Vital Forces. The Discovery Of The Molecular Basis Of Life

Vital forces the story of the 'biochemical revolution', a 200-year quest to unravel the chemical secrets of the living cell. A period of unprecedently rapid advance in human knowledge, the biochemical revolution profoundly affected our view of the nature of life, and laid the foundations of modern medicine and biotechnology. The story is told in a clear, engaging and absorbing manner. This delightful work relates the fascinating and staggering advances in concepts and theories over the last 200 years, and introduces the major figures of the times. Vital forces describes the discovery of the molecular basis of life through the life stories of the scientists involved, including such towering figures as Louis Pasteur, Gregor Mendel, Linus Pauling and Francis Crick. Combining science and biography into a seamless chronological narrative, the author brings to life the successes and failures, the collaborations and feuds, the failed theories and brilliant insights that produced the molecular revolution in biology.