Biology – pre sixth form workPick an area of Biology that you are interested in, and find a book on that topic . Read

the book and write 300 words (maximum) including: A summary of what the book was about

Areas that you found interestingAny areas that you did not know about previouslyWhether you would recommend the book or not

You will need this piece of work to the first lesson to begin your independent study

journal. This will be the start of you documenting the extra interest you show in Biology throughout the year. You will be required to add to your log any Biology related

articles or books you read, any exhibitions or lectures you attend. The aim of this is to: 1) broaden your understanding of the subject and 2) allow you to document your

interest in the subject which will help when you write your personal statement, and teachers write your reference if you intend to carry on with something Biology related

after school. You will have to present your review to students in your class.

The school library has a wide range of really good books that you could borrow for the

summer… attached is a powerpoint of some of the books stocked by the library.

Wider Reading in Biology

Arguably the most significant scientific discovery of the new century, the mapping of the twenty-three pairs of chromosomes that make up the

human genome raises almost as many questions as it answers. Questions that will profoundly

impact the way we think about disease, about longevity, and about free will. Questions that will

affect the rest of your life. Genome offers extraordinary insight into the

ramifications of this incredible breakthrough. By picking one newly discovered gene from each pair of chromosomes and telling its story, Matt Ridley

recounts the history of our species and its ancestors from the dawn of life to the brink of future medicine. From Huntington's disease to

cancer, from the applications of gene therapy to the horrors of eugenics, Matt Ridley probes the scientific, philosophical, and moral issues arising as a result of the mapping of the genome. It will

help you understand what this scientific milestone means for you, for your children, and for

humankind.

At a time when animal species are becoming extinct on every continent and we are confronted with bad news about the environment nearly every day, Jane

Goodall, one of the world’s most renowned scientists, brings us inspiring news about the future of the animal kingdom. With the insatiable curiosity

and conversational prose that have made her a bestselling author, Goodall-along with Cincinnati Zoo Director Thane Maynard and co-author Gail Hudson-

shares fascinating survival stories about the American Crocodile, the California Condor, the

Black-Footed Ferret, and more; all formerly endangered species and species once on the verge

of extinction whose populations are now being regenerated.

Interweaving her own first-hand experiences in the field with the compelling research of premier

scientists, Goodall illuminates the heroic efforts of dedicated environmentalists and the truly critical

need to protect the habitats of these beloved species. At once a celebration of the animal

kingdom and a passionate call to arms, HOPE FOR ANIMALS AND THEIR WORLD presents an uplifting, hopeful message for the future of animal-human

coexistence.

In his internationally bestselling, now classic volume, The Selfish Gene, Dawkins explains how the selfish gene can also be a subtle

gene. The world of the selfish gene revolves around savage

competition, ruthless exploitation, and deceit, and yet, Dawkins

argues, acts of apparent altruism do exist in nature. Bees, for

example, will commit suicide when they sting to protect the hive, and birds will risk their lives to warn

the flock of an approaching hawk. Containing a wealth of remarkable

new insights into the biological world, the second edition once again drives home the fact that

truth is stranger than fiction.

Richard Dawkins launches a fierce counterattack against proponents of "Intelligent Design" in his latest New York Times bestseller, The Greatest

Show on Earth. "Intelligent Design" is being taught in our schools; educators are being asked to "teach the controversy" behind evolutionary theory. There is no controversy. Dawkins sifts through rich layers of scientific evidence from living examples of natural selection to clues in the fossil record; from natural clocks that mark

the vast epochs wherein evolution ran its course to the intricacies of developing embryos; from plate tectonics to molecular genetics to make

the airtight case that "we find ourselves perched on one tiny twig in the midst of a blossoming

and flourishing tree of life and it is no accident, but the direct consequence of evolution by non-random selection." His unjaded passion for the

natural world turns what might have been a negative argument, exposing the absurdities of the creationist position, into a positive offering

to the reader: nothing less than a master's vision of life, in all its splendor.

The sloth is Sir David's first essay in this collection of his own personal

insight into the natural world around us. He also talks about his

first ever pet, a salamander, and his favourite animal - the bird of

paradise, as well as living fossils, flying dinosaurs, dragons and the strange antics of the duck-billed

platypus. This is Sir David looking at the wildlife that has captured his imagination and enthusiasm over

his distinguished career in TV, then wildlife TV. It is a fascinating trip

around the world in search of extraordinary plants and animals, in

the company of this wonderful communicator.

The classic personal account of one of the great scientific discoveries of the century. By identifying the structure of DNA, the molecule

of life, Francis Crick and James Watson revolutionized biochemistry and won

themselves a Nobel Prize. At the time, Watson was only twenty-four, a brilliant young zoologist hungry to make his mark. His

uncompromisingly honest account of the heady days of their thrilling sprint against

other world-class researchers to solve one of science's greatest unsolved mysteries gives a dazzlingly clear picture of a world of brilliant

scientists with great gifts, very human ambitions, and bitter rivalries. With humility unspoiled by false modesty, Watson relates

his and Crick's desperate efforts to beat Linus Pauling to the Holy Grail of the life sciences,

the identification of the basic building block of life. He is impressed by the achievements of the young man he was, but clear-eyed about

his limitations. Never has such a brilliant scientist also been so gifted, and so truthful, in capturing in words the flavour of his work.

What Darwin Got Wrong is a remarkable book, one that dares

to challenge the theory of natural selection as an

explanation for how evolution works---a devastating critique

not in the name of religion but in the name of good science.

Combining the results of cutting-edge work in experimental biology with crystal-clear

philosophical arguments, Fodor and Piattelli-Palmarini mount a

reasoned and convincing assault on the central tenets of Darwin’s account of the origin of species. This is a concise argument that will transform the debate about evolution and move us beyond

the false dilemma of being either for natural selection or against

science. 

The Brain: A Very Short Introduction provides a non-technical introduction to the main

issues and findings in current brain research and gives a sense of how neuroscience

addresses questions about the relationship between the brain and the mind. Short, clear

discussions on the mechanical workings of the brain are offered and the details of brain

science are covered in an accessible style. Explanations of the more familiar implications

of the brain's actions, such as memories, perceptions, and motor control are integrated throughout the book. It has chapters on brain processes and the causes of "altered mental

states," as well as a final chapter that discusses possible future developments in

neuroscience, touching on artificial intelligence, gene therapy, the importance of the Human Genome Project, drugs by design, and transplants. Up-to-date coverage of the newest developments in brain research and suggestions for future research on the brain

are also included.

A fascinating popular science book that reveals how much we really know and don’t know about the

natural world. It explains why we need to be more concerned about ecosystems than individual iconic species such as the giant panda and gorilla. How much do we really know about the species that

make up the natural world and how they interrelate? In this fascinating book Ken Thompson explains what we do and don’t understand about biodiversity: why

some places are much more diverse than others; how many species there (probably) really are; and

he looks at attempts to value biodiversity in economic terms. He argues that we need to look at

ecosystems rather than biodiversity per se. Our modern landscape created by intensive farming

delivers cheap food (for both animals and people) in unprecedented quantities but unfortunately that all it delivers. Our challenge is to devise multifunctional landscapes that deliver better water quality, less soil erosion, more carbon storage and healthier, happier livestock, that are also less dependent on cheap oil

and phosphorus. If we can do that, then plants, moths, butterflies, bumblebees and birds will all gain

too, but these biodiversity benefits will only be welcome side-effects of fixing the fundamental

controls on ecosystem functioning.

Darwin's theory that our ancestors were apes caused a

furore in the scientific world and outside it when The Origin of

Species was published in 1859. Arguments still rage about the implications of his evolutionary

theory, and scepticism about the value of Darwin's contribution to knowledge is widespread. In this

analysis of Darwin's major insights and arguments,

Jonathan Howard reasserts the importance of Darwin's work for

the development of modern biology.

The book includes discussions on the structure of DNA, mutations, embryonic development, gene transfer, recombination, and evolution: in short, all that

geneticists have done in the past and what they are working on now.

There is ample discussion of genetically modified organisms and foods, and a detailed presentation of the potential harm and benefits that might accompany their introduction;

these are contrasted to effects of insecticides and herbicides, among other things. Science/government and industry relations are plainly presented, but while the authors point out the debate that is now

raging, they do not choose sides. It is a good discussion, and there is no

pontification.

The book is about ecology, or the inter- connection of all the plants and animals in the world. This is a developing subject looking to answer the question in Colinvaux's words of "why some animals are common and others rare, why some are bigger than others, why their numbers are the same year after year,

why their behaviour may be curious, and how they share the energy of the life giving sun".

The text is very clear and the reader gets access to real science without politics maths or jargon. He shows that a Darwinian "survival of

the fittest" is much more a question of peaceful exploration of different niches rather than a

struggle for the same ones, getting back for a change to what Darwin actually observed.

Equally he sticks to the truth even if he doesn't like it much. He hates the Alaska pipeline for its misuse of fuel reserves and wishes it had never been built but it doesn't stop him dumping the

"fragile Alaskan ecosystem" argument.

Our individuality is under attack as never before. Two huge new forces new technology and the rise in fundamentalism are in their different ways combining to threaten the

control of our own minds and so the whole way our society functions. We have never more urgently needed to look at what we want for ourselves as individuals for our

children, and for our future society. This book will draw on the latest findings in

neuroscience to show how far we are and can be in control of the development of our

brains and minds and the actions we need to take now both to safeguard our individuality and to find the fulfilment which our current unfettered materialism cannot provide. All this inevitably poses many questions about

human nature, our past, what makes us individual, the connection between the brain

and the mind, what a society of fulfilled individuals would actually mean all of which

this book attempts to answer.

In this groundbreaking and very accessible book, Daniel C. Dennett, the acclaimed author of

Consciousness Explained, demonstrates the power of the theory of natural selection and shows how

Darwin's great idea transforms and illuminates our traditional view of our place in the universe.

Following Darwinian thinking to its logical conclusions is a risky business, with pitfalls for everybody. Creationists and others who reject

evolution are not the only ones to fall into the traps. Many who accept the validity of Darwin's

conclusions hesitate before their implications and distort his theory, fearful that it is politically

incorrect or antireligious, or that it robs life of all spirituality. Dennett explains the scientific theory of natural selection in vivid terms, and shows how it

extends far beyond biology.

How to avoid disease, how to breed successfully and how to live to a reasonable age, are questions that have perplexed mankind

throughout history. This book explores our progress in understanding these challenges, and

the risks and rewards of our attempts to find solutions. From the moment of conception, nutrition and exposure to microbes or alien

chemicals have consequences that are etched into our cells and genomes. Such events have a crucial impact on development in utero and in

childhood, and later, on the way we age, respond to infection, or the likelihood of developing

chronic diseases, including cancer. The issues covered include the powerful influence of

infectious disease on human society, the burden of our genetic legacy and the lottery of

procreation. The author discusses how prospects for human life might continually improve as

biomedicine addresses these problems and also debates the ethical checkpoints encountered.