"Light, like no other physical phenomenon, is linked in a wide variety of ways with the biological phenomenon of life. We can read these words because light is reflected from them, and carries the information to the retina; the oxygen we breathe was produced by photosynthesis; our sense of alertness relies on our biological clock, set using the cues of light and dark." "Michael Gross explores the symbiotic relation-ship of light and life in this intriguing and entertaining book. Starting with astronomy and our relationship with the Sun and dependence on photosynthesis, he then turns to some of the stranger outcomes of the relationship, such as bioluminescent creatures, and their evolutionary significance. Finally he looks at the influence of light on biological time-keeping, the focus of much current scientific research."--BOOK JACKET.