The Nature of Life

Written for introductory biology courses, "The Nature of Life" features the integrated themes of the first edition, energy, reproduction and evolution, with the addition of a fourth theme which focuses on the environment. The book is based around the various levels of organization (atoms, cells, organisms and populations) and presents natural history examples. The text presents introductory essays on the various topics, and then tries to get students to think critically about the subjects by using a variety of pedagogical aids and questions. It addresses current environmental concerns with the increased coverage of environmental science woven throughout the text as well as highlighted in new "Emphasis on the Environment" boxes. There are new boxed essays, including one entitled "Biology: A Human Endeavor". A variety of accompanying software packages are available.