What is Life?

 

    Before reading this book, I thought I had a clear answer.

    What is Life? By Lynn Margulis and Dorion Sagan, delves deep into an inter-disciplinary analysis of what life on earth, as a larger system really is. Interestingly, Margulis is the woman who developed the endosymbiont theory (explaining how Eukaryotic cells developed from the endocytosis of a mitochondrial cell). Her work and insights shine brightly through the lens of her son, Dorion Sagan, who incorporates history and philosophy into the wider narrative of the book. 

    To answer the question, the authors zoom into the unique evolution and origin of life, as well as minute but breathtaking connections between differing organisms as well as biological functions. They connect the topics of energy flow, to sex and death, to larger ecosystems, eventually zooming out and viewing the entire biosphere as one beautifully complex yet brilliantly simple. The book's poetic and articulate delivery, as well as gorgeous photography and scientific rigor, make it a stunning piece of literature that kept me captivated, even though I don't often read nonfiction for leisure.

    As I read the book, it felt especially relevant to me due to the connections between things I have learned as a Freshman at Uni. The biology, including almost all of the complex terminology and details, I could understand purely from having been to our Bio class. Additionally, the book went into the history of science and biology, much of which I have been carefully studying as part of my larger projects in history class about the Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment. Even if you didn't do that topic as your project, you still likely learned much about it through the presentations in the class. This book also goes into philosophy and language, making it not just a nonfiction book but rather a complex work of literature to be deciphered and enjoyed.

    The broad range of topics covered in this book are enhanced and made easier to appreciate due to the knowledge we learned this year in school, making it all the more satisfying to read. I have never enjoyed a work of nonfiction this much, and I truly recommend it on a level exceeding my other blog posts. As the year comes to an end, the stuff we've learned helps enjoy the brilliance and beauty of this book, and what it represents- the amazing gift that is our planet and our own lives. 

    I'm now a little more motivated to fry my brain with some AP Bio prep. Thanks so much for reading!

-Sam Bhalerao