Discovery

The goal of <i>Discovery: Science as a Window to the World</i> is to relay the excitement of sciene by exploring selected topics in biology and medicine in a way that reveals the process of discovery. Each chapter will focus on the curiosity and creativity that drives scientists to wonder, observe, question and experiment. <p>One impetus for this project is the recognition of a growing demand among instructors for a book that departs from fact-stuffed textbooks and instead engages students in the discovery process at a personal level. <br><ul><br><li>Emphasizes the process of discovery through interviews and key experiments. <br><li>Written by a best-selling author. <br><li>Provides an in-depth, conversational look at the science behind several "hot topics" in biology. <br><li>Each chapter traces the beginnings of the field with stories of how serendipity and scientific inquiry intertwine. <br><li>Presents the background to a field by including the scientific literature-so the reader does not have to do a literature search or plow through a review article. <br><li>Many essays introduce the work of overlooked scientists or "unsung heroes." Alexey Olovnikov (telomeres), Leroy Steven (stem cells), to name a few. <br><li>Also, well-known scientists are interviewed: Stanley Miller, Carl Woese, John Gearhart, and others. <br><li>The essays show how ideas interact and coalesce from different lines of research. <br><li>Highlights the role of the media in interpreting science for the public.</ul>