The Machinery Of Life

By (author) Goodsell David S.
Short description/annotation:
I have included two types of illustrations with this goal in mind: watercolor paintings which magnify a small portion of a living cell by one million times, showing the arrangement of molecules inside, and comput- generated pictures, which show the atomic details of individual molecules.
Description:
Imagine that we had some way to look directly at the molecules in a living organism. An x-ray microscope would do the trick, or since we’re dreaming, perhaps an Asimov-style nanosubmarine (unfortunately, neither is currently feasible). Think of the wonders we could witness firsthand: antibodies atta- ing a virus, electrical signals racing down nerve fibers, proteins building new strands of DNA. Many of the questions puzzling the current cadre of sci- tists would be answered at a glance. But the nanoscale world of molecules is separated from our everyday world of experience by a daunting million-fold difference in size, so the world of molecules is completely invisible. I created the illustrations in this book to help bridge this gulf and allow us to see the molecular structure of cells, if not directly, then in an artistic rendition. I have included two types of illustrations with this goal in mind: watercolor paintings which magnify a small portion of a living cell by one million times, showing the arrangement of molecules inside, and comput- generated pictures, which show the atomic details of individual molecules. In this second edition of The Machinery of Life, these illustrations are presented in full color, and they incorporate many of the exciting scientific advances of the 15 years since the first edition.
Table of contents:
Molecular Machines.- The Processes of Living.- Molecules in Cells: Escherichia coli.- A Human Cell: The Advantages of Compartments.- The Human Body: The Advantages of Specialization.- Life and Death.- Viruses.- You and Your Molecules.
Review quote:

From the reviews of the second edition:

"The Machinery of Life is a journey into the sub-microscopic world of molecular machines. Readers are introduced to the types of molecules within the cell, including proteins, nucleic acids, lipids and polysaccharides. … The Machinery of Life is a pictorial overview of the molecules that orchestrate the processes of life. … The book provides a fascinating introduction to biochemistry and molecular biology for the non-specialists … . It is written in clear, jargon-free text that is accessible to the lay reader." (Medical News Today, May, 2009)

"This book is amazing. … this second edition is a major update. And what it conveys is the sheer unbelievable intricacy – and realness – of every cell in your body. David Goodsell … accomplishes this via amazing full-color illustrations, paintings based on computer animations created from microscope images. … It’s slim, readable and engaging, a nonfiction book that calls to you fromthe nightstand table. If you are even a little curious about how cells work, get your hands on The Machinery of Life." (Lisa Parsons, The Hippo, July, 2009)

"The Machinery of Life, which is a new edition of Goodsell’s 1993 book of the same name. … the author’s full-color illustrations are astonishing, forcing the reader to dwell for minutes on every picture. They are based on data from scientific papers, electron microscopy and information about molecular structures that were obtained by X-ray crystallography. … He does a good job. … Goodsell’s technique is remarkable. He uses a combination of hand-drawing and computer graphics illustration." (Weanée Kimblewood, Lab Times, Issue 5, September, 2009)

"Anyone who finds biology, especially modern biology at the molecular level, quite baffling and bristling with incomprehensible jargon – this could be the book for you! … David Goodsell is clearly a master of communication, conveying complex biolo