The Tao of Chemistry and Life

The Tao of Chemistry and Life
Author: Eugene H. Cordes
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 427
Release: 2009-06-04
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0199708762

Written with the non-scientist in mind, this book employs the molecule and its interactions to explain the characteristics of living organisms in terms of the underlying chemistry of life. Following introductory chapters on the fundamentals of life, attention then turns to small molecules such as hormones and neurotransmitters and subsequently to macromolecules including proteins and nucleic acids. The interactions between small and macromolecules remains a central point throughout the book. These include enzymatic catalysis, hormone action, neurotransmission, regulation of metabolism, biosynthesis of macromolecules, the mechanism of action of drugs, taste, olfaction, learning and memory, and chemical communication. A second central point of emphasis is the sensitive relationship between chemical structure and biological activity. Examples abound and include why subtle changes in fatty acid architecture have positive or negative outcomes for human health in omega-three fatty acids and trans fats and how modest changes in the chemical decoration of the steroid skeleton provide the difference between male and female sex hormones. Beyond these examples taken from the chemistry of small molecules, the book includes a thoughtful consideration of genomics, including the relationship between genome structure and species. The theme of human health appears throughout the book. Cardiovascular medicine, cancer, metabolic diseases, and diseases of the nervous system receive significant attention including consideration of how a variety of drugs work in combating these issues. In sum, the goal of this book is to inform the non-scientist community in a way that will lead to increased understanding of the relationship between chemistry and life.

The Chemistry of Life

The Chemistry of Life
Author: Joseph Needham
Publisher: CUP Archive
Total Pages: 278
Release: 1970-04
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9780521073790

This assembly of lectures should appeal to anyone with an interest in the history of science and the nature of living things. Seven of the eight lectures are by eminent biochemists and describe the development of their own subject 'from the inside; the eighth is a more general one.

Laoism: The Complete Teachings of Lao Zi

Laoism: The Complete Teachings of Lao Zi
Author: Tao Huang
Publisher: Green Dragon Books
Total Pages: 445
Release: 2000-08
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0893347299

Laoism is the first ever book on the complete teachings of Lao Zi, an ancient Chinese philosopher-sage. It is also the first English depiction to distinguish Lao Zi's teachings from Taoism, a native religion of China. Endless revelations and commentaries on his text of Tao Te Ching (text) have been, and continuously exist in Chinese and many other languages, but not yet a complete work between the text and its poetic summary: the Lao Zi's self-invented fourteen-character couplet. The couplet, as old as the text, has been circulating secretively only in a few monasteries. This makes the writers throughout the history not being able to get a full picture on his work and the public inaccessible. The completion of such a project must be a combination of the spiritual inclination into the text and the heart-sealed connection with Lao Zi's spirit. The time has come.

Science and Civilisation in China: Volume 5, Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Part 5, Spagyrical Discovery and Invention: Physiological Alchemy

Science and Civilisation in China: Volume 5, Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Part 5, Spagyrical Discovery and Invention: Physiological Alchemy
Author: Joseph Needham
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 616
Release: 1983-08-11
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9780521085748

The fifth volume of Dr Needham's immense undertaking, like the fourth, is subdivided into parts for ease of assimilation and presentation, each part bound and published separately. The volume as a whole covers the subjects of alchemy, early chemistry, and chemical technology (which includes military invention, especially gunpowder and rockets; paper and printing; textiles; mining and metallurgy; the salt industry; and ceramics).

The Lives of Tao

The Lives of Tao
Author: Wesley Chu
Publisher: National Geographic Books
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2013-04-30
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0857663291

Goodreads Choice Finalist for Science Fiction A pizza-loving slacker becomes the host of an ancient alien—and a pawn in an ongoing alien war—in this “science fiction romp” full of wit and humor (Huffington Post) When out-of-shape IT technician Roen woke up and started hearing voices in his head, he naturally assumed he was losing it. He wasn’t. He now has a passenger in his brain—an ancient alien life-form called Tao, whose race crash-landed on Earth before the first fish crawled out of the oceans. Now split into two opposing factions—the peace-loving, but under-represented Prophus, and the savage, powerful Genjix—the aliens have been in a state of civil war for centuries. Both sides are searching for a way off-planet, and the Genjix will sacrifice the entire human race, if that’s what it takes. Meanwhile, Roen is having to train to be the ultimate secret agent. Like that’s going to end up well.

The Tao of Chemistry and Life

The Tao of Chemistry and Life
Author: Eugene H. Cordes
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 432
Release: 2009-06-04
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0190451483

Written with the non-scientist in mind, this book employs the molecule and its interactions to explain the characteristics of living organisms in terms of the underlying chemistry of life. Following introductory chapters on the fundamentals of life, attention then turns to small molecules such as hormones and neurotransmitters and subsequently to macromolecules including proteins and nucleic acids. The interactions between small and macromolecules remains a central point throughout the book. These include enzymatic catalysis, hormone action, neurotransmission, regulation of metabolism, biosynthesis of macromolecules, the mechanism of action of drugs, taste, olfaction, learning and memory, and chemical communication. A second central point of emphasis is the sensitive relationship between chemical structure and biological activity. Examples abound and include why subtle changes in fatty acid architecture have positive or negative outcomes for human health in omega-three fatty acids and trans fats and how modest changes in the chemical decoration of the steroid skeleton provide the difference between male and female sex hormones. Beyond these examples taken from the chemistry of small molecules, the book includes a thoughtful consideration of genomics, including the relationship between genome structure and species. The theme of human health appears throughout the book. Cardiovascular medicine, cancer, metabolic diseases, and diseases of the nervous system receive significant attention including consideration of how a variety of drugs work in combating these issues. In sum, the goal of this book is to inform the non-scientist community in a way that will lead to increased understanding of the relationship between chemistry and life.

The Web of Life

The Web of Life
Author: Fritjof Capra
Publisher: Anchor
Total Pages: 370
Release: 1997-09-15
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0385476760

The vitality and accessibility of Fritjof Capra's ideas have made him perhaps the most eloquent spokesperson of the latest findings emerging at the frontiers of scientific, social, and philosophical thought. In his international bestsellers The Tao of Physics and The Turning Point, he juxtaposed physics and mysticism to define a new vision of reality. In The Web of Life, Capra takes yet another giant step, setting forth a new scientific language to describe interrelationships and interdependence of psychological, biological, physical, social, and cultural phenomena--the "web of life." During the past twenty-five years, scientists have challenged conventional views of evolution and the organization of living systems and have developed new theories with revolutionary philosophical and social implications. Fritjof Capra has been at the forefront of this revolution. In The Web of Life, Capra offers a brilliant synthesis of such recent scientific breakthroughs as the theory of complexity, Gaia theory, chaos theory, and other explanations of the properties of organisms, social systems, and ecosystems. Capra's surprising findings stand in stark contrast to accepted paradigms of mechanism and Darwinism and provide an extraordinary new foundation for ecological policies that will allow us to build and sustain communities without diminishing the opportunities for future generations. Now available in paperback for the first time, The Web of Life is cutting-edge science writing in the tradition of James Gleick's Chaos, Gregory Bateson's Mind and Matter, and Ilya Prigogine's Order Out of Chaos.

Tracking Bodhidharma

Tracking Bodhidharma
Author: Andy Ferguson
Publisher: Catapult
Total Pages: 375
Release: 2013-06-11
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 1619021595

The life of Bodhidharma, the founder of Zen Buddhism, has, with the passing of time, been magnified to the scale of myth, turning history into the stuff of legend. Known as the First Patriarch, Bodhidharma brought Zen from South India into China in 500 CE, changing the country forever. In Tracking Bodhidharma, Andrew Ferguson recreates the path of Bodhidharma, traveling through China to the places where the First Patriarch lived and taught. This sacred trail takes Ferguson deep into ancient China, and allows him to explore the origins of Chan [Zen] Buddhism, the cultural aftermath that Bodhidharma left in his wake, and the stories of a man who shaped a civilization. Tracking Bodhidharma offers a previously unheard perspective on the life of Zen's most important religious leader, while simultaneously showing how that history is relevant to the rapidly developing super–power that is present–day China. By placing Zen Buddhism within the country's political landscape, Ferguson presents the religion as a counterpoint to other Buddhist sects, a catalyst for some of the most revolutionary moments in China's history, and as the ancient spiritual core of a country that is every day becoming more an emblem of the modern era.

The Tao of Rejuvenation

The Tao of Rejuvenation
Author: Angelo Druda
Publisher: North Atlantic Books
Total Pages: 226
Release: 2009-01-20
Genre: Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN: 1556437757

Throughout history Taoists, Christians, the yogis of northern India, and others have learned that the secret of longevity and even bodily rejuvenation lies in unlocking the body's own healing "somas" (or higher chemistry). Traditionally, however, the principles and techniques behind their discoveries have been hidden, transmitted only from teacher to student. Fortunately, these esoteric secrets are but the ultimate expression of a time-tested body of traditional healing wisdom that has taken strong root in the Western world, where it has been clarified and amplified by a new generation of healers and spiritual practitioners. The Tao of Rejuvenation is an inspiring and very well-written guide to the underlying principles and basic practices essential to our ability to not only achieve longevity and bodily rejuvenation, but also to lead a vital, balanced, and happy life. Written in a clear, rational, and highly readable style, it is a book that speaks to all modern men and women ready and willing to assume responsibility for their own destiny. In The Tao of Rejuvenation author Angelo Druda explains how our health and well-being is based on a simple three-part process of purification, rebalancing, and rejuvenation. He makes specific recommendations for utilizing this process to transform our diet, our exercise regimen, even our sexuality, so that these become powerful sources of rejuvenative energy. Case studies and clear explanations make the practices easier and more engaging. Druda has worked professionally with medicinal herbs for many years, and he skillfully incorporates them in the process of bodily renewal. The Tao of Rejuvenation is a timely and authoritative guide that will be of great interest to complementary and alternative medicine professionals, those in need of radical healing and rejuvenation, and anyone interested in enhancing his or her own health and vitality.