Gadagkar, R (2009) A Review of - The Social Amoebae - The Biology of Cellular Slime Molds by J.T.Bonner, Princeton University Press, Princeton and Oxford (2009). In: Current Science, 97 (11). pp. 1675-1676.
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Abstract
The Social Amoebae – The Biology of Cellular Slime Molds. John Tyler Bonner. Princeton University Press, Princeton and Oxford. 2009. ix + 144 pp. Price: $19.95/£13.95. Bonner’s Slim Magnum Opus When I first received an invitation from Current Science, to review this book, I was very reluctant to accept. John Tyler Bonner was born in 1920 and as far as I know he has worked on cellular slime molds all his life. If he has written a book with the simple title ‘The Social Amoebae’ at the age of 89, I reasoned that it must be his magnum opus. I imagined a massive book of a thousand pages, full of historical and technical detail and thousands of references. Hölldobler and Wilson’s The Ants1, Michener’s The Bees of the World2 and Jane Goodall’s The Chimpanzee’s of Gombe3, came to mind. I was in the midst of many commitments and felt I would not be able to read and do justice to Bonner’s magnum opus in any reasonable time frame. On the other hand I admire Bonner and love slime molds so much that I yielded to temptation. Then came the big surprise – I received a slim 144 page book which could be read in a week. But of course, the smaller the book, the harder to review it. I have mulled over this book during the last few months and I have come to the conclusion that Bonner, or any one else, could not have written a better magnum opus.
| Item Type: | Journal Article |
|---|---|
| Publication: | Current Science |
| Publisher: | Indian Academy of Sciences |
| Additional Information: | copyright to this article belongs to Indian Academy of Sciences |
| Keywords: | Book review, Social amoebae, Cellular slime molds |
| Department/Centre: | Division of Biological Sciences > Centre for Ecological Sciences |
| Date Deposited: | 23 Mar 2021 05:49 |
| Last Modified: | 23 Mar 2021 05:49 |
| URI: | http://eprints.iisc.ac.in/id/eprint/68298 |
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