Life Ascending

Download or read book Life Ascending written by Nick Lane and published by Profile Books. This book was released on 2010-10-01 with total page 353 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Winner of the 2010 Royal Society Prize for science books Powerful new research methods are providing fresh and vivid insights into the makeup of life. Comparing gene sequences, examining the atomic structure of proteins and looking into the geochemistry of rocks have all helped to explain creation and evolution in more detail than ever before. Nick Lane uses the full extent of this new knowledge to describe the ten greatest inventions of life, based on their historical impact, role in living organisms today and relevance to current controversies. DNA, sex, sight and consciousnesses are just four examples. Lane also explains how these findings have come about, and the extent to which they can be relied upon. The result is a gripping and lucid account of the ingenuity of nature, and a book which is essential reading for anyone who has ever questioned the science behind the glories of everyday life.

Download or read book Power, Sex, Suicide written by Nick Lane and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2005-10-13 with total page 370 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Mitochondria are tiny structures located inside our cells that carry out the essential task of producing energy for the cell. They are found in all complex living things, and in that sense, they are fundamental for driving complex life on the planet. But there is much more to them than that. Mitochondria have their own DNA, with their own small collection of genes, separate from those in the cell nucleus. It is thought that they were once bacteria living independent lives. Their enslavement within the larger cell was a turning point in the evolution of life, enabling the development of complex organisms and, closely related, the origin of two sexes. Unlike the DNA in the nucleus, mitochondrial DNA is passed down exclusively (or almost exclusively) via the female line. That's why it has been used by some researchers to trace human ancestry daughter-to-mother, to 'Mitochondrial Eve'. Mitochondria give us important information about our evolutionary history. And that's not all. Mitochondrial genes mutate much faster than those in the nucleus because of the free radicals produced in their energy-generating role. This high mutation rate lies behind our ageing and certain congenital diseases. The latest research suggests that mitochondria play a key role in degenerative diseases such as cancer, through their involvement in precipitating cell suicide. Mitochondria, then, are pivotal in power, sex, and suicide. In this fascinating and thought-provoking book, Nick Lane brings together the latest research findings in this exciting field to show how our growing understanding of mitochondria is shedding light on how complex life evolved, why sex arose (why don't we just bud?), and why we age and die. This understanding is of fundamental importance, both in understanding how we and all other complex life came to be, but also in order to be able to control our own illnesses, and delay our degeneration and death. 'An extraordinary account of groundbreaking modern science... The book abounds with interesting and important ideas.' Mark Ridley, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford

Download or read book The Vital Question written by Nick Lane and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A game-changing book on the origins of life, called the most important scientific discovery 'since the Copernican revolution' in The Observer.

Download or read book Eros Ascending written by John Maxwell Taylor and published by North Atlantic Books. This book was released on 2011-07-05 with total page 418 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: ***FINALIST, USA Best Books 2010 Awards – Spirituality & Self-Help: Relationships The quest for lasting love is one of life’s essential pursuits, in some ways the most essential. But it’s also a quest that’s impossible to separate from spiritual and sexual needs. In Eros Ascending, author John Maxwell Taylor offers a wide-ranging study of sexual dysfunction in society and explains how healthy sexuality can be an entryway to universal love and higher consciousness. Based on Taylor’s twenty-three-year experience with Taoist practices, the book presents an engaging analysis of love, relationships, and sexuality from spiritual, romantic, and sexual perspectives. Taylor melds essential ideas by Jung, Gurdjieff, and Taoist Master Mantak Chia with science, biology, spiritual tradition, and current popular culture to shed new light on this eternal yet misunderstood subject. Not just for couples, the book is equally useful for single people who want to understand the methods for “learning to love yourself ” in preparation for a fulfilling, long-term relationship. Taylor draws on his eclectic background as a successful playwright, composer, actor, and musician in this persuasive plan for converting ordinary sexual energy into food for the soul.

Download or read book Who Shall Ascend the Mountain of the Lord? written by L. Michael Morales and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2015-12-08 with total page 354 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How can creatures made from dust become members of God's household "forever"? In this New Studies in Biblical Theology volume, Michael Morales explores the narrative context, literary structure and theology of Leviticus, following its dramatic movement from the tabernacle to the temple—and from the earthly to the heavenly Mount Zion in the New Testament.

Download or read book Ascending with Both Feet on the Ground written by Jeff Brown and published by Enrealment Press. This book was released on 2012 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Perhaps the first of its kind, 'Ascending with both feet on the Ground' is a collection of author Jeff Browns most inspiring and well-loved Facebook quotes, soul-bytes, excerpts and aphorisms. In Jeffs hands, Facebook status became a kind of spiritual graffiti, a grass roots opportunity to inspire, support and connect with humanity. With a writing style that is unforgettably heartfelt and original, Jeff calls out to our inner knowing and reminds us of the magnificent life that awaits us. This little treasure book is no generic quotes book. It is an impactful, stirring and enlivening piece of art that will keep you company on the journey home. Exhilarating, compassionate, in-sightful, these truth-soundings will help you to excavate your purpose, befriend your confusion, confront your avoidance, ground your spirituality and open your heart. At its core, Ascending reflects the grounded spirituality that threads through all of Jeffs writing, one that celebrates 'enrealment' - a way of being that is inclusive and honoring of all that is human. Nothing and no one gets left out on the path home. Everything- feelings, personal identifications, practical challenges, mystical moments, the dust that falls off our awakening hearts- are part of our spirituality. With writing that is simultaneously mystical and practical, this little treasure of a book beautifully reflects the indistinguishable weave between spiritual and emotional life that is becoming deeply important to seekers on the path. Time and again, you can turn to its pages to feel supported in your quest for an authentic and integrated life. And at the back of the book are 3 of his most inspiring blogs, including the profound 'Apologies to the Divine Feminine- from a warrior in transition', now read and loved by hundreds of thousands of people worldwide. Enjoy!

Download or read book Lithuania Ascending written by S. C. Rowell and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2014-03-06 with total page 417 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book, first published in 1994, studies the rise of a pagan state in late medieval Christendom against a background of crises in Europe.