By identifying the structure of DNA, the molecule of life, Francis Crick and James Watson revolutionized biochemistry and won themselves a Nobel Prize. At the time, Watson was only twenty-four, a brilliant young zoologist hungry to make his mark. His uncompromisingly honest account of the heady days of their thrilling sprint against other world-class researchers to solve one of science's greatest unsolved mysteries gives a dazzlingly clear picture of a world of brilliant scientists with great gifts, very human ambitions, ...
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By identifying the structure of DNA, the molecule of life, Francis Crick and James Watson revolutionized biochemistry and won themselves a Nobel Prize. At the time, Watson was only twenty-four, a brilliant young zoologist hungry to make his mark. His uncompromisingly honest account of the heady days of their thrilling sprint against other world-class researchers to solve one of science's greatest unsolved mysteries gives a dazzlingly clear picture of a world of brilliant scientists with great gifts, very human ambitions, and bitter rivalries. With humility unspoiled by false modesty, Watson relates his and Crick's desperate efforts to beat Linus Pauling to the Holy Grail of the life sciences, the identification of the basic building block of life. He is impressed by the achievements of the young man he was, but clear-eyed about his limitations. Never has such a brilliant scientist also been so gifted, and so truthful, in capturing in words the flavor of his work. "He has described admirably how it feels to have that frightening and beautiful experience of making a great scientific discovery." --Richard Feynman "Like nothing else in literature, it gives one the feel of how creative science really happens." --C. P. Snow
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Add this copy of The Double Helix: a Personal Account of the Discovery to cart. $75.41, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2012 by Brilliance Audio.
The most fascinating part of this story was the effort of Watson to keep in touch with the son of Linus Pauling, who was hot on the path to discover the DNA molecule. It was almost strange the way Watson and Crick used the x ray analysis of a female coworker to describe the DNA molecule and later be awarded the Nobel Prize while she, of course, could not be awarded the prize because she was dead. It's a story of hard work and some dirty dealing that ended up with the molecule of life being described. DNA profiling in crime detection and in the use of geneology work has proven wide spread for it's accuracy. People who were innocent and imprisoned became free and the ancestors of Thomas Jefferson were establised.