The Strategy of Life

The author feels that the time has come to make a fundamental decision concerning the strategy to be followed in future research on the problem of growth regulation. Heretofore, many of the theories proposed have been intended to apply only to a limited number of growing systems, such as the regenerating liver, or the healing of epidermal wounds. If a truly unifying hypothesis to guide studies of these important problems is to be discovered, he believes it is imperative that it be derived from as wide a spectrum of developmental phenomena as possible. Therefore, the author attempted to seek interrelations between many of the classic examples of vertebrate growth, including cell turnover, normal post-embryonic enlargement , compensatory hypertrophy, localized wound healing, and regenera-tion. He feels that only by such a comparative approach will it be possible to identify the most common denominator by which these seemingly diverse, but actually similar developmental events are controlled. The author critically examined the rather massive published data that has accumulated over the years in order to determine the validity of existing hypotheses and to serve as a basis, if necesary, for the formulation of a new one. Fundamental to any such hypothesis, however, is the question of whether growth is governed by considerations of organ size per se, or by the requirements for physiological activity. He emphasizes that the facts lead us overwhelmingly towards the latter alternative. The author has done a good job of presenting a large amount of published data in a well-organized manner supporting the theory of growth being governed by requirements for physiological activity. I think it is important that investigators doing research on growth and development read this book, simply because the theory the author expounds may be quite correct. This is a well-written and adequately illustrated book dealing with the breadth of biological knowledge and the general processes by which life on this planet is organized, exists, is interrelated, and is temporally altered. Each chapter is complete with a brief introduction, a series of examples illustrating the concepts presented, and a final summarizing paragraph. Some indication of the author's approach to the topic of the "creative progression of life" may be noted in the chapter headings: Defining Life,tion of the text is devoted to emphasizing the interrelationships and interaction which occur at all levels of life on this planet; these range from discussions of the interaction of ecosystems …