Review by Choice Review
Rosen proposes a new philosophical approach to the question "What is life?" As a biophysicist, well grounded in both mathematics and physics, Rosen develops an argument that life should not be considered as a specialization of mechanism, but rather a generalization of it. Drawing on the languages of organizational theory, cybernetics, and category theory, Rosen questions the classic machine metaphor of life. His carefully crafted and logical treatise leads him to suggest that "a material system is an organism if, and only if, it is closed to efficient causation." Once formulated, Rosen uses his concept of life to revisit relational biology, molecular biology, evolution, and chemical sequences. This book will serve to stimulate the open-minded, and will probably infuriate the traditionalists.-D. Malamud, University of Pennsylvania
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
