Vital Harmonies: Molecular Biology and Our Shared Humanity Book

In this short, poetic account Erwin Fleissner, a well-respected cancer researcher and teacher, surveys the last fifty years of molecular biology. The book is a personal look at the revolution in biology from a participant´s point of view, offering a broad understanding of the scientific advances that have occurred in molecular genetics and cell biology and what scientists actually know about them.
The developments Fleissner describes are in the tradition of the process of rational inquiry stemming from the Enlightenment, and he asserts that the outcome should not instill fear in the public. His view is essentially optimistic, and he is confident that a deeper knowledge of ourselves as "biological entities" will provide us, ultimately, with greater serenity and personal understanding.
Fleissner discusses the structures of macromolecules and their "organizing" principles as well as oncogenes (cancer genes), stem cells, neurons, and the human genome project. He also explores the emergence of consciousness and how biological evolution and evolution in general is the foundation of our personal reality and our global responsibility.
Vital Harmonies should give readers, whatever their background, a grasp of the main components of the revolution in biology as well as an analysis of some of the most important questions facing humans today.