(Ebook) Nature's Robots: A History of Proteins (Oxford Paperbacks) by Charles Tanford, Jacqueline Reynolds ISBN 9780198606949, 019860694X

(Ebook) Nature's Robots: A History of Proteins (Oxford Paperbacks) by Charles Tanford, Jacqueline Reynolds ISBN 9780198606949, 019860694X

I read this book twice; the first time was when I wrote my book on water and aqueous solution and more recently, while writing the sequel to my book on the role of water in biochemical processes. In both cases I have enjoyed reading the book. Tanford and Reynolds tell the story of proteins in a simple, non-technical and engaging style, not to mention the many amusing anecdotes. Although I have a few reservations, as well as some disagreements on specific statements made in this book, this did not dampen nor diminish my enjoyment of reading it. I was particularly impressed to learn about the "evolution" of the thoughts of early scientists on the "dominant forces" in biochemical processes, in times when the structure of proteins was virtually unknown. The book also contains short reviews on the rich repertoire of diverse proteins' physiological functions such as enzymatic activity, locomotion of living organisms, color vision and more. I wholeheartedly recommend this book for any reader, a layperson or research scientists to name a few, who are curious to learn how scientific ideas evolve from very primitive speculations to highly sophisticated theories, always leaving elbow room for further study and understanding of the nature of Nature's Robots.