The Stuff of Life: Profiles of the molecules that make us tick by Eric P. Widmaier, Times Books, $22, ISBN 0805071733 Reviewed by James Kingsland
鈥淭HE human body is built in layers of complexity. Viewed in its entirety, the body鈥檚 different parts can be observed to work together in an integrative way.鈥� This is a peculiarly lifeless start for a book about life. It should have an editor reaching for the defibrillator paddles and ordering anxious colleagues to stand clear.
Which is a shame, because this book is full of fascinating details about the molecules that make life possible: DNA, proteins, fats, hormones, neurotransmitters and more. Eric Widmaier, a biology professor at Boston University, describes each in simple, lucid terms for those unfamiliar with molecular biology, but still manages to provide new insights for those who are.
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We learn that surfactant reduces the surface tension of the thin film of moisture coating the inner surfaces of the alveoli in our lungs. Without it, the alveoli would collapse. Premature babies lack surfactant. But if doctors know a baby is likely to be born premature they can inject the mother with a steroid that mimics the natural signal stimulating surfactant production.
The Stuff of Life will be a valuable resource for those who need a quick, simple guide to key biological molecules, but its uninspiring tone is unlikely to win any new converts to molecular biology.