Carl Zimmer Books

Celebrated New York Times columnist and science writer Carl Zimmer offers a fresh perspective on heredity and what we transmit across generations. While Charles Darwin significantly contributed to the scientific inquiry of heredity, he did not fully answer the question. The emergence of genetics in the early 1900s seemed to provide clarity, leading many to translate traditional views of heredity into genetic terms. As genetic testing became more accessible, millions sought to connect with lost relatives and understand their ethnic backgrounds. However, Zimmer emphasizes that our DNA is a complex mosaic, comprised of fragments from various ancestors, each with its own unique history. These fragments influence our traits in subtle ways, extending beyond mere genetic inheritance from parents. Heredity also manifests within our bodies, as a single cell proliferates into trillions, shaping who we are. We inherit not only genes but also critical elements like microbes and technologies that enhance our lives. Zimmer argues for a redefined understanding of heredity, blending historical context with contemporary scientific research, personal anecdotes, and original reporting. He addresses pressing bioethical issues stemming from new biomedical advancements, challenging long-held beliefs about identity and what we can pass on to future generations.

Celebrated science writer Carl Zimmer's classic book, updated in a new edition, is an eye-opening look at Covid-19 and the many other viruses that shape our planet and ourselves.

IMAGINE A WORLD WHERE parasites control the minds of their hosts, sending them to their destruction. IMAGINE A WORLD WHERE parasites are masters of chemical warfare and camouflage, able to cloak themselves with their hosts' own molecules. IMAGINE A WORLD WHERE parasites steer the course of evolution, where the majority of species are parasites. WELCOME TO EARTH. For centuries, parasites have lived in nightmares, horror stories, and in the darkest shadows of science. Yet these creatures are among the world's most successful and sophisticated organisms. In Parasite Rex, Carl Zimmer deftly balances the scientific and the disgusting as he takes readers on a fantastic voyage. Traveling from the steamy jungles of Costa Rica to the fetid parasite haven of southern Sudan, Zimmer graphically brings to life how parasites can change DNA, rewire the brain, make men more distrustful and women more outgoing, and turn hosts into the living dead. This thorough, gracefully written book brings parasites out into the open and uncovers what they can teach us about the most fundamental survival tactics in the universe.

Award-winning writer, columnist, and journalists Carl Zimmer selects twenty science and nature essays that represent the best examples of the form published in 2022. A collection of the best science and nature articles written in 2022, selected by guest editor Carl Zimmer and series editor Jaime Green.

Carl Zimmer tells the story of the theory of evolution from Darwin's journey on the Beagle to the controversies of modern evolutionary theory, the understanding of the lethal resurgence of antibiotic resistant diseases and the wave of species extinctions that face us today. schovat popis

A Best Book of the YearSeed Magazine • Granta Magazine • The Plain-DealerIn this fascinating and utterly engaging book, Carl Zimmer traces E. coli's pivotal role in the history of biology, from the discovery of DNA to the latest advances in biotechnology. He reveals the many surprising and alarming parallels between E. coli's life and our own. And he describes how E. coli changes in real time, revealing billions of years of history encoded within its genome. E. coli is also the most engineered species on Earth, and as scientists retool this microbe to produce life-saving drugs and clean fuel, they are discovering just how far the definition of life can be stretched.

In this unprecedented history of a scientific revolution, award-winning author and journalist Carl Zimmer tells the definitive story of the dawn of the age of the brain and modern consciousness. Told here for the first time, the dramatic tale of how the secrets of the brain were discovered in seventeenth-century England unfolds against a turbulent backdrop of civil war, the Great Fire of London, and plague. At the beginning of that chaotic century, no one knew how the brain worked or even what it looked like intact. But by the century's close, even the most common conceptions and dominant philosophies had been completely overturned, supplanted by a radical new vision of man, God, and the universe.Presiding over the rise of this new scientific paradigm was the founder of modern neurology, Thomas Willis, a fascinating, sympathetic, even heroic figure at the center of an extraordinary group of scientists and philosophers known as the Oxford circle. Chronicled here in vivid detail are their groundbreaking revelations and the often gory experiments that first enshrined the brain as the physical seat of intelligence -- and the seat of the human soul. Soul Made Flesh conveys a contagious appreciation for the brain, its structure, and its many marvelous functions, and the implications for human identity, mind, and morality.

"We all assume we know what life is, but the more scientists learn about the living world-from protocells to brains, from zygotes to pandemic viruses-the harder they find it is to locate life's edge"--. Provided by publisher

"Body art meets popular science in this elegant, mind-blowing collection, written by renowned science writer Carl Zimmer. This fascinating book showcases hundreds of eye-catching tattoos that pay tribute to various scientific disciplines, from evolutionary biology and neuroscience to mathematics and astrophysics and reveals the stories of the individuals who chose to inscribe their obsessions in their skin. Best of all, each tattoo provides a leaping-off point for bestselling essayist and lecturer Zimmer to reflect on the science in question, whether it's the importance of an image of Darwin's finches or the significance of the uranium atom inked into the chest of a young radiologist."--from publisher's description

Exploring the biology of the air we breathe, this work delves into various elements, including pollen and viruses like COVID-19. The author, a Baillie Gifford-shortlisted science columnist for the New York Times, provides insights into how these airborne entities impact our health and environment. The book highlights the intricate relationships between air quality, biology, and human well-being, making it a timely and informative read for anyone interested in the science of our atmosphere.