Preview
  • The Medusa and the Snail

  • By: Lewis Thomas
  • Narrated by: Stuart Langton
  • Length: 4 hrs and 22 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (56 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Medusa and the Snail

By: Lewis Thomas
Narrated by: Stuart Langton
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $9.32

Buy for $9.32

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Publisher's summary

Lewis Thomas has been compared to a philosopher who uses the language of biology. His fascinating observations on the quirkiness of the world's infinite creations causes the listener to ponder the workings of the cosmos through the most microscopic of life forms.

The medusa, a tiny jellyfish that lives on the ventral surface of a sea slug, becomes a metaphor for eternal issues of life and death as Thomas further extends the exploration of man and his world, which he began in The Lives of a Cell. Among the treasures in this magnificent book are essays on the human genius for making mistakes, on disease and natural death, on cloning, on warts, and on Montaigne, as well as an assessment of medical science and health care. In these essays and others, Thomas once again conveys his observations of the scientific world in his eloquent prose marked by wonder and wit.

©1974 Lewis Thomas (P)1999 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

What listeners say about The Medusa and the Snail

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    30
  • 4 Stars
    14
  • 3 Stars
    10
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    1
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    20
  • 4 Stars
    7
  • 3 Stars
    5
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    25
  • 4 Stars
    5
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Essays on Biology

Lewis Thomas has brought to us another group of science essays. Well, this is not really a science book so much as a group of musings, observations, and perhaps intuitions about the natural world around us and a scattering of other topics. Each chapter is thought provoking and informative. Fortunately for the listener, Thomas has the broad ranging knowledge and outlook evidenced by my other hero - Oliver Sacks and uses it to advantage. The listener is the winner so far as I am concerned. If the reader relies on a book to generate interest, this volume might disappoint. The reader will become motivated to listen by the content, but must pay attention to do so.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Interesting and often funny

Despite this book being about 30 years old, it seems that all of the essays are still completely relevant. It was interesting to listen to something written about then-current scientific events that are now commonplace. The author's sense of humour really appealed to me.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

To the medically interested

This collection I at first had difficulty getting into some years back. Perhaps due to the fact that I was still in the thrall of "The Lives Of a Cell". This Latter is very biology-wise, where The "Medusa And The Snail" is more worldly-wise. Both are of course extremely worth the read, (or the listen in this case), especially to anyone biology or medically minded. Frankly, I expect, they are fun for anyone curious about life. Do not accept any abridgement; there are not any unnecessary words.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!