Discovery (PDF)

The goal of Discovery: Science as a Window to the World 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.

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.

* * Emphasizes the process of discovery through interviews and key
experiments.

* Written by a best-selling author.

* Provides an in-depth, conversational look at the science behind
several "hot topics" in biology.

* Each chapter traces the beginnings of the field with stories of
how serendipity and scientific inquiry intertwine.

* 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.

* Many essays introduce the work of overlooked scientists or
"unsung heroes." Alexey Olovnikov (telomeres), Leroy Steven (stem
cells), to name a few.

* Also, well-known scientists are interviewed: Stanley Miller,
Carl Woese, John Gearhart, and others.

* The essays show how ideas interact and coalesce from different
lines of research.

* Highlights the role of the media in interpreting science for
the public.