Book Review: "Biology of Liberal Arts" 2nd Edition

By A. Houtman, C. Malone, and M. Scudellari (Translated by Yoshitaka Oka and Atsuko Oka), Tokyo Kagaku Dojin, December 2023, 304 pages, 3,000 yen (excluding tax)

This book is a translated edition of “Biology Now with Physiology, second edition,” co-authored by A. Houtman and C. Malone, both biology researchers with a deep understanding of biology education for non-major students, and M. Scudellari, a science journalist and science writer.

The first thing that surprised me upon opening the book is its structure. Consisting of 26 chapters, the two introductory chapters devote as many as 22 pages to "What Is Science?" and "Evaluating Scientific Claims." This clearly conveys the strong desire of the three female authors to have readers understand the value of science in society and to foster the ability to distinguish between science and pseudoscience.

And above all, what makes this book unique is that each chapter is concisely organized, incorporating research-related topics and described in a concrete and careful manner. Each chapter connects everything from the introduction of mysterious and interesting phenomena faced by researchers to hypothesis formulation, allowing readers to enjoy and understand the puzzle-solving flow of scientific verification. Of course, if this were all, it would simply be an entertaining science read, and since many such books are published, it might not be all that unusual. What is amazing about this book is the power of the prose, which draws readers in using carefully selected topics, compelling them to read through the overviews of the fundamentals of biology covered in each chapter. It is a prime example of a successful fusion between a readable book and a textbook.

In the preface, it is also stated that the authors devised ways for readers (students) to understand the process of science within each chapter while also making them want to read further. In the reviewer's opinion, this objective is fully achieved in this book. Moreover, it is presumed that by allowing readers to indirectly experience the research process of scientists and thereby stirring their sensibilities, the book makes the understanding and retention of biological content more secure.

How should this book, with its aforementioned excellent features, be used as a textbook? While it is very good that the translation makes it easy to read in Japanese and the full-color diagrams are clear, I was concerned that many of the topics cite somewhat outdated cases from the U.S. (dating back to the 1990s). Of course, lectures could be given following the book's flow as it is, but from the perspective of Japanese students, they might find it less engaging or feel a bit disappointed.

If that is the case, isn't this book's unique format better suited for a reference book, and from the perspective of a textbook, a "double-edged sword"? This is because one can imagine that a teacher with excellent lecturing skills would constantly prepare and use the latest relatable topics. If usability as a textbook were pursued above all else, although difficult to implement, I couldn't help but think that it might be better to provide the topic sections for each chapter as a separate booklet (or via internet distribution), similar to the teacher's manual provided in Japanese middle and high schools.

Hiroaki Asaga (Meiji University)

Book Review of "Biology of Liberal Arts" 2nd Edition (PDF file)