James D. Watson
Paperback | Pages: 143 pages Rating: 3.86 | 15491 Users | 799 Reviews
List Books Supposing The Double Helix
| Original Title: | The Double Helix: A Personal Account of the Discovery of the Structure of DNA |
| ISBN: | 0451037707 (ISBN13: 9780451037701) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Literary Awards: | National Book Award Finalist for The Sciences (1969) |
Interpretation To Books The Double Helix
By identifying the structure of DNA, the molecule of life, Francis Crick and James Watson revolutionized biochemistry & won themselves a Nobel Prize. At the time, Watson was only 24, 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 & bitter rivalries. With humility unspoiled by false modesty, Watson relates his & 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.Particularize Based On Books The Double Helix
| Title | : | The Double Helix |
| Author | : | James D. Watson |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Anniversary Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 143 pages |
| Published | : | February 1st 1969 by Signet Books (first published 1968) |
| Categories | : | Science. Nonfiction. Biology. History. Biography. Autobiography. Memoir. Popular Science |
Rating Based On Books The Double Helix
Ratings: 3.86 From 15491 Users | 799 ReviewsWrite-Up Based On Books The Double Helix
I had the great good fortune to meet Dr. James Watson, many times actually, and to have his kind assistance when I, a scientific novice, set out to save the venerable Public Health Research Institute in New York. Watson's major accomplishment, his role in determining the structure of DNA, is a fascinating tale well told in a form the lay reader can easily appreciate. For those who wonder how scientific discoveries are made, and indeed on the nature of scientific research itself, this is a greatIn Brocas Brain, a collection of essays published in the late 70s, Carl Sagan spoke of the practice of science in rather idealistic terms, suggesting a noble, relatively selfless, and grandly cooperative pursuit by men and women in far-flung locations. In a review of that book, I suggested The Double Helix as a corrective; it made clear that competition, hunger for personal acclaim, and a desire to show up the famous guy (a role played here by Linus Pauling) all figure into the progress of
3.5 stars, rounded up:+5 stars for a very honest, human retelling of the scientific process.-1 star for uncomfortable and blatant sexism throughout.-1 star for talking about parties for half the book.+0.5 stars for a very well-written epilogue.
Shows how arrogant, misogynistic, and plain stupid the "discoverers" of DNA's double helix were. Pros: Emphasizes the importance of being able to access a free, open, creative, in some ways childish state of mind in order to allow for truly creative and "defocalized" states of mind that allow for scientific discovery. Tunnel vision can be a scientist's worst nightmare.Cons: Shows how childish, pretentious and socially inept the scientific establishment can be. Also shows how a great scientist
Just finished this book. What can i say? It is totally worth reading, but if you are not afraid of some scientific words and descriptions. For me it is one of the best books ever, and i will explain why.First of all this short book tells about how really big discoveries are being made: surprisingly the regular people are making them. But those people are keen to make something new. They don't bother about the money, or sex, or new car - the biggest passion possessing them is the science. Such
So...umm. Hmm. Okay right off the bat, if you're not someone with a lot of biochem in their brain, this book is one-half to one-third wholly unfuckingcomprehensible. I say this as someone whose college sciences were Astrology and Geology. This was never meant to be the weird, scandalous, ego-driven smash hit it ended up being, is my impression. It didn't seem like Watson entirely expected the backlash and sensation of it. But there the book was, on Time Magazine's Top 100 non-fiction books, and
Watson is one of those figures who's opinion of himself is so high, you can't help but be dissuaded from feeling the respect you would have been willing to give him merely on the basis of his accomplishments. Reading this book was full of cringe-worthy moments of self-aggrandizement, and times when his accounts of trying to pick up French girls at parties and things of that nature were just unwanted. Written in the late sixties about events that happened in the early fifties, I shouldn't be
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