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The Medusa and the Snail: More Notes of a Biology Watcher Paperback – January 1, 1995

by Lewis Thomas (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 135 ratings
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A Pulitzer Prize Finalist

The medusa is a tiny jellyfish that lives on the ventral surface of a sea slug found in the Bay of Naples. Readers will find themselves caught up in the fate of the medusa and the snail as a metaphor for eternal issues of life and death as Lewis Thomas further extends the exploration of man and his world begun in The Lives of a Cell. Among the treasures in this magnificent book are essays on the human genius for making mistakes, on disease and natural death, on cloning, on warts, and on Montaigne, as well as an assessment of medical science and health care. In these essays and others, Thomas once again conveys his observations of the scientific world in prose marked by wonder and wit.
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    192 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Penguin Publishing Group
  4. Publication date
    January 1, 1995
  5. Dimensions
    7.76 x 5.08 x 0.44 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    9780140243192
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0140243192
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Winner of a National Book Award
Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize

"( The Medusa and the Snail) remains among the finest, most insightful writing I have ever savored." -- Maria Popova


"Thomas' unexpected turns of phrase and love of words and their origins is revealed again and again...Read Thomas for his estimable style—often disarmingly simple, even colloquial—and the wit and insight into life and medicine his writing embodies." -- Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Lewis Thomas was a physician, poet, etymologist, essayist, administrator, educator, policy advisor, and researcher. A graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Medical School, he was the dean of Yale Medical School and New York University School of Medicine, and the president of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Institute. He wrote regularly in the New England Journal of Medicine, and his essays were published in several collections, including The Lives of a Cell: Notes of a Biology Watcher, which won two National Book Awards and a Christopher Award, and The Medusa and the Snail, which won the National Book Award in Science. He died in 1993.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0140243194
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Publishing Group; Reprint edition (January 1, 1995)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 192 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780140243192
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0140243192
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.76 x 5.08 x 0.44 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 135 ratings

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Lewis Thomas

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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
135 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

R. L. Tarantolo
5.0 out of 5 stars So Interesting!
Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2023
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I like the style of writing and the wealth of information it provided. It entertains and teaches. I enjoyed it.
2 people found this helpful
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Dr R P I
5.0 out of 5 stars He Made Science Writing Into a Whimsical Art Form
Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2015
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Truly a great writer on broad biologic topics, making wonderful connections about the biosphere in which we all live. Able to write with great whimsy and wit. A writer of vast experience who is able to express and explore complex topics on a level that most will be able to understand and enjoy. His passing many years ago left an empty void for followers of his prose, which was anticipated regularly by readers of The New England Journal of Medicine.
2 people found this helpful
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JLR
4.0 out of 5 stars Still, a good read.
Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2018
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Still, a good read. But not as pertinent as when it 1st came out.
One person found this helpful
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MH
5.0 out of 5 stars The web of life
Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2013
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One of the most fascinating and easy to read books on a scientific topic you're ever likely to find. The author vividly illustrates just how entangled life is, while establishing a metaphor of the earth as a living being itself in a companion book entitled "Lives of a Cell". Once begun, you won't be able to put down either of these books. Highly entertaining, informative, and thought-provoking.
6 people found this helpful
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C. Mayowski
5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific
Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2009
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This is a great book. I wish I had known about it years ago. Lewis Thomas is just a great writer, full of personality and wonder. The first thing you should read is the essay on warts. I know. Why would anyone write about warts? It's one of the finest pieces of writing I've read, and I recommend it to anyone. Uplifting, makes you proud (and humble) to be a human being.
6 people found this helpful
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Harry A. Kiesel
5.0 out of 5 stars More msuings about science by a spectaclular writer.
Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2019
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If you like any science you will like this book of interesting and fun facts/essays. Lewis Thomas' style is engaging and entertaining while being instructive.
3 people found this helpful
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Ruby Pai
4.0 out of 5 stars OK book
Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2018
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Bought a used one and it was okay to read for a class.
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Sandy
5.0 out of 5 stars If you love science....
Reviewed in the United States on July 14, 2020
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Needed these to complete my science. Fun to read. Educational AND entertaining.
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Top reviews from other countries

Michael
5.0 out of 5 stars Deep , deep thinking author
Reviewed in Germany on April 1, 2023
Verified Purchase
Look at the credentials of the author. He's phenomenal. And his insights into nature will teach you a philosophy, unbelievably accurate if you compare it with new scientific insights given by quantum physics.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book.
Reviewed in Canada on July 16, 2020
Verified Purchase
Fascinating book by one of the wisest writer of the20th Centyry.
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gbdoc
5.0 out of 5 stars Great man, great reading
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 3, 2014
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Typical Lewis Thomas, humane doctor, deep thinker. Great man, great reading, as is everything else he wrote.
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customer
1.0 out of 5 stars not worth the time or money
Reviewed in Germany on July 15, 2021
Verified Purchase
A book contains a selection of unrelated essays, one of which is about the medusa and the snail (literal animals). This was the only one which was slightly interesting. The rest were about some random observations from some random everyday things the author saw while working. With the essays, author tries to look for deeper meaning where there is none. I would call the whole book, except for first essay, as pseudointellectual writings that make the author itself feel smart. Main purpose feels to be that the author gets bragging rights that he wrote a book. I gave this book away after reading, not worth a place on the shelf.
One person found this helpful
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BCzen
4.0 out of 5 stars A number of good essays here.
Reviewed in Canada on April 9, 2023
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Most essays had a very good point. A couple missed the mark.
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