Includes appendix, glossary and index.

"No one who teaches biology can fail to appreciate how important a subject it has become for our modern world. From global warming to stem cell initiatives to teaching intelligent design in classrooms, biology permeates the news, and in large measure will define students' futures. As a teacher, the author has stood in front of classrooms for over 30 years and attempted to explain biology to puzzled and sometimes uninterested students, an experience that has been both fun and frustrating: fun because biology is a joy to teach, rich in ideas and interesting concepts, and increasingly key to many public issues; frustrating because in every biology class there are always students who will not pay attention, who not only miss out on the fun but also fail to acquire a tool that will be essential to their futures.

This text, Essentials of the Living World, is the author's attempt to address this problem. It is short enough to use in one semester, without a lot of technical details to intimidate wary students. The author has tried to write it in an informal, friendly way, to engage as well as to teach. The focus of the book is on the biology that plays an important role in each student's life. The author has at every stage addressed ideas and concepts, rather than detailed information, trying to teach how things work and why things happen the way they do rather than merely naming parts or giving definitions."

English.