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
Results 1-5 of 33
Page
I am aware that the other participants in this story would tell parts of it in other ways, sometimes because their memory of what happened differs from mine and, perhaps in even more cases, because no two people ever see the same events ...
I am aware that the other participants in this story would tell parts of it in other ways, sometimes because their memory of what happened differs from mine and, perhaps in even more cases, because no two people ever see the same events ...
Page
Watson subsequently admitted to feeling “slightly queasy” when Crick bounded into The Eagle pub on February 13, 1953, “telling anyone within earshot that we had found the secret of life.” But they had.
Watson subsequently admitted to feeling “slightly queasy” when Crick bounded into The Eagle pub on February 13, 1953, “telling anyone within earshot that we had found the secret of life.” But they had.
Page
Watson tells how they pulled it off in this now-classic memoir. First published in 1968 and in print for more than three decades, The Double Helix remains unique in the annals of science writing. The discovery it describes was of a ...
Watson tells how they pulled it off in this now-classic memoir. First published in 1968 and in print for more than three decades, The Double Helix remains unique in the annals of science writing. The discovery it describes was of a ...
Page
As Watson tells it, there was always time—even during the stomach-crunching final stretch—for a game of tennis, an afternoon at the movies, or a bottle of burgundy, anything at all to avoid “narrow-mindedness and dullness.
As Watson tells it, there was always time—even during the stomach-crunching final stretch—for a game of tennis, an afternoon at the movies, or a bottle of burgundy, anything at all to avoid “narrow-mindedness and dullness.
Page
Often he came up with something novel, would become enormously excited, and immediately tell it to anyone who would listen. A day or so later he would often realize that his theory did not work and return to experiments, until boredom ...
Often he came up with something novel, would become enormously excited, and immediately tell it to anyone who would listen. A day or so later he would often realize that his theory did not work and return to experiments, until boredom ...
What people are saying - Write a review
Reviews aren't verified, but Google checks for and removes fake content when it's identified
THE DOUBLE HELIX: A Personal Account Of The Discovery Of The Structure Of Dna
User Review - KirkusEven without understanding any of the scientific data processed here, the general reader will find it hard to remain immune to this account of how J.D. Watson, along with another bright, volatile ... Read full review
LibraryThing Review
User Review - Devil_llama - LibraryThingJames Watson's love letter to himself, as he explains to us exactly how he single-handedly solved the structure of DNA, with the insignificant help of a cast of baboons, clowns, and women. Watson's ... Read full review
Other editions - View all
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 |