Lewis Thomas.
The Medusa and the Snail: more notes of a biology watcher.
Penguin. 1979
Among the treasures to be found in this work –
a further exploration of man and his world
that the author began in his first and much acclaimed book,
The Lives of The Cell – are essays on
the human genius for making mistakes, on cloning,
on warts, on punctuation and on ‘Transcendental Metaworry’.
As readers will quickly discover, Dr Thomas is not only possessed of an extraordinary knowledge, but also of a subversive and unexpected humour and a relish for the absurdities to be found in nature, in particular human nature. His book is witty, judicious, entertaining and highly stimulating.