Seeds of life: from Aristotle to Da Vinci, from shark's teeth to frog's pants, the long and strange quest to discover where babies come from
(Book)

Book Cover
Average Rating
Published:
New York : Basic Books, 2017.
Format:
Book
Physical Desc:
ix, 309 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm
Status:
Description

"Why cracking the code of human conception took centuries of wild theories, misogynist blunders, and ludicrous mistakes. Throughout most of human history, babies were surprises. People knew the basics: men and women had sex, and sometimes babies followed. But beyond that the origins of life were a colossal mystery. The Seeds of Life is the remarkable and rollicking story of how a series of blundering geniuses and brilliant amateurs struggled for two centuries to discover where, exactly, babies come from. Taking a page from investigative thrillers, acclaimed science writer Edward Dolnick looks to these early scientists as if they were detectives hot on the trail of a bedeviling and urgent mystery. These strange searchers included an Italian surgeon using shark teeth to prove that female reproductive organs were not 'failed' male genitalia, and a Catholic priest who designed ingenious miniature pants to prove that frogs required semen to fertilize their eggs. A witty and rousing history of science, The Seeds of Life presents our greatest scientists struggling-against their perceptions, their religious beliefs, and their deep-seated prejudices-to uncover how and where we come from"--

Also in This Series
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Location
Call Number
Status
East Lyme Public Adult Non-Fiction
612.6 Dolnick
In Transit
Wallingford Adult Nonfiction
612.6 DOLNICK
On Shelf
Woodbridge Adult NF 500-599
571.8/DOL
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More Details
Language:
English
ISBN:
9780465082957

Notes

Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Description
"Why cracking the code of human conception took centuries of wild theories, misogynist blunders, and ludicrous mistakes. Throughout most of human history, babies were surprises. People knew the basics: men and women had sex, and sometimes babies followed. But beyond that the origins of life were a colossal mystery. The Seeds of Life is the remarkable and rollicking story of how a series of blundering geniuses and brilliant amateurs struggled for two centuries to discover where, exactly, babies come from. Taking a page from investigative thrillers, acclaimed science writer Edward Dolnick looks to these early scientists as if they were detectives hot on the trail of a bedeviling and urgent mystery. These strange searchers included an Italian surgeon using shark teeth to prove that female reproductive organs were not 'failed' male genitalia, and a Catholic priest who designed ingenious miniature pants to prove that frogs required semen to fertilize their eggs. A witty and rousing history of science, The Seeds of Life presents our greatest scientists struggling-against their perceptions, their religious beliefs, and their deep-seated prejudices-to uncover how and where we come from"--,Provided by publisher.
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Citations
APA Citation (style guide)

Dolnick, E. (2017). Seeds of life: from Aristotle to Da Vinci, from shark's teeth to frog's pants, the long and strange quest to discover where babies come from. New York, Basic Books.

Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation (style guide)

Dolnick, Edward, 1952-. 2017. Seeds of Life: From Aristotle to Da Vinci, From Shark's Teeth to Frog's Pants, the Long and Strange Quest to Discover Where Babies Come From. New York, Basic Books.

Chicago / Turabian - Humanities Citation (style guide)

Dolnick, Edward, 1952-, Seeds of Life: From Aristotle to Da Vinci, From Shark's Teeth to Frog's Pants, the Long and Strange Quest to Discover Where Babies Come From. New York, Basic Books, 2017.

MLA Citation (style guide)

Dolnick, Edward. Seeds of Life: From Aristotle to Da Vinci, From Shark's Teeth to Frog's Pants, the Long and Strange Quest to Discover Where Babies Come From. New York, Basic Books, 2017.

Note! Citation formats are based on standards as of July 2022. Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy.
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Grouped Work ID:
752a7116-b9d0-fc19-0c49-29d1eb17a68d
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Record Information

Last Sierra Extract TimeMay 09, 2024 04:18:18 PM
Last File Modification TimeMay 09, 2024 04:19:04 PM
Last Grouped Work Modification TimeMay 09, 2024 04:18:25 PM

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