The Nature of Animal Light

"The Nature of Animal Light" by E. Newton Harvey is a science book that shines a light on bioluminescence, the generation of light by living things. The book starts by looking at how people first noticed and tried to understand this strange glow in animals and plants way back in history, mentioning Aristotle's observations. The author makes it clear that lots of different creatures, from fungi to sea animals, can make their own light, not just because of germs, but because of their own unique biology. Basically, the book gets ready to dive into the complicated science of how critters create light through their unique chemical and physical reactions.