The Lives of a Cell by Lewis Thomas (review)

United States." They succeed in this objective. Past studies of this subject have put on display almost every error in the design of research on human differences as well as fallacies in the_ analysis and interpretation of data. The authors carefully examine many relevant studies. Although they do not identify all forms of error, they list more of those unknown to me than I could add to their list. The best research in this field has gained in sophistication, and the authors propose some research designs which could reduce uncertainty. At present there is no concatenation of evidence which proves that there is a genetic basis for average racial differences in intelligence. The authors give the following tentative conclusion from their review of empirical findings and theoretical arguments. "Observed average differences in the scores of members of different U.S. racial-ethnic groups on intellectual-ability tests probably reflect in part inadequacies and biases in the tests themselves, in part differences in environmental conditions among the groups, and in part genetic differences among the groups." Although the book is lucid, the quality of writing does not match the quality of the authors' treatment of their subject. They do not restrict themselves to second-hand ideas. The central question is important, it is reasonable, and there are social scientists who know how to do the research. Dwight J. Ingle Professor Emeritus University of Chicago The Lives of a Cell. By Lewis Thomas. New York: Viking Press, 1974. Pp. 153. $6.95. If anyone doubts that biology and medicine are fun, let him read this pearl of the most exhilarating writing in all biology. If one is not immediately charmed by the delicacy and beauty of Thomas's writing, then he will be enchanted by allowing Thomas's marvelous blank prose to "grow" on him. Isolated chapters appeared in the New EnglandJournal of Medicine over the last several years, but those morsels lost much in their isolation. In this book they are brought together with tremendous effect. In fact, this booklet is the most interesting and certainly the best written ever to appear in my lifetime. I can imagine no greater treat for the biologist than to become acquainted with this medical essayist without peer. The more I reread this book, the more I want to learn from the "powerful story" by Lewis Thomas which tells so well that all life is interrelated, that divisions in biology are merely illusory, and that so much in biology can still be better communicated in the language of poetry than in mathematically precise language. Jacobus W. Mostert University of Chicago 294 I Book Reviews ...