Asimov Isaac. A Short History of Biology

New York: NHP, 1964. — 179 p. — ISBN: 978-0313225833.Most introductory biology books throw a large collection of facts in your face without really giving you any explanation of how they came to be. What makes this so hard is that the heart of biology is about details. One way of putting this is - nomenclature (taxonomies) is to biology, as mathematics is to physics. Unfortunately, for the a "non-specialist", getting a quick introduction to the different fields of biology is difficult. Asimov slowly introduces the concepts of biology by explaining the development of this science through history. He subtly introduces the different fields of biology along with some of the famous discoveries and experiments. The difference is that he doesn't get bogged down in the details. A biologist would probably find this disappointing. However, for someone who wants to sort through the massive amounts of information on biology, this book is great. This book requires almost no prerequisite knowledge. If you read this book along with an introductory book on Biology, it will give an excellent view of some of the fundamental concepts of Biology.Ancient Biology
The Beginning of Science
Ionia
Athens
Alexandria
Rome
Medieval Biology
The Dark Ages
The Renaissance
The Transition
The Birth of Modern Biology
The New Anatomy
The Circulation of the Blood
The Beginnings of Biochemistry
The Microscope
Classifying Life
Spontaneous Generation
Arranging the Species
Approach to Evolution
The Geological Background
Compounds and Cells
Gases and Life
Organic Compounds
Tissues and Embryos
Evolution
Natural Selection
The Struggle over Evolution
The Descent of Man
Offshoots of Evolution
The Beginnings of Genetics
The Gap in Darwinian Theory
Mendel's Peas
Mutation
Chromosomes
The Fall of Vitalism
Nitrogen and the Diet
Calorimetry
Fermentation
Enzymes
The War Against Disease
Vaccination
The Germ Theory of Disease
Bacteriology
Insects
Food Factors
Vitamins
The Nervous System
Hypnotism
The Nerves and Brain
Behavior
Nerve Potentials
Blood
Hormones
Serology
Blood Groups
Virus Diseases
Allergy
Metabolism
Chemotherapy
Antibiotics and Pesticides
Metabolic Intermediates
Radioactive Isotopes
Molecular Biology: Protein
Enzymes and Coenzymes
Electrophoresis and X-ray Diffraction
Chromatography
Amino Acid Arrangement
Molecular Biology: Nucleic Acid
Viruses and Genes
The Importance of DNA
Nucleic Acid Structure
The Genetic Code
The Origin of Life