The Lives of a CellThe Lives of a Cell
Score Classic
What it's about
Lewis Thomas, a physician and medical researcher, wrote a column called "Notes of a Biology Watcher" for the New England Journal of Medicine. This book collects twenty-nine of those short essays. He writes about cells, insects, language, music, disease and death, and about the idea that the Earth is like a single cell, with all life on it connected. Each essay looks at something small and finds wonder in it.
Why it's worth reading
It won the National Book Award and is on the Modern Library's list of the best nonfiction ever written. It's one of the most graceful science books ever published.
You'll love it if you liked
Pilgrim at Tinker Creek
An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us
Silent SpringGood to know
The essays are only a few pages long. Some of the science is dated, but the wonder isn't.
By the numbers
- Readers69 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics93 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller1 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking
More by Lewis Thomas
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To Kill a Mockingbird
The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York
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1984
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Quick answers
Is The Lives of a Cell worth reading?
Yes. It won the National Book Award and is on the Modern Library's list of the best nonfiction ever written. It ranks #311 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 81.2 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Lives of a Cell about?
Lewis Thomas, a physician and medical researcher, wrote a column called "Notes of a Biology Watcher" for the New England Journal of Medicine. This book collects twenty-nine of those short essays. He writes about cells, insects, language, music, disease and death, and about the idea that the Earth is like a single cell, with all life on it connected. Each essay looks at something small and finds wonder in it.
How long does it take to read The Lives of a Cell?
About 4 hours (159 pages), or about 8 days at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has The Lives of a Cell won?
National Book Award (Nonfiction) winner (1975).
What should I read after The Lives of a Cell?
If you liked it, try Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard, An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us by Ed Yong or Silent Spring by Rachel Carson.