Rowen makes an eloquent, well-structured argument for CM Theory, plunging into gaps of our understanding of cognition and laying out research demonstrating the “extraordinary capabilities of cells.” In each section, Rowen carefully defines an assertion (“Assertion: Cells in electromagnetically connected collectives prioritize collective survival over survival of individual cells”), showing evidence that supports or contradicts the issue at hand in prose that readers up-to-date on entry-level biology will follow without trouble. The evidence Rowen mounts stirs awe and fascination, such as single-celled organisms demonstrating “genetic engineering skills and survival agency,” or the worms that were taught to recoil from a strobing light and then, after being cut and allowed to regrow, still knew in their newly constructed brains to recoil at the same stimulus.
As Cellular Mind examines questions concerning “the biophysical discontinuity” between living and non-living matter, or what might be the driving force behind evolution, skeptics will appreciate that Rowen argues fairly and with welcome clarity, laying out step-by-step reasoning with clear citations, always taking pains to acknowledge the limitations of the theory and what aspects he believes will need refinement in future. The result is a treatise that excites at the possibilities, geared to readers certain that there is more to the world than humanity yet realizes.
Takeaway: Fascinating theory of cellular cognition, digging deep into the capacities of cells.
Comparable Titles: Thomas R. Verny’s The Embodied Mind, Jon Lieff’s The Secret Language of Cells.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: B+
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A-