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, written by H. W. Conn and first published in 1899, examines the mechanistic principles underlying biological processes. Conn explores how living organisms function similarly to machines, discussing topics such as digestion, circulation, and cellular structure. This work provides a historical perspective on biology, framing life within the contexts of biology, chemistry, and physics, and raises significant philosophical questions about the nature of life. With fifty illustrations, it serves as a foundational text for understanding the interplay between life processes and mechanical systems.