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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LibraryThing Review
User Review - amarcobio - LibraryThingWatson's account has been largely critizised. However, this book is what it is, a very personal account with a touch of fiction and a lot of drama. I may think (as many of us) that Watson is an arrogant unbearable chap, but this book is still a great read. Read full review
LibraryThing Review
User Review - elviomedeiros - LibraryThingWhen I started reading this book I though the author obnoxious and unethical, probing around other peoples research and intruding in research fields that weren’t his specialty. By the end of the book ... 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 |