of aquatic creatures and land-based animals, ending with amphibians, reptiles, mammals, primates, and finally, man. Then Asimov goes beyond the cellular structure of life and does a deep dive into chromosomes, atoms and molecules, and RNA/DNA. An interesting if dated read.
The history of biology in chronological order—what we know and when we first knew it. The author begins with Darwin’s theory of evolution and proceeds to summarize how life on earth expanded from single cell to multi-cell organisms, from flatworms to round worms, insects to crustaceans, invertebrate to vertebrate, working his way through the classifications of aquatic creatures and land-based animals, ending with amphibians, reptiles, mammals, primates, and finally, man. Then Asimov goes beyond the cellular structure of life and does a deep dive into chromosomes, atoms and molecules, and RNA/DNA. An interesting if dated read.
September 21, 2022
Así fue la vida mía, juan frajoza
December 29, 2024
I think I was 15 when I read this. I’m 76 now. Gave it to my grandson.
September 29, 2025
I was expecting sci-fi and got biology 🤷🏻♂️
February 15, 2017
Another look at biology, this time going top down from species to individual to cell.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews