The Story of the Living Machine A Review of the Conclusions of Modern Biology in Regard to the Mechanism Which Controls the Phenomena of Living Activity

"The Story of the Living Machine" by H. W. (Herbert William) Conn is a late 19th-century book that studies life's processes through a scientific lens. It considers living organisms as machines that run thanks to processes such as digestion, the nature of cells, and protoplasm. The book explores how life and mechanical happenings relate, seeking to explain the working of the living body as a machine. It starts by questioning whether living things are really just machines, before exploring the history of biology and its understanding of life. Conn focuses on the importance of life functions like digestion and circulation, comparing them to machines but also underscoring what makes living things, like cells, special and different. Ultimately, the book lays the groundwork for discussions about how life, energy, and biology connect.