A Short History of Biology

Book excerpt: "In 400 B.C., when Hippocrates wrote a book claiming that epilepsy, the 'sacred disease, ' was a natural disorder and not a visitation of demons, the science of biology may be said to have begun. Since then, curious naturalists have studied animals and plants, doctors have sought answers to very practical questions. The science of biology has grown -- slowly at first, stopping and starting again, and building in the last century to a crescendo that has not yet reached its peak. This concise, authoritative book traces the exciting development of the science of life, from the ancient Greeks through the monumental achievement of Charles Darwin to the explosive growth of molecular biology that is resulting in today's great breakthroughs in genetics and medicine. Written by Isaac Asimov, Associate Professor of Biochemistry at Boston University and author of numerous books on science, this is a highly readable, vivid introduction to the history and concepts of biology."--Back cover