If you have ever had the notion that science is dull business, this book will change your mind. Hardly your stereotypical scientist in a white lab coat, James Watson in his prime was fiercely competitive, brash, and irreverent, and caused controversy wherever he went, simultaneously inspiring and exasperating his colleagues. His arrogance, lack of tact, and love of gossip were only overshadowed by his passion, drive, and genius, allowing him to attract the most brilliant thinkers (and generous funding) to his projects. On the cutting edge of molecular biology since the mid1950s, Watson, along with collaborator Francis Crick, won the Nobel Prize in 1962 for discovering the double-helix structure of DNA. In 1965 he wrote Molecular Biology of the Gene, his textbook on molecular biology, followed by his controversial and entertaining The Double Helix in 1968. An "intellectual manager" on a grand scale, he built Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory into one of the great biological centers of the world and was chosen in 1988 by the National Academy of Sciences to be the first director of the Human Genome Project.
Since Watson chose not to cooperate with Victor McElheny, neither he nor his family were interviewed for the book, but this does not detract from the work, since the author focuses strictly on Watson's professional life anyway. And McElheny is certainly qualified to do so: not only did he work with Watson for four years, he has also been a science reporter for over four decades. He bases his book on personal observations and on extensive interviews with nearly 50 scientists who have worked closely with Watson. McElheny details the past half-century of breakthroughs with considerable color and a wealth of revealing anecdotes. A self-declared optimist most interested in using science to "improve human life," Watson placed himself on the frontlines of the war on cancer in order to make the largest possible impact. In doing so, writes McElheny, he "may have influenced the thinking of biologists more than any other scientist during this half-century." A fascinating portrait of a remarkable man. --Shawn Carkonen
James Watson's The Double Helix, an account of his discovery with Francis Crick of the structure of DNA, is one of the bestselling scientific memoirs of all time. Science journalist McElheny, author of a biography of photography pioneer Edwin Land (Insisting on the Impossible), fills in the details of Watson's early career, before his Nobel Prize- winning discovery, and tracks his many achievements over the following half-century. Watson's work as an administrator, most notably of the Cold Spring Harbor labs on Long Island, and as a mentor to young scientists, has been as important as his own scientific work. Not one to rest on his laurels, Watson moved on from studying the structure of DNA to investigate recombinant DNA and the genetic causes of cancer. Most recently, he led the Human Genome Project, until political pressures forced his resignation. McElheny manages to convey Watson's complex personality: confident to the point of arrogance and infamous for alienating coworkers, Watson knew the impact of the "mad scientist" look on politicians and wealthy donors: more than one observer described him mussing up his hair and untying his tennis shoes before going in to give a presentation. However, readers interested in Watson's private life (he didn't marry until he was nearly 40) or psychobiography will have to look elsewhere. McElheny worked under Watson for a time and comes perilously close to hagiography. Those who work in the sciences or who knew Watson will find this biography informative, but the general science buff will probably find it less satisfying than going back and rereading The Double Helix.
http://www.amazon.com/Watson-DNA-Making-Scientific-Revolution/dp/0738203416/ref=sid_dp_dp
Since Watson chose not to cooperate with Victor McElheny, neither he nor his family were interviewed for the book, but this does not detract from the work, since the author focuses strictly on Watson's professional life anyway. And McElheny is certainly qualified to do so: not only did he work with Watson for four years, he has also been a science reporter for over four decades. He bases his book on personal observations and on extensive interviews with nearly 50 scientists who have worked closely with Watson. McElheny details the past half-century of breakthroughs with considerable color and a wealth of revealing anecdotes. A self-declared optimist most interested in using science to "improve human life," Watson placed himself on the frontlines of the war on cancer in order to make the largest possible impact. In doing so, writes McElheny, he "may have influenced the thinking of biologists more than any other scientist during this half-century." A fascinating portrait of a remarkable man. --Shawn Carkonen
James Watson's The Double Helix, an account of his discovery with Francis Crick of the structure of DNA, is one of the bestselling scientific memoirs of all time. Science journalist McElheny, author of a biography of photography pioneer Edwin Land (Insisting on the Impossible), fills in the details of Watson's early career, before his Nobel Prize- winning discovery, and tracks his many achievements over the following half-century. Watson's work as an administrator, most notably of the Cold Spring Harbor labs on Long Island, and as a mentor to young scientists, has been as important as his own scientific work. Not one to rest on his laurels, Watson moved on from studying the structure of DNA to investigate recombinant DNA and the genetic causes of cancer. Most recently, he led the Human Genome Project, until political pressures forced his resignation. McElheny manages to convey Watson's complex personality: confident to the point of arrogance and infamous for alienating coworkers, Watson knew the impact of the "mad scientist" look on politicians and wealthy donors: more than one observer described him mussing up his hair and untying his tennis shoes before going in to give a presentation. However, readers interested in Watson's private life (he didn't marry until he was nearly 40) or psychobiography will have to look elsewhere. McElheny worked under Watson for a time and comes perilously close to hagiography. Those who work in the sciences or who knew Watson will find this biography informative, but the general science buff will probably find it less satisfying than going back and rereading The Double Helix.
http://www.amazon.com/Watson-DNA-Making-Scientific-Revolution/dp/0738203416/ref=sid_dp_dp
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