---
product_id: 4019875
title: "What is Life? (Canto Classics): With Mind and Matter and Autobiographical Sketches"
price: "€ 40.75"
currency: EUR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 13
url: https://www.desertcart.be/products/4019875-what-is-life-canto-classics-with-mind-and-matter-autobiographical
store_origin: BE
region: Belgium
---

# Classic scientific masterpiece Explores genetics & entropy Quantum biology foundation What is Life? (Canto Classics): With Mind and Matter and Autobiographical Sketches

**Price:** € 40.75
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## Summary

> ⚛️ Unlock the quantum secrets of life — don’t miss the book that shaped modern science!

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- **What is this?** What is Life? (Canto Classics): With Mind and Matter and Autobiographical Sketches
- **How much does it cost?** € 40.75 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.be](https://www.desertcart.be/products/4019875-what-is-life-canto-classics-with-mind-and-matter-autobiographical)

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## Key Features

- • **Philosophical Depth:** Delves into mind, consciousness, and the limits of science, offering a rare blend of science and philosophy.
- • **Compact Yet Profound:** A concise booklet packed with revolutionary insights, perfect for busy professionals craving intellectual depth.
- • **Quantum Biology Pioneer:** Introduces groundbreaking ideas linking quantum physics to genetic mutations and life’s resistance to entropy.
- • **Highly Acclaimed & Trusted:** Boasts a 4.6-star rating from over 1,100 readers, securing its place as a must-read for curious minds.
- • **Timeless Scientific Influence:** Ranked among the most influential scientific writings of the 20th century, shaping modern biology and physics.

## Overview

‘What is Life?’ by Erwin Schrödinger is a seminal work that bridges physics and biology, pioneering the concept of quantum biology and exploring how life defies entropy. This used copy in good condition offers a compact yet profound dive into genetics, consciousness, and the philosophical boundaries of science, backed by high acclaim and enduring influence.

## Description

Nobel laureate Erwin Schrödinger's What is Life? is one of the great science classics of the twentieth century. It was written for the layman, but proved to be one of the spurs to the birth of molecular biology and the subsequent discovery of DNA. What is Life? appears here together with Mind and Matter, his essay investigating a relationship which has eluded and puzzled philosophers since the earliest times. Brought together with these two classics are Schrödinger's autobiographical sketches, which offer a fascinating account of his life as a background to his scientific writings.

Review: Into the mind of a giant - I had already savoured a bit of Schrodinger’s writing as I came to this book after first reading Ken Wilber’s “Quantum Questions” and Samuel Guo’s “Quantum Memoirs”. (Reader alert, by the way: the “Autobiographical Sketches” section is identical in both this book and the one edited by Guo.) I still derived great pleasure in reading this book as it gave me a more considered and sustained perspective into what one of the giants of science thought about how science influenced and shaped our lives and also science’s limitations. Schrodinger does not claim to have answers to all the questions he raises (although the title of this collection may sound unintentionally grandiose. Moreover, even if Schrodinger had all the answers, it is a good bet that some would have been “falsified” - as is the nature of science - over the last sixty or seventy years since this collection was first published). On more than one occasion, Schrodinger refers also to his limitations in subjects other than quantum physics and apologises for “the dilettante character of [his] summary.” None the less, his knowledge of biology and issues in neuroscience and philosophy as expressed in this collection are so deep, one feels that there is no need for such contrition. Schrodinger begins “What is Life” by trying to use Newtonian physics to explain chromosomes, life’s road maps. Such an attempt is effective to some extent as chromosomes comprise of millions of atoms (thus forming a single substantial entity) and the laws of classical physics are able to a large extent explain the behaviour of objects at such a macro level. However, it is now well-known that classical laws hit some restrictions when we try to describe events at an atomic level. Schrodinger feels that this is where quantum physics could be applied to explain how genetics works. He equates, for instance, genetic mutations to quantum jumps. Schrodinger contends furthermore that organisms use quantum mechanical effects to combat entropy by continually drawing “negative entropy” from their environment. This is another case where Schrodinger’s arguments here would turn out to be so prescient, as this book laid also the foundations of quantum biology. While “What is Life” touches only incidentally upon such mystical questions as the limitations of science in explaining life and its purpose, “Mind and Matter” deals with such issues in much more depth. Schrodinger covers here a whole gamut of related questions such as the theory of evolution and its philosophical underpinnings, how consciousness and the mind arise, why we feel the need to believe and the place of God in a scientific world-view. Schrodinger argues that as science is circumscribed by the parameters of space-time, it is not adequate to explain the mind as the “mind is always now. There is really no before and after for mind.” You suspect that he would certainly not have subscribed to a functional theory of the mind.
Review: Genius - The breadth of the work is fascinating.

## Features

- Used Book in Good Condition

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #38,205 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #15 in Physics (Books) #18 in Religious Studies (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.6 out of 5 stars 1,213 Reviews |

## Images

![What is Life? (Canto Classics): With Mind and Matter and Autobiographical Sketches - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51+K0eJPF3L.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Into the mind of a giant
*by A***R on February 2, 2014*

I had already savoured a bit of Schrodinger’s writing as I came to this book after first reading Ken Wilber’s “Quantum Questions” and Samuel Guo’s “Quantum Memoirs”. (Reader alert, by the way: the “Autobiographical Sketches” section is identical in both this book and the one edited by Guo.) I still derived great pleasure in reading this book as it gave me a more considered and sustained perspective into what one of the giants of science thought about how science influenced and shaped our lives and also science’s limitations. Schrodinger does not claim to have answers to all the questions he raises (although the title of this collection may sound unintentionally grandiose. Moreover, even if Schrodinger had all the answers, it is a good bet that some would have been “falsified” - as is the nature of science - over the last sixty or seventy years since this collection was first published). On more than one occasion, Schrodinger refers also to his limitations in subjects other than quantum physics and apologises for “the dilettante character of [his] summary.” None the less, his knowledge of biology and issues in neuroscience and philosophy as expressed in this collection are so deep, one feels that there is no need for such contrition. Schrodinger begins “What is Life” by trying to use Newtonian physics to explain chromosomes, life’s road maps. Such an attempt is effective to some extent as chromosomes comprise of millions of atoms (thus forming a single substantial entity) and the laws of classical physics are able to a large extent explain the behaviour of objects at such a macro level. However, it is now well-known that classical laws hit some restrictions when we try to describe events at an atomic level. Schrodinger feels that this is where quantum physics could be applied to explain how genetics works. He equates, for instance, genetic mutations to quantum jumps. Schrodinger contends furthermore that organisms use quantum mechanical effects to combat entropy by continually drawing “negative entropy” from their environment. This is another case where Schrodinger’s arguments here would turn out to be so prescient, as this book laid also the foundations of quantum biology. While “What is Life” touches only incidentally upon such mystical questions as the limitations of science in explaining life and its purpose, “Mind and Matter” deals with such issues in much more depth. Schrodinger covers here a whole gamut of related questions such as the theory of evolution and its philosophical underpinnings, how consciousness and the mind arise, why we feel the need to believe and the place of God in a scientific world-view. Schrodinger argues that as science is circumscribed by the parameters of space-time, it is not adequate to explain the mind as the “mind is always now. There is really no before and after for mind.” You suspect that he would certainly not have subscribed to a functional theory of the mind.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Genius
*by M***N on July 23, 2026*

The breadth of the work is fascinating.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ What Is Life Excellent, the Other Parts Ok
*by K***. on March 20, 2021*

I should say that the first part of this book, the "What is Life?" part merits 5 stars in my opinion. It is the With Mind and Matter portion that I often found Schrödinger's viewopint a little less intriguing. The "What is Life" part is excellent, especially given the time when it was produced. I like Schrödinger's modesty as a physicist poking into biology themes, but also offering insightful arguments. I didn't like his argument about "negative entropy" as what he was talking about was free energy, but he then addresses this in a paragraph for fellow physicists. This candor and honesty about trying to reach lay audiences is well-appreciated. I still have great qualms about Schrödinger's identification of entropy with disorder, but for the points he's making they are fine. The Mind and Matter portion I didn't find quite as insightful, as it depends somewhat on the idea that our minds are one (this ambiguity of all minds being one or each single mind being indivisible is left open, in my opinion), and I think discoveries (like split-brain patients) strongly challenge Schrödinger's assumptions about consciousness. There's nothing wrong with it, but I wasn't as interested in this argument, and while Schrödinger avoids going into mysticism, there just wasn't a lot of experiments or great observational data that could be used to test mind ideas at the time. The final autobiographical sketches are a fun read for anyone who enjoys physicist history. Overall, I felt the mind and matter part were ok, while the other parts were excellent and worth reading if you have an interest in history or physics/biology crossover.

## Frequently Bought Together

- What is Life?: With Mind and Matter and Autobiographical Sketches (Canto Classics)
- Physics and Philosophy: The Revolution in Modern Science
- 'Nature and the Greeks' and 'Science and Humanism' (Canto Classics)

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*Store origin: BE*
*Last updated: 2026-10-18*