Get Discount 10% Off
Subscribe to our newsletters now and stay up-to-date with new arrivals, updates and deals.
MILLIONS OF TITLES TO CHOOSE FROM
Currency
A is for Amoeba: The Story of Life in a Single Cell
A lively and engaging biography of amoebas that reveals why these tiny amorphous splotches with a spot...
- $33.54 USD
- $33.54 USD
- Unit price
- per
Please hurry! Only 73 left in stock
Couldn't load pickup availability
A lively and engaging biography of amoebas that reveals why these tiny amorphous splotches with a spot in the middle have more to teach us than we ever imagined
Many of us are introduced to the amoeba in science class at school but know very little about the amazing life of this versatile, shape-shifting cell. A Is for Amoeba is packed with surprising stories that give readers a richer appreciation of these astonishing microbes, revealing what amoebas have to tell us about the natural world and ourselves. Along the way, this entertaining and informative book shows how amoebas influenced figures like Friedrich Nietzsche, who saw in them an expression of the will to power, and Sigmund Freud, who likened the movements of amoebas to the human ego. Nicholas Money describes how amoebas are athletic predators with the rudiments of consciousness and how their sophisticated responses to injury help to explain the origins of pain and suffering in animals. Amoebas have the biggest genomes of any organisms, embodying monumental chronicles of their evolution and survival, and by splitting in half and making copies of themselves, they have mastered a form of genderless immortality. Money explains how white blood cells and metastatic cancer cells in the human body behave like amoebas, curing and causing a range of illnesses, and discusses how research using artificial amoebas has profound implications for AI, robotics, and bioengineering. He also looks at the outsized role of amoebas in pop culture, from movies like The Blob to the cartoons of Gary Larson. A delightful portrait of an iconic microbe, A Is for Amoeba reveals why, from its graceful movements to its astounding problem-solving skills, the amoeba is the perfect guide to the business of being alive on Earth.Author: Nicholas P. Money
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Published: 08/11/2026
Pages: 240
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.95lbs
Size: 8.60h x 5.60w x 1.10d
ISBN: 9780691266985
About the Author
Nicholas P. Money is professor of biology at Miami University in Ohio and the author of many books, including Fungi and Human Life: The Molds, Mushrooms, and Medicines That Fill Our World (Princeton); The Rise of Yeast: How the Sugar Fungus Shaped Civilization; and Mushrooms: A Natural and Cultural History.
Returns Policy
You may return most new, unopened items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund. We'll also pay the return shipping costs if the return is a result of our error (you received an incorrect or defective item, etc.).
You should expect to receive your refund within four weeks of giving your package to the return shipper, however, in many cases you will receive a refund more quickly. This time period includes the transit time for us to receive your return from the shipper (5 to 10 business days), the time it takes us to process your return once we receive it (3 to 5 business days), and the time it takes your bank to process our refund request (5 to 10 business days).
If you need to return an item, simply login to your account, view the order using the "Complete Orders" link under the My Account menu and click the Return Item(s) button. We'll notify you via e-mail of your refund once we've received and processed the returned item.
Shipping
We can ship to virtually any address in the world. Note that there are restrictions on some products, and some products cannot be shipped to international destinations.
When you place an order, we will estimate shipping and delivery dates for you based on the availability of your items and the shipping options you choose. Depending on the shipping provider you choose, shipping date estimates may appear on the shipping quotes page.
Please also note that the shipping rates for many items we sell are weight-based. The weight of any such item can be found on its detail page. To reflect the policies of the shipping companies we use, all weights will be rounded up to the next full pound.
- Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh.