Metamorphosis: Unmasking the Mystery of How Life Transforms

by Frank Ryan

In this enchanting work of scientific exploration, acclaimed science author Frank Ryan explains how metamorphosis - the intricate trick of nature by which caterpillars transform into butterflies - reveals secrets that are shaking the scientific world. Ryan brings to life the work of pioneering naturalists who have traced metamorphosis in myriad species, from amphibians to marine creatures, even human puberty, to rewrite some of our longest-held beliefs about evolution. Lyrical and provocative, The Mystery of Metamorphosis offers a new understanding of some of the most ancient miracles of the nature.

Genres: Evolution, Science, Biology

334 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2011

About the author

Frank Ryan is a consultant physician in the UK as well as being an innovative evolutionary biologist, who has introduced the concepts of aggressive symbiosis to virology, and the concepts of genomic creativity and the holobiontic human genome to the story of human evolution. His major scientific interest has been the pioneering and development of the concept of viruses as symbionts, thus bringing together the disciplines of evolutionary virology and symbiology. He has a major interest in the evolution of the human genome and the implications this has for medicine.

BOOKS

Frank's books include the recently published "The Mysterious World of the Human Genome", Virolution, Metamorphosis, Darwin's Blind Spot, Virus X, and The Forgotten Plague. World in Action and Horizon based programs on Frank's books. The Forgotten Plague was a non-fiction book of the year for the New York Times. Virus X also received outstanding reviews in the New York Times and The Washington Post's Bookworld, and Darwin's Blind Spot was the book of choice for Charlie Munger in 2003.

Frank's books have also been the subject of TV and radio documentaries and have been translated into many languages. He is also an occasional reviewer of books for the New York Times.

SOCIAL LIFE

Frank is married with two children. He is an entertaining speaker, which has helped to make him popular with the live media, professional colleagues and lay audiences alike.

Reviews

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started this story several years ago but had to return the book to the library promptly before relocating to a different city. Now I finally was able to finish it and am grateful for doing so. Darwin's "On the Origin of Species" came out in 1859 and yet there are still so many new mysteries of both how and why species evolve. In this book on metamorphosis, Mr. Ryan sets out to highlight the thought processes of some of the greatest thinkers on evolution in biological science and does a spectacular job of it. Moving across the kingdoms to see what answers have arose in marine invertebrates, insects as well as fish, mammals and more. Some of the parts were far more abstract and difficult to grapple with mentally than others, making it feel like the narrative ground to a halt or at least a slow trudge through jargon. But overall a very well constructed story which has illuminated but also further darkened parts of what I thought I knew on this matter. I am interested in checking out one of Mr. Ryan's further novels to see what else he has written about.