Quest: The Essence of Humanity

By Charles Pasternak

Book Overview

An intriguing work of history, philosophy, and popular science that explores the human desire to quest.

Scientists continually look for the genetic factors that make humans so very different in appearance and behaviour from most animals - the genes that are uniquely human. Respected biochemist and author Charles Pasternak argues that such genes do not exist. Instead, he suggests that it is our desire to quest - for food and shelter, for knowledge, for wealth, for adventure - coupled with our unique physical abilities to do so that have controlled our evolution and have led humans to develop away from closely related animals.

In this intriguing work of history, philosophy, and popular science, Pasternak uses his extensive biological knowledge to discuss man's nature and achievements, his genetic makeup, and his evolution.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0470851457
• ISBN13: 9780470851456
• Release Date: August 2004
• Publisher: Wiley
• Length: 440 Pages
• Weight: 1.14 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 5.1" x 7.8"

Customer Reviews

OUTSTANDING - PLACES EVERYTHING IN ITS RIGHT CONTEXT

I met Professor Pasternak a few years ago and looked up to him as an excellent researcher and lecturer. In London, I kept in touch with him, as my department and laboratory were on the same corridor. A very modest and charming person, with as everyone can see an eminent background. This book has come as a surprise. He has managed to make a compendium of all human knowledge in a very readable book. I may be biased by both knowing the author and by being a physician, but it places all things human in its own context and for the layman clarifies and dismantles a number of myths normally taken for granted. Being a fan of books like Cosmos by Sagan, a number of the Asimov books on general knowledge, Jared Diamond and Stephen J Gould, i have no reservation whatsoever to put Quest by Prof Charles Pasternak well ahead of all these other icons. I am sure it will be a pleasurable need for anyone interested and with an open mind

This is a great book!

I love this book - I'm almost finished with it. In every chapter, I've been highlighting things. For me, this was easily understandable, not being a scientist myself, although I work with them everyday. The whole idea, to me, was fascinating - you can't stop the progress of "man", once our species had speech, a bigger brain, hands to grasp, and upright posture. Sometimes, progress is not good, but it cannot be stopped - man will always "quest" for something new. I often think these things are bad - cloning - why do we need any more people in the world? But, our species will do it, nonetheless!