Double HelixThe 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. |
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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
Contents
Letter to Max Delbruck 227233 | 44 |
Short section of DNA 1951 | 53 |
Covalent bonds of the sugarphosphate backbone | 79 |
Mg++ ions binding phosphate groups | 87 |
Schematic view of DNA likewithlike base pairs | 185 |
Tautomeric forms of guanine and thymine | 191 |
Schematic illustration of the double helix | 202 |
DNA replication | 211 |
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Common terms and phrases
acid adenine answer argument arranged arrival asked atoms backbone base pairs bases became began biology bonds Bragg building Cambridge Cavendish chemical chemistry coiled coils College completely conversation Crick crystallographic cytosine double helix English equal evidence existed experiments face fact final Francis gave genes genetic give given groups guanine hand held helical hope hydrogen idea immediately important interest John join King's knew later letter Linus London look lunch Maurice meeting mind molecules months Moreover morning moved Nature needed never obvious Pauling Pauling's Peter position possibility problem protein quickly realized reason remained Rosy saying scientific sense solve soon structure success sure talk tell theory thinking thought tion told walked wanted week X-ray
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Bibliographic information
| Title | Double Helix A Touchstone book Scribner classics |
| Author | James D. Watson |
| Edition | reprint |
| Publisher | Simon and Schuster, 1998 |
| ISBN | 0684852799, 9780684852799 |
| Length | 226 pages |
| Subjects | › › Fiction / Classics Science / History Science / Life Sciences / Genetics & Genomics Science / Life Sciences / Human Anatomy & Physiology Science / Reference |
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