Life's Engines: How Microbes Made Earth Habitable (Science Essentials): 24

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For a subject that can seem a bit dry, Falkowski brings an energy and clarity of thought that is infectious. This is a good read, but there are very few living cells and not a hint of the majestic complexity of the microbial world. The fig tree is there, too, when war breaks out, when the capital is reduced to ashes and rubble, when the teenagers vanish. Life’s Engines takes readers deep into the microscopic world to explore how these marvelous creatures made life on Earth possible—and how human life today would cease to exist without them. Along the way, they’ll unlock wisdom for those of us navigating our own coupledoms, and for those still seeking their perfect match.

There's a reason We Are Legion was named Audible's Best Science Fiction Book of 2016: Its irresistibly irreverent wit! In fact, the composition of a planet's atmosphere is a key indicator of the status of life on the planet. If you want to understand your place on Earth, in the vast solar system, and universe at large, read this chapter and think about the role of opsins in the prokaryote and single-celled eukaryote.Now Caine delves into the real stories behind the gangs we think we know so well, revealing the hidden realities behind the myths. I found this chapter to be relatively good about describing the mechanism for the endosymbiosis in plain but detailed terms. Si capisce anche che all'uomo piace giocare con la natura, manipolarla, sfruttarla, ma con rischi immensi: purtroppo non comprendiamo appieno alcuni meccanismi fondamentali ma nonostante ciò "ci giochiamo" per produrre cose nuove, che potrebbero sfuggire al nostro controllo e rompere equilibri di vita su larga scala, con conseguenze spiacevoli. Michael Pollan, known for his best-selling nonfiction audio, including The Omnivores Dilemma and How to Change Your Mind, conceived and wrote Caffeine: How Caffeine Created the Modern World as an Audible Original. It's been a while since I've brushed up on my chemistry, so at times I struggled a bit, but overall the explanations were very very good, even for a lay person like myself.

Taylor Swift and Katy Perry may catch the attention of most youngsters, but it was the microbial world that captured the attention of this author as a child, and his opening pages vividly record the birth of an enduring fascination. He offers short pieces on the contributions of scientists such as Darwin and Robert Hooke and inventors like Leeuwenhoek whose microscopes opened a new world. Falkowski brings a formidable breadth of scientific understanding to the task of explaining this, having worked as a biologist, an oceanographer and an astrobiologist.Random House presents the audiobook edition of Ikigai by Héctor García and Francesc Miralles, read by Noako Mori.