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The Cell: Discovering the Microscopic World that Determines Our Health, Our Consciousness, and Our Future
Your body has trillions of cells, and each one has the complexity and dynamism of a city. Your life, your thoughts, your diseases, and your health are all the function of cells.
But what do you really know about what goes on inside you?
The last time most people thought about cells in any detail was probably in high school or a college general biology class. But the field of cell biology has advanced incredibly rapidly in recent decades, and a great deal of what we may have learned in high school and college is no longer accurate or particularly relevant.
The Inside the Microscopic World that Determines Our Health, Our Consciousness, and Our Future is a fascinating story of the incredible complexity and dynamism inside the cell and of the fantastic advancements in our understanding of this microscopic world.
Dr. Joshua Z. Rappoport is at the forefront of this field, and he will take you on a journey to
A deeper understanding of how cells work and the basic nature of life on earth.
Fascinating histories of some of the key discoveries from the seventeenth century to the last decade and provocative thoughts on the current state of academic research.
The knowledge required to better understand the new developments that are announced almost weekly in science and health care, such as cancer, cellular therapies, and the potential promise of stem cells.
The ability to make better decisions about health and to debunk the misinformation that comes in daily via media.
Using the latest scientific research, The Cell illustrates the diversity of cell biology and what it all means for your everyday life.
But what do you really know about what goes on inside you?
The last time most people thought about cells in any detail was probably in high school or a college general biology class. But the field of cell biology has advanced incredibly rapidly in recent decades, and a great deal of what we may have learned in high school and college is no longer accurate or particularly relevant.
The Inside the Microscopic World that Determines Our Health, Our Consciousness, and Our Future is a fascinating story of the incredible complexity and dynamism inside the cell and of the fantastic advancements in our understanding of this microscopic world.
Dr. Joshua Z. Rappoport is at the forefront of this field, and he will take you on a journey to
A deeper understanding of how cells work and the basic nature of life on earth.
Fascinating histories of some of the key discoveries from the seventeenth century to the last decade and provocative thoughts on the current state of academic research.
The knowledge required to better understand the new developments that are announced almost weekly in science and health care, such as cancer, cellular therapies, and the potential promise of stem cells.
The ability to make better decisions about health and to debunk the misinformation that comes in daily via media.
Using the latest scientific research, The Cell illustrates the diversity of cell biology and what it all means for your everyday life.
272 pages, Paperback
Published April 4, 2017
40 people are currently reading
532 people want to read
About the author
Joshua Z. Rappoport
8 books8 followersDr. Joshua Z. Rappoport received a bachelor's degree in Biology from Brown University and then went on to earn a Ph.D. from the Program in Mechanisms of Disease and Therapeutics at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine Graduate School of Biological Sciences of New York University. Following defense of his thesis Dr. Rappoport went on to perform postdoctoral work at The Rockefeller University in New York City in the Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics. Subsequently he was recruited as a tenured faculty member in the School of Biosciences at the University of Birmingham in England.
In 2014 Dr. Rappoport has returned to the United States where he is currently the Director of the Center for Advanced Microscopy and Nikon Imaging Center at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, and a faculty member in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology. Dr. Rappoport's scientific perspective aims to develop and apply cutting edge microscopy to address fundamental questions in cell biology.
Dr. Rappoport lives in Chicago with his wife Ema, a neuroscientist, and their dog Kris.
In 2014 Dr. Rappoport has returned to the United States where he is currently the Director of the Center for Advanced Microscopy and Nikon Imaging Center at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, and a faculty member in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology. Dr. Rappoport's scientific perspective aims to develop and apply cutting edge microscopy to address fundamental questions in cell biology.
Dr. Rappoport lives in Chicago with his wife Ema, a neuroscientist, and their dog Kris.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
January 16, 2020
The book goes over the basics of cells and how the operate then goes on to talk about the different types of cells in our bodies and incorporates current scientific research and understanding into the different chapters. There's also a lot of information about the technology used today in microbiology, he spends a lot of time talking about the different ways we see at the micro and nano scale now. I really enjoyed the book, most of the concepts are basic and shouldn't be too hard to grasp if you're familiar with biology. I know the author was writing to explain to those that don't know much about science but I don't know how well that'll work because the concepts and especially the scientific language is presented pretty rapidly and might feel a little dense to those who know nothing about science. You don't need to be an expert to read this one though. I also wish the transitions had been a little smoother between chapters and that there was more organization to the thought process or the structure of the book. That said I do think it's a wonderful read for anyone interested in science especially microbiology and contemporary research. Probably interesting reading for anyone thinking of doing research in the field also.
April 3, 2018
Learning about the cell is one of my favorite things in life. This book, which mostly read like a textbook, was loaded with information about cells. If you have taken cell bio in college, you will already be familiar with the content of this book, but if you are looking for a very straight forward introduction to the cell, this could be useful.
Since there was nothing new for me, as far as content, I was hoping there was some insight I might have missed in my classes. I didn't find what I was hoping for, but this served as a nice refresher.
Since there was nothing new for me, as far as content, I was hoping there was some insight I might have missed in my classes. I didn't find what I was hoping for, but this served as a nice refresher.
June 16, 2017
The layperson approaching the early chapters of this book will be astounded at the amount and complexity of biological activity taking place at the cellular level within the human body. Joshua Z. Rappoport’s The Cell: Discovering the Microscopic World That Determines Our Health, Our Consciousness, and Our Future conjures up an image of a sort of cell factory working steadily 24 X 7—acquiring vital resources, assembling critical intermediate components, correctly delivering products where needed—and choreographing all this activity with exquisite and delicate timing. But unlike the stereotypical notion of a factory as a building with a vast footprint of hundreds of acres, the real estate occupied by cells is measured in microns and nanometers. Thus, all the action within a single cell takes place in a space somewhere between 10 and 100 microns across. By comparison, a human hair is about 100 microns thick.
Rappoport does a fine job of structuring his book into six parts that comprehensively cover not only historical and cutting-edge discoveries of cell biology, but also the concomitant advances in microscopy technologies and techniques that have made such discoveries possible. Occasionally, Rappoport’s language veers away from layperson accessibility, and the writing becomes dangerously saturated with scientific terms, acronyms, and chemical and biological references. However, he invariably rescues the reader in time with crystal-clear narrative in chapters such as How We See Clearly Inside Living Cells and How Cells Die. As well as talking at length about what cells do successfully in keeping a body alive and functioning, he also addresses situations where cells malfunction and what consequences ensue. There is enough eye-opening surprise and wonder to keep the reader interested and engaged throughout the book.
In the closing chapters of the book, Rappoport shifts perspective from the detail of cell biology to what all the discoveries mean in terms of human impact. In the chapter, The Nano Revolution, he discusses “…major areas of interest and inquiry at the intersection of biomedical research and nanotechnology.” While industrial nanoparticles, for example, can be put to many good uses, Rappoport questions what might happen if they make their way incidentally into the environment. But he juxtaposes that outcome against the “…huge hopes for the integration of nanotechnology into medicine, ranging from imaging and diagnostic agents to therapeutic approaches and medical devices.”
Not surprisingly, Rappoport intelligently lobbies for increased funding for scientific work, but he also advocates for education of the nonscientist public. He wants to build greater awareness of the challenges of science so that it will be better understood and valued.
Though I enjoyed The Cell, one criticism I have is that a modest glossary of terms would have greatly benefitted the layperson reading the book. In addition, Rappoport stuck rigorously to the one-chapter-one-diagram template. Without appearing even slightly textbook-ish, he could easily have indulged the reader with a little more generosity in diagrams. However, Rappoport cleverly generates and sustains reading momentum with short chapters and tantalizing chapter titles—The Revolutionary Reaction, or, How To Make DNA In Your Kitchen, The Jellyfish That Taught Us How To See, and The Immune System: How it Defends Us and Sometimes Attacks Us—to name but a few. Rappoport also keeps the reader supplied with limitless and wonderful analogies to help clarify understanding of cell biology and activity.
If you have hitherto had only a vague understanding of what cells are up to in your body right now, this book will enlighten and entertain you, and certainly advance your knowledge of cell biology in memorable ways.
Rappoport does a fine job of structuring his book into six parts that comprehensively cover not only historical and cutting-edge discoveries of cell biology, but also the concomitant advances in microscopy technologies and techniques that have made such discoveries possible. Occasionally, Rappoport’s language veers away from layperson accessibility, and the writing becomes dangerously saturated with scientific terms, acronyms, and chemical and biological references. However, he invariably rescues the reader in time with crystal-clear narrative in chapters such as How We See Clearly Inside Living Cells and How Cells Die. As well as talking at length about what cells do successfully in keeping a body alive and functioning, he also addresses situations where cells malfunction and what consequences ensue. There is enough eye-opening surprise and wonder to keep the reader interested and engaged throughout the book.
In the closing chapters of the book, Rappoport shifts perspective from the detail of cell biology to what all the discoveries mean in terms of human impact. In the chapter, The Nano Revolution, he discusses “…major areas of interest and inquiry at the intersection of biomedical research and nanotechnology.” While industrial nanoparticles, for example, can be put to many good uses, Rappoport questions what might happen if they make their way incidentally into the environment. But he juxtaposes that outcome against the “…huge hopes for the integration of nanotechnology into medicine, ranging from imaging and diagnostic agents to therapeutic approaches and medical devices.”
Not surprisingly, Rappoport intelligently lobbies for increased funding for scientific work, but he also advocates for education of the nonscientist public. He wants to build greater awareness of the challenges of science so that it will be better understood and valued.
Though I enjoyed The Cell, one criticism I have is that a modest glossary of terms would have greatly benefitted the layperson reading the book. In addition, Rappoport stuck rigorously to the one-chapter-one-diagram template. Without appearing even slightly textbook-ish, he could easily have indulged the reader with a little more generosity in diagrams. However, Rappoport cleverly generates and sustains reading momentum with short chapters and tantalizing chapter titles—The Revolutionary Reaction, or, How To Make DNA In Your Kitchen, The Jellyfish That Taught Us How To See, and The Immune System: How it Defends Us and Sometimes Attacks Us—to name but a few. Rappoport also keeps the reader supplied with limitless and wonderful analogies to help clarify understanding of cell biology and activity.
If you have hitherto had only a vague understanding of what cells are up to in your body right now, this book will enlighten and entertain you, and certainly advance your knowledge of cell biology in memorable ways.
February 5, 2022
I wanted to give this book 4 stars, and certain chapters were very deserving, but the topics jumped around beyond just cells. For example, about a quarter of the book focused on microscopy, historical development and different methods. Not what I was looking for. And then the later chapters on how to be a biologist seemed misplaced for a book about cells.
The chapters that did stick to cell biology and the future of cell breakthroughs for better health and disease treatment were great. In isolation, these chapters were a 4.
The chapters that did stick to cell biology and the future of cell breakthroughs for better health and disease treatment were great. In isolation, these chapters were a 4.
August 21, 2021
Ugh, I wish I had a brain...
I picked up this book because I thought this will be a fun refresher from High School and also will teach me more about cells but, honestly, I digested maybe 20% of it?
I think I need this in some visual form, preferably explained like to a toddler.
2,5* (audiobook)
I picked up this book because I thought this will be a fun refresher from High School and also will teach me more about cells but, honestly, I digested maybe 20% of it?
I think I need this in some visual form, preferably explained like to a toddler.
2,5* (audiobook)
July 24, 2024
Holistic and informative. Enjoyed the different analogies and stories.
Review TBC
Review TBC
August 1, 2022
This book felt like a tiny cellular biology textbook. With the exception of excluding a lot of details and including only some of the Hall of Fame concepts within the field.
While the author intended for the book to be more for a general audience, to be quite frank, the concepts included will not necessarily be of interest to the general public, unless they have an interest in learning about some intimate biological details (ex. Conventional vs. alternative gene expression, sequencing technology, and in depth details regarding different types of microscopy available for scientist).
I genuinely think this book is great for somebody who might be interested in getting into the field of cellular biology to be informed about some of the classical and modern concepts. As you flip the pages you might find yourself becoming fascinated to know how much the field has progressed.
I also think this book is great for someone who is informed about Cellular biology and looking for a way to be able to better explain complex concepts. The author throughout the book uses some great analogy to help the reader understand what he’s talking about . Ex. the, author equated the central dogma to a restaurant. Where are your genome is equivalent to the menu, and the individual genes equals the different dishes. The slip of paper the server uses to take your order is similar to the RNA transcript formed. Which than, goes to the kitchen (the ribosome), where it will be translated into proteins.
I found the ending to be some what sad, but it is the harsh reality, regarding issues with fundings, and the competition to publish in high impact factor journals (which can be very unhealthy and sometimes results in misconduct). Nonetheless, the author firmly believes that if we want to produce better knowledge (the essence of science) and better research we need to get the general public to be more invested in scientific research.
While the author intended for the book to be more for a general audience, to be quite frank, the concepts included will not necessarily be of interest to the general public, unless they have an interest in learning about some intimate biological details (ex. Conventional vs. alternative gene expression, sequencing technology, and in depth details regarding different types of microscopy available for scientist).
I genuinely think this book is great for somebody who might be interested in getting into the field of cellular biology to be informed about some of the classical and modern concepts. As you flip the pages you might find yourself becoming fascinated to know how much the field has progressed.
I also think this book is great for someone who is informed about Cellular biology and looking for a way to be able to better explain complex concepts. The author throughout the book uses some great analogy to help the reader understand what he’s talking about . Ex. the, author equated the central dogma to a restaurant. Where are your genome is equivalent to the menu, and the individual genes equals the different dishes. The slip of paper the server uses to take your order is similar to the RNA transcript formed. Which than, goes to the kitchen (the ribosome), where it will be translated into proteins.
I found the ending to be some what sad, but it is the harsh reality, regarding issues with fundings, and the competition to publish in high impact factor journals (which can be very unhealthy and sometimes results in misconduct). Nonetheless, the author firmly believes that if we want to produce better knowledge (the essence of science) and better research we need to get the general public to be more invested in scientific research.
October 14, 2018
To start with, the title is total bunk and actually does a disservice to readers insofar as not really setting their expectations properly.
The text itself I found lacking, in part because I think the author was trying to go in too many directions and couldn't really commit to any of them adequately.
On some level, this is like a "lite/diet" version of an AP Bio/freshman college textbook, at least insofar as explaining core concepts of cell biology and genetics. Unfortunately, the lack of illustrations (at least in the e-version) is a significant omission. I could follow it (I studied graduate-level biology), but I don't know that the "average reader" the author is shooting for will get much out of that part.
The other areas the author tries to touch on, cancer/immuno-oncology, virology, and so on get only superficial treatment, and there are a lot of basic cell functions and specialized cell functions that he omitted entirely. Instead of so-brief-as-to-be-useless digressions, he could have talked at least a bit about how muscle cells are different than nerve cells than cells of the eye and of the brain and so on. Lot of missed opportunities there.
I respect what the author attempted, and it's not a bad book, but I'm not sure how useful or interesting the casual amateur will find this.
The text itself I found lacking, in part because I think the author was trying to go in too many directions and couldn't really commit to any of them adequately.
On some level, this is like a "lite/diet" version of an AP Bio/freshman college textbook, at least insofar as explaining core concepts of cell biology and genetics. Unfortunately, the lack of illustrations (at least in the e-version) is a significant omission. I could follow it (I studied graduate-level biology), but I don't know that the "average reader" the author is shooting for will get much out of that part.
The other areas the author tries to touch on, cancer/immuno-oncology, virology, and so on get only superficial treatment, and there are a lot of basic cell functions and specialized cell functions that he omitted entirely. Instead of so-brief-as-to-be-useless digressions, he could have talked at least a bit about how muscle cells are different than nerve cells than cells of the eye and of the brain and so on. Lot of missed opportunities there.
I respect what the author attempted, and it's not a bad book, but I'm not sure how useful or interesting the casual amateur will find this.
June 8, 2017
Interesting and detailed information about microbiology. Some of it was a little over my head, even though I am familiar with many of the terms. There were times when the author related a topic very well, and other times I just could not understand or visualize what he was trying to convey.
March 8, 2021
Excellent and fairly brief narration of key discoveries in the field of cellular and molecular biology over the last two or three centuries, with a particular focus on the last fifty years.
I would hesitate to say this is a book meant for the layman, although I know that's what Rappaport was going for. Realistically, many of the concepts require at least a couple college courses in cellular biology or biochemistry (and perhaps physics) with lab work to follow along. I would say if you have no idea what PCR is or how it works, you will probably end up taking many breaks to educate yourself (which is fine if that's how you want to learn).
Rappaport has a particular focus on the evolution of research and lab techniques, which was such a smart decision and probably the less easier or "sexy" thing to do from a publisher's standpoint. Most readers want a story of some sort, and that would include a story about the cell's various functions and how it differentiates or specializes and what other new information or quirks have been discovered about how DNA behaves. While that's covered in the book, it's done in the context of how these discoveries came about in a laboratory with evidence that required explanation or was surprising. Without advancements in microscopy, fluorescence, and lumiscence, many of the discoveries in understanding how various organelles function or how to manipulate cells as part of therapeutics would not be possible. It's no surprise that many of these techniques are what end up winning Nobels, not the downstream therapeutic applications.
Even if you're well versed in the science of these discoveries, Rappaport has interesting stories that you may not have heard of. For example, I work in the gene editing space and am familiar with the science underlying induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) discovered less than a decade ago and for which Yamanaki won a Nobel in 2017. What I wasn't aware of (nor were many colleagues) was the infamous STAP cell scandal involving another Japanese institute (RIKEN) and the disgraced scientist Obokata who tried to pass off forged data as a new discovery and improvement on generating iPSCs.
If you're strongly considering going into a PhD program in the biological sciences, I would say this is almost required reading to understand the world you will be operating in and a good litmus test of whether you are really serious about being research.
I would hesitate to say this is a book meant for the layman, although I know that's what Rappaport was going for. Realistically, many of the concepts require at least a couple college courses in cellular biology or biochemistry (and perhaps physics) with lab work to follow along. I would say if you have no idea what PCR is or how it works, you will probably end up taking many breaks to educate yourself (which is fine if that's how you want to learn).
Rappaport has a particular focus on the evolution of research and lab techniques, which was such a smart decision and probably the less easier or "sexy" thing to do from a publisher's standpoint. Most readers want a story of some sort, and that would include a story about the cell's various functions and how it differentiates or specializes and what other new information or quirks have been discovered about how DNA behaves. While that's covered in the book, it's done in the context of how these discoveries came about in a laboratory with evidence that required explanation or was surprising. Without advancements in microscopy, fluorescence, and lumiscence, many of the discoveries in understanding how various organelles function or how to manipulate cells as part of therapeutics would not be possible. It's no surprise that many of these techniques are what end up winning Nobels, not the downstream therapeutic applications.
Even if you're well versed in the science of these discoveries, Rappaport has interesting stories that you may not have heard of. For example, I work in the gene editing space and am familiar with the science underlying induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) discovered less than a decade ago and for which Yamanaki won a Nobel in 2017. What I wasn't aware of (nor were many colleagues) was the infamous STAP cell scandal involving another Japanese institute (RIKEN) and the disgraced scientist Obokata who tried to pass off forged data as a new discovery and improvement on generating iPSCs.
If you're strongly considering going into a PhD program in the biological sciences, I would say this is almost required reading to understand the world you will be operating in and a good litmus test of whether you are really serious about being research.
January 16, 2025
The goal of this book is laudable - to give non-scientific readers enough understanding of the science around biomedical research to develop a reasonable BS detector when consuming science/medical news from mainstream sources (as in not academic journals). The author clearly has no agenda beyond a hope that a more informed populace - he deftly avoids wading into religious and philosophical debates, understanding that a shared knowledge base will improve the quality of those types of discourse.
The book mostly succeeds in its goal - particularly the later chapters, which are very short, focused dives into specific topics like cloning, nanoparticles, and other issues about which many people have strongly held and completely uninformed opinions. The first section of the book would benefit from a similar structure - while it is clearly accurate and thorough, it is a bit dense for the intended audience - those of us not already familiar with the material. The audio format probably did not help the situation - while the narrator very competently handled the scientific language, the use of a more conversational tone would be more in keeping with the intended casualness.
So even though print might be the way to go with this one, I'd still recommend it as a starting point for anyone who wants to improve their ability to evaluate medical news (and advertising) more critically.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
The book mostly succeeds in its goal - particularly the later chapters, which are very short, focused dives into specific topics like cloning, nanoparticles, and other issues about which many people have strongly held and completely uninformed opinions. The first section of the book would benefit from a similar structure - while it is clearly accurate and thorough, it is a bit dense for the intended audience - those of us not already familiar with the material. The audio format probably did not help the situation - while the narrator very competently handled the scientific language, the use of a more conversational tone would be more in keeping with the intended casualness.
So even though print might be the way to go with this one, I'd still recommend it as a starting point for anyone who wants to improve their ability to evaluate medical news (and advertising) more critically.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
May 5, 2023
yay i have completed my first real bio book of the year!
i really like the way this was written. most sciency books made for the general audience often try to pander too much to the majority of non-science ppl, which cld be a good thing for THEM, but i kinda hate how simplistic and low on the scientific theory these books feel to me. i WANT clear scientific elucidation. !! so i am going to commend this dude -- while there were a lot of appropriate analogies made to explain concepts,, there was still a lot of emphasis on the scientific ideas and clear definitions + processes, even if it wasn't the most detailed! (which ofc i understand) a good balance i wld say..
there were a few things i learnt that i had never heard of before ie sanger sequencing, nanoparticles, human systems, the physics behind fluorescence, how microscopes work (which unfortunately i was not very interested in) etc. and also! i rlly liked the last chapter describing how a career in science works bc i'm more assured that this might be a road i'd want to go down.
overall, a lot of what was being talked abt --molecular bio was a big refresher for me which was useful! and now i am clearer on how apoptosis works.. my understanding on it was rlly vague curse you h2 biology :( anyway i rlly liked this and maybe that means i am interested in cell bio/mol bio? smth to think abt!
i really like the way this was written. most sciency books made for the general audience often try to pander too much to the majority of non-science ppl, which cld be a good thing for THEM, but i kinda hate how simplistic and low on the scientific theory these books feel to me. i WANT clear scientific elucidation. !! so i am going to commend this dude -- while there were a lot of appropriate analogies made to explain concepts,, there was still a lot of emphasis on the scientific ideas and clear definitions + processes, even if it wasn't the most detailed! (which ofc i understand) a good balance i wld say..
there were a few things i learnt that i had never heard of before ie sanger sequencing, nanoparticles, human systems, the physics behind fluorescence, how microscopes work (which unfortunately i was not very interested in) etc. and also! i rlly liked the last chapter describing how a career in science works bc i'm more assured that this might be a road i'd want to go down.
overall, a lot of what was being talked abt --molecular bio was a big refresher for me which was useful! and now i am clearer on how apoptosis works.. my understanding on it was rlly vague curse you h2 biology :( anyway i rlly liked this and maybe that means i am interested in cell bio/mol bio? smth to think abt!
September 6, 2018
Really helpful if you happen to be working in a celllular imaging lab and know next to nothing about cells and cellular imaging. Definitely helped me follow along in my first lab meeting. That said, my interest was directly correlated with the relevance of the chapter to my work, and I found it hard to get through some of the other chapters, which indicates that the writing wasn't the best and/or that the author didn't properly motivate his technical details and convince me that they were important.
August 10, 2020
This book is packed with information about cell anatomy, biology, history of discoveries, and the different applications that we use to try to view the world of microbes. It sometimes reads like a text book, and probably has a lot of interesting diagrams that make understanding cellular sciences easier. I listened to the audiobook and had to listen to a few sections over again because I didn't quite get it the first time. The audiobook is done very well though. I would say that this is a very good book for beginners to genetics and cellular biology.
April 27, 2021
A must read for people who want to dip their toes into the world of Science, especially cell biology and genetics.
Dr Rappoport gives an extremely easy to digest and understand overview of the many fields he talks about, from the intricacies of how the cell works to ethics and the current problems academic research faces and the importance of science to our day to day lives.
This book is extremely fun and easy to read and can easily become your starting point in your learning journey about cell biology and the related fields.
Dr Rappoport gives an extremely easy to digest and understand overview of the many fields he talks about, from the intricacies of how the cell works to ethics and the current problems academic research faces and the importance of science to our day to day lives.
This book is extremely fun and easy to read and can easily become your starting point in your learning journey about cell biology and the related fields.
December 14, 2024
Explore the incredible complexity of the cell and the history of its scientific discovery. This book provides insights into cellular function, recent breakthroughs in medicine, and how to critically evaluate health information.
This book is fascinating. I especially enjoyed the information about discoveries made during recent decades. Though I don’t have a science background, I found the concepts easy to understand. I enjoyed the audiobook narration.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
This book is fascinating. I especially enjoyed the information about discoveries made during recent decades. Though I don’t have a science background, I found the concepts easy to understand. I enjoyed the audiobook narration.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
December 9, 2022
This book gives an overview of the cell and its component pieces (organelles). Largely focuses on DNA ==> RNA ==> protein, gene theory. Other small chapters on gene sequencing, editing, cell death (apoptosis), history of microscopy, et. al. Little on cell differentiation / coordination, immune system. Disappointingly little on history and evolution of the cell.
June 9, 2023
This book was okay - it would be great for an A-level student but lacked the detail or finesse to keep it exciting. I wish the final chapter of the book was the introduction - or rather, had been the tone of the book as a whole. I did appreciate the overview given however but I just wish there was a bit more to it.
October 6, 2018
Audiobook. Good information.
April 24, 2019
以淺顯易懂的方式解釋生物知識與相關技術，連我多年來搞不懂的confocal microscopy他也解釋的相當清楚。
June 23, 2023
Ehhhhhhh it's okay haha
March 22, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley, Joshua Rappoport, and Brilliance Audio for an Advanced Listener's Copy of this title!
"The Cell" offers a bird's eye view of the microscopic bodies that rule and define us. Starting from the basic contents of a cell and the birth of the field of microbiology, Rappoport takes us on a walking tour of cells at work, discoveries within the field of microbiology, and where cellular research might be headed in the next several decades.
As someone who hasn't touched a microbiology text for a few months now, this was a lovely refresher and introduction to microbiology and microbiological research. I think those who are interested in this branch of science but don't come from a scientific background would really enjoy this book as a kick-off to picking up more complicated texts. I felt the language and presentation of topics was done in a way that was really accessible, and didn't require a degree to understand. Those who have a background in microbiology will probably find this to be a glaze-over of their beloved field, but I think the value of popular science books is that they take a really complex topic and present it in such a way that it's accessible to all.
The audio was really fun to listen to, and something that I thought was very cool this particular audio did was provide a PDF of the images in the book that listeners could reference, which is something I haven't seen (or heard) in an audiobook before. I felt like I was walking with the narrator through an episode of "Bill Nye the Science Guy", but for adults, which made for a pleasant reading experience.
Overall I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in microbiology, particularly high school and college students interested in pursuing the field, as I think this book is a great jumping-off point for further research and gives you an idea of where microbiology as a field stands today.
"The Cell" offers a bird's eye view of the microscopic bodies that rule and define us. Starting from the basic contents of a cell and the birth of the field of microbiology, Rappoport takes us on a walking tour of cells at work, discoveries within the field of microbiology, and where cellular research might be headed in the next several decades.
As someone who hasn't touched a microbiology text for a few months now, this was a lovely refresher and introduction to microbiology and microbiological research. I think those who are interested in this branch of science but don't come from a scientific background would really enjoy this book as a kick-off to picking up more complicated texts. I felt the language and presentation of topics was done in a way that was really accessible, and didn't require a degree to understand. Those who have a background in microbiology will probably find this to be a glaze-over of their beloved field, but I think the value of popular science books is that they take a really complex topic and present it in such a way that it's accessible to all.
The audio was really fun to listen to, and something that I thought was very cool this particular audio did was provide a PDF of the images in the book that listeners could reference, which is something I haven't seen (or heard) in an audiobook before. I felt like I was walking with the narrator through an episode of "Bill Nye the Science Guy", but for adults, which made for a pleasant reading experience.
Overall I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in microbiology, particularly high school and college students interested in pursuing the field, as I think this book is a great jumping-off point for further research and gives you an idea of where microbiology as a field stands today.
October 1, 2020
The author writes on cell biology such that anyone can understand and then relates it to the importance of studies in cell biology for cancer research and control of other diseases in the population.
February 28, 2020
Provided a good general overview of the cell and the advances both in our understanding of the components and functions of the cell and the technological innovations that have enabled us to discover that knowledge.
As someone with a degree in medicine, I felt I didn’t learn much from this book as it seems targeted towards a more general public audience, maybe someone very interested in science and research but who has yet to begin detailed study of it.
As someone with a degree in medicine, I felt I didn’t learn much from this book as it seems targeted towards a more general public audience, maybe someone very interested in science and research but who has yet to begin detailed study of it.
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