{"product_id":"the-story-of-life-in-marianne-taylor-9780262044486","title":"The Story of Life in 10 1\/2 Species","description":"\u003cb\u003eSouvenirs of the planet: Ten (and a half) life forms, each of which explains a key aspect of life on Earth.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003eIf an alien visitor were to collect ten souvenir life forms to represent life on earth, which would they be? This is the thought-provoking premise of Marianne Taylor's \u003ci\u003eThe Story of Life in 10 and a Half Species\u003c\/i\u003e. Each life forms explains a key aspect about life on Earth. From the sponge that seems to be a plant but is really an animal to the almost extinct soft-shelled turtle deemed extremely unique and therefore extremely precious, these examples reveal how life itself is arranged across time and space, and how humanity increasingly dominates that vision. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTaylor, a prolific science writer, considers the chemistry of a green plant and ponders the possibility of life beyond our world; investigates the virus in an attempt to determine what a life form is; and wonders if the human--\"a distinct and very dominant species with an inevitably biased view of life\"-- could evolve in a new direction. She tells us that the giraffe was one species, but is now four; that the dusky seaside sparrow may be revived through \"re-evolution,\" or cloning; explains the significance of Darwin's finch to evolution; and much more. The \"half\" species is artificial intelligence. Itself an experiment to understand and model life, AI is central to our future--although from the alien visitor's standpoint, unlikely to inherit the earth in the long run.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Marianne Taylor\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 026204448X\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780262044486\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e MIT Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 10\/20\/2020\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 256\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 2.05lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.20h x 6.80w x 0.90d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e 07\/27\/2020","brand":"Marianne Taylor","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":44045395394815,"sku":"9780262044486","price":29.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_5bb795d8-b525-4805-a700-379d636e1427.jpg?v=1684978494","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-story-of-life-in-marianne-taylor-9780262044486","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}