There aren’t many books out there discussing bioluminescent organisms, so this account is a welcome addition to the popular science library. Indeed, “living light” is wondrous to behold yet seemingly incongruent with biology, so having a reference to fall back on is quite useful. That said, this book leans so heavily on the history of bioluminescence that the basic science feels like an afterthought. Oddly, the author is a scientist, not a historian, making me feel that this was a missed opportunity to reveal the fascinating biochemistry and genetics of luminescence. To be fair, he acknowledges his scientific bias and was attempting to write a balanced review, explicitly stating: “…my training places me at risk of tipping the scales toward hard science. I can only leave readers to decide whether the effort at balance is successful.” If his concern was writing an overly technical book, the end result was anything but, heavily overcompensating away from science. Although a highly legible account, readers seeking rich scientific insights will be disappointed. Instead, they will learn much more about the lives and travails of dozens of naturalists and researchers that established the field of bioluminescence from the early 19th century to modern times. Not wrong by any account, it is simply that readers should know what to expect as the title is slightly misleading.
Rafael Romero, PhD