There would be no life on Earth without light from the Sun, and life would not be as highly evolved as it is had it not made the best use of light's energy and information for using photosynthesis, biological clocks, and vision. In Light and Life, Michael Gross explores six major aspects of the complex and fascinating interplay between light and life, ranging from the mythical role of the Sun in ancient cultures to the latest advances in scientific research, covering photosynthesis, bioluminescence, vision, perception, and biological clocks. - ;Light, like no other physical phenomenon, is linked in a wide variety of ways with the biological phenomenon of life. We can read this page because light is reflected from it, and carries the information to the retina; the oxygen we breathe was produced by photosynthesis; our sense of alertness relies on our biological clock, set using the cues of light and dark. Michael Gross explores the symbiotic relationship of light and life in this intriguing and entertaining book. Starting with astronomy and our relationship with the Sun and dependence on photosynthesis, he then turns to some of the stranger outcomes of the relationship - bioluminescent creatures, and their evolutionary significance. Finally he looks at the influence of light on biological time-keeping, the focus of much current scientific research. Life would not be here without light, and it would not have evolved as it has done had it not made the best possible use of light's energy and information content for using photosynthesis, biological clocks, and vision. This book explores all these aspects of the fascinating interplay of these two phenomena in a lively manner using many intriguing examples. -

Stressed out by life? Need a little extra comfort, inspiration, and love? Whether you've lost your way or are just having a bad day, The Book of Light is the ideal pick-me-up, reminding you that you are a magnificent, powerful being of light. You are here to make a positive contribution to the world, and you are deserving of love, joy, and fulfillment. The Book of Light will help you tune in to and connect with your inner light for direction. The thoughtful passages will help you create more emotional, spiritual, and physical light in your life each day of the year. When read with intention, the affirmations, meditations, visualizations, and practical tips will help you awaken to and stay connected to your true self.

The secrets of light — Your pathway to a state of presence Seeking a state of presence: The most important things in life are our health and happiness. Yet most of us are neither healthy nor happy. We have been led to believe that if we think ahead and make the right choices, we can manifest our dreams. Yet despite our best efforts, we still have more disease and discontent than ever before. Is it possible that our essential ideas about life are flawed? Can we learn how to get into the zone or a flow state? Is light the key to finding a state of presence? Living in the light: We are all aware of the impact of sunlight on a plant’s growth and development. But few of us realize that a plant actually “sees” where light is emanating from and positions itself to be in optimal alignment with it. This phenomenon, however, is not just occurring in the plant kingdom — humans are also fundamentally directed by light. The intersection of science and spirituality: In Luminous Life, Dr. Jacob Israel Liberman integrates scientific research, clinical practice, and direct experience to demonstrate how the luminous intelligence we call light effortlessly guides us toward health, contentment, and a life filled with purpose. If you have read Barbara Brennan’s Hands of Light or Light Emerging, you’re going to love Jacob Liberman’s Luminous Life.

“Venter instills awe for biology as it is, and as it might become in our hands.” —Publishers Weekly On May 20, 2010, headlines around the world announced one of the most extraordinary accomplishments in modern science: the creation of the world’s first synthetic lifeform. In Life at the Speed of Light, scientist J. Craig Venter, best known for sequencing the human genome, shares the dramatic account of how he led a team of researchers in this pioneering effort in synthetic genomics—and how that work will have a profound impact on our existence in the years to come. This is a fascinating and authoritative study that provides readers an opportunity to ponder afresh the age-old question “What is life?” at the dawn of a new era of biological engineering.

A collection of 111 short, inspiring teachings on how to let your light shine regardless of what's going on in your life. Stressed out by life? Need a little extra comfort, inspiration, and love? Whether you've lost your way or are just having a bad day, The Little Book of Light is the ideal pick-me-up, a reminder that love and joy are available in every moment. This elegantly packaged little gift book will inspire, uplift, and enlighten with digestible nuggets of inspiration. It appeals to people of all spiritual traditions and at various stages on their spiritual path without being religious. The Little Book of Life is bite-sized inspirational wisdom that will help illuminate your path, no matter how dark it may sometimes appear. It will help you stay connected with your true self, and find daily delight so you can shine.

B.K.S. Iyengar--hailed as "the Michelangelo of yoga" (BBC) and considered by many to be one of the most important yoga masters--has spent much of his life introducing the modern world to the ancient practice of yoga. Yoga's popularity is soaring, but its widespread acceptance as an exercise for physical fitness and the recognition of its health benefits have not been matched by an understanding of the emotional, intellectual, and spiritual development that the yogic tradition can also offer. In Light on Life, B.K.S. Iyengar brings readers this new and more complete understanding of the yogic journey. Here Iyengar explores the yogic goal to integrate the different parts of the self (body, emotions, mind, and soul), the role that the yoga postures and breathing techniques play in our search for wholeness, the external and internal obstacles that keep us from progressing along the path, and how yoga can transform our lives and help us to live in harmony with the world around us. For the first time, Iyengar uses stories from his own life, humor, and examples from modern culture to illustrate the profound gifts that yoga offers. Written with the depth of this sage's great wisdom, Light on Life is the culmination of a master's spiritual genius, a treasured companion to his seminal Light on Yoga.

Light on Life brings the insight and wisdom of Indian astrology to the Western reader. Jyotish, or Indian astrology, is an ancient and complex method of exploring the nature of time and space and its effect upon the individual. Formerly a closed book to the West, the subject has now been clarified and explained by Hart de Fouw and Dr. Robert Svoboda, two experts and long-term practitioners. In Light on Life they have created a complete and thorough handbook that can be appreciated and understood by those with very little knowledge of astrology.

"Read this book and you will learn how photosynthesis was discovered, how it works, and how we can produce more food to feed the world." - PAUL NURSE, Nobel Prize winner and author of What is Life? In Light to Life, biologist Raffael Jovine takes us on a journey of discovery into the intricate, beautiful and often surprising processes that convert energy from the sun into life and how all-important these are to our survival. Despite the unprecedented challenges the Earth faces from global warming, habitat loss, air pollution and population growth; Jovine shows us that there is hope to be found. Photosynthesis is the very source of life: it has the power not just to produce food, but to reshape continents, drive biogeochemical cycles, stabilise the climate and regulate weather. In this exciting, revelatory book, Jovine unveils a blueprint for the future: greening the desert, bringing the ocean on land, planting mangrove forests and oyster banks, growing algae for animal feed, human food and soil carbon... He demonstrates how by harnessing photosynthesis we can regenerate the planet and revise the way we human beings interact with it. This book will help you to see the world in a different way, in all its wonderful detail - through the photosynthetic pigments in your eyes.

The production of biological light (ultra-weak photon emission or biophotons) within many types of cells and tissues is characteristic of an alive organism. You will begin a journey of discovery about biophotons in relationship to biological matter and about how such biophotons can be detected utilizing specialized very photon-sensitive technologies. In this book, Roeland Van Wijk provides a unified synthesis that facilitates easy entry into an exciting sub-field of biology. Light in Shaping Life encompasses the history of biophoton research, insight into how biophotons are generated, and into their involvement with life. Also included, is an overview of the potential benefits of such research to a better understanding of health and medicine. There is sequel to Light in Shaping Life available: Biophoton Technology in Energy and Vitality Diagnostics A Multi-disciplinary, Systems biology, and Biotechnology Appraoch Roeland van Wijk, Yu Yan and Eduard van Wijk Meluna, 2017 ISBN 9789081884341

Originally published: New York: William Morrow and Co., 1995.