Life’s Engines: How Microbes Made Earth Habitable
I’ll be the first to admit that this is a book that probably requires undivided attention to get the most out of. That means you sit down quietly and listen / read and then hope that you are well versed enough in biology to make the most of it. If you’re using listening to this while working out, or walking or gardening, you probably will need to redo chapters if you really mean to say you read this properly.
So yah, the topic at hand is quite good, how microbes made the earth habitable. Primarily it is because microbes started producing oxygen as a byproduct of their chemical processes and that kick started pretty much life on earth. The book also gets into how microbes drives a lot of other processes like mitochondria and their production of energy within our own cells and you can say that probably kickstarted humanity as we know it today. The book itself is quite interesting when it talks about historical and big picture ideas like this. It is when the book starts getting into the weeds of biochemical reactions that I realize my MCB days are at least 20 years in the past and I really have no desire to relive those days even if I was 20 years younger.
I’d recommend this book if you’re well versed in microcell biology and their processes as I think it’d take careful reading and quite some background knowledge to get past those areas of the book, but the big picture and history and the role microbes play in everyday life makes some good compelling reading.
All in all, I’m mixed about it. i did get past the book and appreciate it, but certainly wouldn’t be my first choice for casual readers.eneration’s expectations, and the host countries way of dealing with life.