The Double Helix: A Personal Account of the Discovery of the Structure of DNAThe classic personal account of Watson and Crick’s groundbreaking discovery of the structure of DNA, now with an introduction by Sylvia Nasar, author of A Beautiful Mind. 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 young scientist 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 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 life sciences, the identification of the basic building block of life. Never has a scientist been so truthful in capturing in words the flavor of his work. |
From inside the book
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I have been amongst those who have pressed the author to write his recollections while they are still fresh in his mind, knowing how important they would be as a contribution to the history of science.
I have been amongst those who have pressed the author to write his recollections while they are still fresh in his mind, knowing how important they would be as a contribution to the history of science.
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In doing so I have tried to catch the atmosphere of the early postwar years in England, where most of the important events occurred. As I hope this book will show, science seldom proceeds in the straightforward logical manner imagined ...
In doing so I have tried to catch the atmosphere of the early postwar years in England, where most of the important events occurred. As I hope this book will show, science seldom proceeds in the straightforward logical manner imagined ...
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But even more important, I believe, there remains general ignorance about how science is “done.” That is not to say that all science is done in the manner described here. This is far from the case, for styles of scientific research vary ...
But even more important, I believe, there remains general ignorance about how science is “done.” That is not to say that all science is done in the manner described here. This is far from the case, for styles of scientific research vary ...
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The Double Helix is also an affectionate paean to a rare friendship, and, perhaps more surprisingly, a joyous celebration of the importance of being playful while pursuing a Nobel. As Watson tells it, there was always time—even during ...
The Double Helix is also an affectionate paean to a rare friendship, and, perhaps more surprisingly, a joyous celebration of the importance of being playful while pursuing a Nobel. As Watson tells it, there was always time—even during ...
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Anything important would attract him, and he frequently visited other labs to see which new experiments had been done. Though he was generally polite and considerate of colleagues who did not realize the real meaning of their latest ...
Anything important would attract him, and he frequently visited other labs to see which new experiments had been done. Though he was generally polite and considerate of colleagues who did not realize the real meaning of their latest ...
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LibraryThing Review
User Review - labfs39 - LibraryThingJames D. Watson was 24 years old when he and Francis Crick published their paper announcing the discovery of the structure of DNA in 1953. Nine years later they would be awarded the Nobel Prize, along ... Read full review
LibraryThing Review
User Review - atozgrl - LibraryThingA surprisingly easy read. The chapters are short and the writing style is breezy. It's a very personal account of James Watson's experiences studying overseas and his efforts, along with others, to ... Read full review
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Common terms and phrases
adenine answer argument arrival atoms bacterial base pairs biochemistry biological Cal Tech Cambridge Cavendish chains Chargaff’s chemical chemistry chemists conversation Copenhagen crystallographic cytosine Delbrück dinner DNA molecule DNA structure double helix Elizabeth existed fact fellowship Francis Crick genes genetics Griffith guanine helical Herman hope Hugh Huxley hydrogen bonds idea immediately important interest ions John Kendrew King’s College knew large number letter like-with-like Linus Pauling London look lunch Luria manuscript Maurice Wilkins Maurice’s Max and John Max Delbrück Max Perutz model building Moreover morning never Nonetheless nucleic acids nucleotides º º Odile Pauling’s Perutz Peter phage phosphate groups polynucleotide Pop’s possibility problem protein purine and pyrimidine pyrimidine quickly realized reason Rosalind Franklin Rosy Rosy’s scientific solve soon sugar-phosphate backbone talk tautomeric forms tell theory thought thymine told viruses walked wanted Watson week X-ray diffraction X-ray photographs X-ray pictures
Bibliographic information
| Title | The Double Helix: A Personal Account of the Discovery of the Structure of DNA |
| Author | James D. Watson |
| Publisher | Simon and Schuster, 2011 |
| ISBN | 0743219171, 9780743219174 |
| Length | 256 pages |
| Subjects | › › Science / History Science / Life Sciences / Human Anatomy & Physiology Science / Reference |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |