"In The Serengeti Rules, the author goes from E. coli to elephants to lay out the basic rules that shape so much of what's around us and inside us."—Brian Switek, Wall Street Journal
"In this thoroughly engaging book, Carroll . . . persuasively argues that life at all levels of complexity is self-regulated, from the inner workings of cells to the larger relationships governing the Serengeti ecosystem. . . . Carroll superbly animates biological principles while providing important insights."—Publishers Weekly
"The Serengeti Rules is one of the best biology books for general readers I've ever encountered. It should be required reading for every college student, regardless of major."—Andrew H. Knoll, Harvard University
"A compelling read filled with big, bold ideas."—Brian J. Enquist, Nature
"A thought-provoking challenge to complacency."—Kirkus
"Carroll's book is fantastic, a success story in going form the specific to the general. It helps that Carroll is a gifted writer, captivating and thoughtful, and highly respectful of the reader. Carroll brings in the history of thought and research in the relevant areas of physiology, ecology etc. His messages are framed in the larger context of the Earth's overall health and important environmental issues. He links the subject matter to key central themes in biological theory (such as natural selection and evolution). And this is all done very well. You've seen the synthetic overviews of life and evolution framed in chaos theory, complexity theory, even quantum physics. This is better. This is a book to give to your favorite biology teacher (high school or college), and that teacher will take from it examples, connections, lessons, ways of telling, that will enrich their teaching immeasurably."—Greg Laden, ScienceBlog
"As a subject for popular science, regulation seems to fail the thrill test. . . . [Sean Carroll] has risen to the challenge with this wonderful book about the natural control of numbers in living systems. Carroll is one of the top storytellers in contemporary science, as his previous writings about evolutionary biology have shown. Here he uses his narrative skills to take us on a scientific journey through time and space—making his case through the work of researchers around the world who have built up rules of life over the past century. . . . [The Serengeti Rules] is wholeheartedly recommended for its entertaining view of biology from an original perspective."—Clive Cookson, Financial Times
"A deep journey into the rules of life on Earth. . . . By introducing us to the great pioneers of molecular biology, like Jacques Monod (enzyme regulation), Akira Endo (lovastatin developer) and Janet Rowley (cancer and inheritance of genetic diseases), Carroll sets the reader up with a strong foundation in the natural processes that go on within our own bodies, and describes how breakthroughs happen, such as the discovery of ‘repressors' and ‘suppressors,' (which act, not by ‘doing things,' but by preventing things), and double-negative regulatory logic. We also learn what happens when these mechanisms fail."—Cathy Taibbi, Examiner.com
"Carroll is both a distinguished scientist. . . and one of our great science writers. . . . [The Serengeti Rules] is a visionary book, which celebrates the new wisdom and the men and women who have brought the vision to pass."—Guardian
"Sean Carroll's new book, with his thesis that everything is regulated backed by stories of discovery and inquiry, will enhance the way I teach biology. I am convinced that The Serengeti Rules should be required reading for students in all fields of science, but especially those pursuing careers in biology education."—Paul K. Strode, American Biology Teacher
"This book offers hope that we can make a difference, that we can follow those rules, and that things can get better on our planet, our home. It is well written, meticulously researched, and easy to read. I also learned more about the serendipitous nature of scientific discovery. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to both teachers and students."—Cheryl Hollinger, American Biology Teacher
""This book was easy to read and gave many great examples of the resiliency of nature.'"—National Science Teachers Association Recommends
"For biologists, Carroll's book successfully conveys a powerful message: although biology is infinitely complex and diverse, simple sets of rules of regulation that apply across scales, from molecules to the entire planet's ecosystem, can and have been identified. They are also remarkably easy to explain, as shown by the many beautiful examples described in the book. So perhaps, next time a physicist or mathematician views biological research as lacking fundamental theoretical underpinning, a glimpse into Carroll's book . . . might help them reconsider their arguments. The Serengeti Rules is a great read."—Pavel Tomancak, Cell
"The Serengeti Rules is a passionate telling of the story of the precarious and hard-fought balance that is the very precondition of health—both at the level of individual organisms and at the level of the ecosystem. . . . The book is informative, well-written, and persuasive. . . . The Serengeti Rules is an optimistic book."—Alva Noë, NPR
"The Serengeti Rules should be widely read."—Neil Paterson, Dundee University Review of the Arts
"[A] triumphant account of how physiology and ecology turned out to share some of the same mathematics."—Simon Ings, New Scientist
"Scientific processes are explained clearly, and overall, it is delightful reading, helped along by many interesting anecdotes. . . . Nonscientists often are more aware of how things work in the human body than in ecosystems, which makes this book an excellent introduction to the macroworld, but surely young scientists will appreciate it as well."—Marco Ferrante, Conservation Biology
"Sean Carroll, a distinguished, erudite, and literate developmental biologist, has written a book about biological principles. Namely, the principles that control the behavior of every cell in our bodies, that determine how we, as individual organisms, respond to the outside world, and the principles that determine how ecosystems, large and small, respond to being perturbed. . . . If you read The Serengeti Rules, you will be better equipped to understand both the frailty and the resilience of the planet we share."—Bernard Wood, Evolutionary Studies in Imaginative Culture
"A master storyteller, Carroll explores the unity of biology from the molecular level to the Serengeti, the rules that regulate life, and the consequences when regulation breaks down. A fascinating journey from beginning to end, this book will educate and entertain readers at all levels and leave them with a better understanding of how the biosphere works."—Simon Levin, Princeton University, author of Fragile Dominion: Complexity and the Commons
"The Serengeti Rulesis a superb journey of a book written by a scientist of the first rank. Unfolding seamlessly from molecule to ecosystem, it explains with authority and grace why modern biology is central not just to human life but to that of the planet itself."—Edward O. Wilson, Harvard University
"InThe Serengeti Rules, Carroll has crafted a work of epic sweep."—Neil Shubin, author of Your Inner Fish: A Journey into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body
"Original, provocative, and beautifully crafted, Carroll's book provides a glimpse into the deeper laws of biology that govern the earth."—Siddhartha Mukherjee, author of The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer
"This is a rattling good read by one of the leading scientists of our time. The Serengeti Rules made me think differently about what we biologists do. This is a book that needs to be shouted from the rooftops."—Andrew F. Read, Pennsylvania State University
"Masterful and compelling. The Serengeti Rules is a significant contribution, one that will be welcomed by professional biologists and a wide range of lay readers."—Harry W. Greene, author of Tracks and Shadows: Field Biology as Art
