Books by WSU faculty

Science

1. 

   A Genetic and Cultural Odyssey: The Life and Work of L. Luca Cavalli-Sforza

   By Linda Stone, Professor of Anthropology, and Paul F. Lurquin, Professor, School of Molecular Biosciences

    

   From the publisher: L. Luca Cavalli-Sforza has changed the way we understand human genetics and culture. Drawing links between genetic and cultural development, Cavalli-Storza has made groundbreaking discoveries in the evolution of Homo sapiens, prehistoric migration, and the origins of human differentiation. Based on interviews with his colleagues and analyses of his work, Stone and Lurquin's biography, the first on the scientist, offers a portrait of Cavalli-Sforza's life and ideas.

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2. 

   An Introduction to Biological Evolution

   By Kenneth V. Kardong, Professor, School of Biological Sciences

    

   From the publisher: Written for a general college audience, this book offers an introduction to the principles and significance of Darwinian evolution. It differs from most other textbooks on evolution in three fundamental ways: First, it is intended for students taking evolution early in their studies. Second, it examines the intellectual significance of Darwinian evolution. Third, the text departs from the standard treatment of evolution in other textbooks, wherein the arguments are reductionist, molecular, and overwhelmingly genetic in emphasis.

   Ken Kardong, also author of Vertebrates; Comparative Anatomy, Function, Evolution, is known for his accessible writing style. His almost conversational approach to this topic puts the reader at ease while learning evolutionary concepts. The result is an inviting book—that will be read.

   

   

    

3. 

   Genes and DNA: A Beginner's Guide to Genetics and Its Applications

   By Charlotte K. Omoto and Paul F. Lurquin

    

   How does society make sense of what is being put into our food under the umbrella term “genetic modification?” How do we decide if it is ethical, or smart, for scientists to clone humans or to manipulate crop plants? This book walks the reader through the complex world of genetics and does an excellent job, not only of explaining difficult concepts, but also of putting them in a historical perspective.

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4. 

   Life in the Universe: Expectations and Constraints

   By Dirk Schulze-Makuch, Associate Professor, Geology, and Louis N. Irwin

    

   From the publisher: Energy, chemistry, solvents, and habitats—the basic elements of living systems—define the opportunities and limitations for life on other worlds. This study examines each of these parameters in crucial depth and makes the argument that life forms we would recognize may be more common in our solar system than many assume. They seek an operational definition of life and investigate the realm of possibilities that nature offers to realize this very special state of matter and avoid scientific jargon wherever possible to make this intrinsically interdisciplinary subject understandable to a broad range of readers.

   

   

    

5. 

   Origins of Life and the Universe

   By Paul Lurquin, professor , School of Molecular Biosciences

    

   From the publisher: The Origins of Life and the Universe is the culmination of a university science professor's search for understanding and is based on his experiences teaching the fundamental issues of physics, chemistry, and biology in the classroom. What is life? Where did it come from? How can understanding the origins of life on Earth help us understand the origins of the universe, and vice versa? These are questions that have occupied us all. This is a book, then, about the beginning of things—of the universe, matter, stars, and planetary systems, and finally, of life itself—topics of profound interest that are rarely considered together.