Expert: John Locke - 7/3/2007

Question
I'm wondering if you can name some great books on biology for non-biologists.

There are two types of resources I'm looking for. The first is an overview of the field, kind of like what "Physics for Future Presidents" (http://tinyurl.com/2s9sjk) by Richard Muller does for Physics. Muller talks about matter, waves, electricity, quantum mechanics, energy, etc. but with very few equations; instead he explains the importance of understanding physics concepts to make everyday decisions and national policy.

The second is a more specific, but extremely accessible look into a particular field for the layman, for example what "Freakonomics" is to economics, or "The Tipping Point" is to sociology.

Can you recommend any such resources for biology?

Many, many thanks! I really appreciate your generous volunteering.

Answer
Thanks for using AllExperts, Luke. There is a great wealth of books on biology, both for the specialist and the non-specialist; I will look both at some that overview the whole field and others that look at specific biology topics. Obviously, this list won't be comprehensive--there simply isn't enough space!

First, the books that provide a general overview of biology:

Biology Demystified by Dale Lyman. A generally well-reviewed book that provides an overview of the field.

The Ideas of Biology by John Tyler Bonner. Another good overview of the field, encompassing heredity, embryology, genetics, and ecology with evolution as the unifying thesis.

Life: A Natural History of the First Four Billion Years of Life on Earth and/or Life: An Unauthorized Biography by Richard Fortey. He describes the development of life on earth and its connection to other "big ideas" in science like plate tectonics and climate change. The latter is usually described as the better book.

I hesitate to recommend a textbook, as that's a bit outside of the scope of what you were looking for, but one of the best biology textbooks available is Evolutionary Biology by Douglas Futuyma.

The Triple Helix: Gene, Organism, and Environment by Richard Lewontin. Lewontin summarizes what's termed the "non-reductionist" position in biology while giving a good background to genetics.

Second, on the more specific topics:

Endless Forms Most Beautiful by Sean Carroll. This is a look at the relatively new field of evolutionary/developmental biology (evo-devo, it's often called) specifically for the layman.

The Body at War by John Dwyer. An excellent overview of immunology for the layman.

After the Ice Age by E.C. Pielou. An extensively-researched and broadly scoped investigation of the ecology that existed after the most recent glacial age ended in North America 7,000 years ago.

Unweaving the Rainbow by Richard Dawkins. The book explains major concepts both of biology and other sciences while recognizing their aesthetic qualities.

Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters by Matt Ridley. An in-depth look at each of the 23 human chromosomes, what they control in the human body, and what diseases they're responsible for.

The Mismeasure of Man by Stephen J. Gould. This focuses less on a particular aspect of biology than on its general misapplication: Gould's book is about the abuse and misuse of biologically-inspired testing methods to rank human intelligence (and, presumably, human worth). Gould has a number of other books that are worth checking out: Rock of Ages, Ontogeny and Phylogeny, and The Panda's Thumb.

I can certainly give you other recommendations if you would like, but otherwise thanks for using AllExperts. Good reading!