Nature 432, 444 - 445 (25 November 2004) Christopher M. Dobson is at the Cavendish Laboratory and the Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK. Biological Physics: Energy, Information, Life by Philip Nelson W. H. Freeman: 2004. 600 pp. Philip Nelson's excellent text, Biological Physics, provides material for the types of course we should now be offering to all our students. Nelson says that his book is for "life science students who are willing to use calculus" and for "physical science and engineering students who are willing to think about cells". And indeed, his book should educate and intrigue both groups. Particularly impressive is the subtle way that topics that often cause the eyes of even the most diligent student to glaze over are made to seem not just interesting to read about but compelling to learn.... Moreover, although much emphasis is placed on understanding ideas, the text does not allow anyone to forget that some real equations need to be mastered if such an understanding is to be satisfying and widely applicable. Another good aspect of this book is that it is right up to date in the topics and examples that it covers. Many relatively recent ideas, such as the use of free-energy surfaces for understanding protein folding and of optical tweezers for probing muscle action, are covered in depth, with at least some references to the original literature. There are frequent comments about the way that modern ideas and techniques have emerged. As Nelson cleverly shows, many of the most important scientific breakthroughs have come about unexpectedly through just the type of interdisciplinary studies that this book promotes.