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. |
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Page 66
The next morning he arrived in the lab and told Max and John about his success .
A few minutes later , Bill Cochran walked into his office , and Francis started to
repeat the story . But before he could let loose his argument , Bill told him that he
...
The next morning he arrived in the lab and told Max and John about his success .
A few minutes later , Bill Cochran walked into his office , and Francis started to
repeat the story . But before he could let loose his argument , Bill told him that he
...
Page 93
Before the delegation's arrival , Francis and I had agreed to reveal our progress
in two stages . Francis would first sum up the advantages of the helical theory .
Then together we could explain how we had arrived at the proposed model for ...
Before the delegation's arrival , Francis and I had agreed to reveal our progress
in two stages . Francis would first sum up the advantages of the helical theory .
Then together we could explain how we had arrived at the proposed model for ...
Page 179
Almost as soon as he arrived from the station , Francis started to probe him for
fuller details of the B pattern . But by the end of lunch Francis knew no more than I
had picked up the week before . Even the presence of Peter , saying he felt sure ...
Almost as soon as he arrived from the station , Francis started to probe him for
fuller details of the B pattern . But by the end of lunch Francis knew no more than I
had picked up the week before . Even the presence of Peter , saying he felt sure ...
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LibraryThing Review
User Review - pramodghuge - LibraryThingA very personal account by the author James Watson on how he and his colleague Francis Crick with the help of others beat Linus Pauling to win the coveted Nobel prize for identifying the structure of ... Read full review
LibraryThing Review
User Review - ajlewis2 - LibraryThingI read about a third of it. I found the story wandered and wasn't clear. His treatment of Rosalind Franklin sounded like something written in the 1950s. It was at that point that I decided the book ... Read full review
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Common terms and phrases
acid adenine answer argument arranged arrival asked atoms backbone base pairs bases became began biological bonds Bragg building Cambridge Cavendish chemical chemistry coiled coils College completely conversation Crick crystallographic cytosine Delbrück 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 sugar sure talk tell theory thinking thought tion told walked wanted week X-ray