Overview

J. B. S. Haldane (1892-64) was one of the scientific giants of the 20th century. A polymath who made important contributions to sciences ranging from physiology to genetics and biochemistry, he was also a highly skilled writer and an extraordinary character - brilliant, witty, idealistic, funny, and pugnacious. What I Require From Life is a compilation of his popular scientific essays written from the 1940s to last years of his life, that reflect not only his masterful ability to communicate scientific understanding, but also his deep commitment to socialism. The essays included here fall into two groups; those written by Haldane during the 1940s when he embraced Marxism, and those written during his last years in India (1957-64), and they range from An Autobiography in Brief (written three years before his death), to his Marxist view of evolution The Chicken or the Egg? , to his poignant poem Cancer is a Funny Thing. Edited with an introduction by Haldane's last graduate pupil, Professor Krishna Dronamraju, this collection of thought-provoking and beautifully-written science writing also comes with a Preface written by the late Sir Arthur C. Clarke, who provides a personal perspective on Haldane's unique place in 20th century science.

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9780199237708

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Reviews

A wonderful collection, giving infectious ideas of the energies and mental joys of a remarkable man. Druin Burch, New Scientist Haldane's sweep is breathtaking and his clarity...is reminiscent of Orwell. Druin Burch, New Scientist

A wonderful collection, giving infectious ideas of the energies and mental joys of a remarkable man. Druin Burch, New Scientist Haldane's sweep is breathtaking and his clarity...is reminiscent of Orwell. Druin Burch, New Scientist

Author Information

Professor Krishna Dronamraju is President of the Foundation for Genetic Research in Houston, USA. He was a pupil and close associate of J.B.S. Haldane in India. Professor Dronamraju's previously edited books include Haldane's Daedalus Revisited, Selected Genetic Papers of JBS Haldane, and Haldane and Modern Biology. He was an Advisor to the White House and served on the Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, and is currently a Visiting Professor of the University of Paris, the Albert Schweitzer International University of Geneva, and an Honorary Research Fellow of University College, London.

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