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Summary: The thrill of discovery
Review: This is the story of the search for the structure of DNA, told by the one who (with Francis Crick) discovered it. But it's far more than that. It is also the story of a young man who tries to find his way in the world of science. The book is very well written, in a charming informal style. However, this is a highly personal account, and should not be considered as the objective truth about the subject. Especially the fans of Rosalind Franklin will testify this. Nevertheless, I recommend this book if you want to savour the thrill of scientific discovery.
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Summary: Worst Book Ever
Review: All I can say is, some lunatic at my school thought that a bunch of 9th graders would be able to read, understand, and write about this book.
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Summary: Fascinating
Review: This firsthand account of the discovery of DNA dispels a lot of the notions that ousiders have about how science really works. Watson's descriptions of the competition, politics, dead ends, personality clashes, mistakes, and eventually inspiration reveal that discovery is not as clear-cut a process as it sometimes might seem.Watson is honest in his introduction that his account is just that, the story told through his own point of view, complete with possible faulty memories and personal prejudices. I was intrigued by the portrayals of the personalities of so many famous figures that I've been learning about for years in my biology and genetics classes - Francis Crick, of course, along with Maurice Wilikins, Rosalind Franklin, Linus Pauling, and many more. I was touched by Watson's admission at the end of the book that his unfavorable impressions of Rosalind Franklin stemmed from the fact that she was a woman trying to make a name for herself in the male-dominated world of scientific research in the 1950s. There is quite a bit of biological jargon in this book, and though it could probably be read by someone without any knowledge of genetics, it will be appreciated more by readers with some background. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone with an interest in genetics and science.
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Summary: Scientists Are People Too
Review: Although The Double Helix by James D. Watson is not the most riveting-can't-put-it-down book, it does offer a fascinating first-hand account of the events leading up to one of the most impacting scientific discoveries ever. Its manifestation of the unique existence of a scientist exposes what type of competitions, manipulation, and discovery exist in the science arena. The introduction of other key figures who played prominent and influential roles in the discovery of the DNA structure is at the very least, enlightening. The network of knowledge necessary to ensure there are no foibles in a key discovery is something that the general public may have never taken into account. Also, it evinces the professional barriers that exist between the genders. The back story of Rosalind "Rosie" Franklin is fascinating as it examines the "glass ceiling" and what type of personality a woman needs to adopt in order to survive in a male dominated field. The end of the end of the book-where Watson realizes her seemingly callous attitude emanates from her essential need to incorporate survival methods is refreshing. The science terms are difficult to follow if one does not have previous scientific background, but there is enough universality imbedded into the story to keep a reader's attention. Another aspect that proves to be surprising is the fact that scientists are not without their weak fields-just because they excel in chemistry does not mean they are equally capable in biology. Reading of how Watson and Crick were unsuccessful on several occasions somehow made them human-like they were mortals rather than some higher power intellectuals. Somehow, there seems to be an idea or stigma attached to scientists that suggest they are always brilliant and do not make mistakes. This book sheds that concept. Watson and Crick needed to do research, work hard, and learn from their mistakes in order to accomplish their objective. They even needed help from their friends. They beat out a great scientist in Linus and won the "DNA Race." Their discovery has changed the world, and this book depicts them in a humble role-two guys doing their job.
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Summary: A complementary view point...
Review: Most readers of "The Double Helix" would be further enlightened by Anne Sayre's "Rosalind Franklin and DNA".
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Summary: should read if one wants to go into acadmic research
Review: This book is a personal account from one of the discovers of the DNA structure. I read it because I was interested in how scientific discoveries are made. It's a good book. I like it because it illustrates how intense the competition is in research, and also gave me some ideas in how to do research. Some ideas I got from the book are:
1. I must have a good sense of what's important. In the book, Watson and Crick were very sure that DNA is the important pursuit, whereas many others didn't realize that. 2. I needs to be very confident in my own judgements. In the book, Watson went against his home institution (where his grant was coming from) and left wherever he was and went to Cambridge, because he had no interest and saw no big developments in what he was told to do. If you are a student, and are interested in going into research, you should read this book (it's quite short). It might give you just the right ideas of what personal traits are needed in a good researcher. I suspect little has changed since in academia since the discovery of the DNA structure.
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Summary: The operative word is "personal," but very informative
Review: The title of the book says it all - this is a "personal account of the discovery of the structure of DNA." Told from the point of view of James Watson, who later shared the Nobel Prize with Crick and Wilkins for the discovery. Both Crick and Watson were theorists, who analysed other peoples' data (I've heard more than one biochemist say they "stole" it from Wilkins and Rosalind Franklin) and correctly deduced the double-helix structure of DNA. The drama mostly centres on Cambridge and King's College, the universities where these scientists were studying/working at the time. Also figuring prominently in the story is Linus Pauling, winner of 2 Nobel Prizes (one in chemistry, the other for peace). He was hot on the trail and this competition that gives the narrative a driving energy. It's interesting that both he and the Watson/Crick combo both independently came up with a triple-helix structure with the backbone on the inside before W & C turned that idea inside out and put the backbone in the correct position, on the outside. This brings us to the contribution of Rosalind Franklin. Her contribution to the discovery are significant - she first expounded the idea that the backbone must be on the outside, and her X-ray diffraction pictures led C & W to a helical structure. She did not win the Nobel Prize - the reason is not because she was female or difficult to work with, but because she passed away at 37, before the prize was awarded. Whether her gender or personality would have excluded her were she still alive is, of course, debatable. What is most enjoyable about this book, however, is the personal style - Watson gives us an inside look at London, time spent in pubs, boring conferences, and his relationship with Watson, Bragg, and other famous scientists in London and elsewhere. This is the personal aspect, and he makes no qualms about telling unflattering stories about these people (and himself). These include run-ins with Franklin, Bragg, and his first postdoctoral advisor. Throw in a healthy dose of interdisciplinary squabbling (biologists vs. chemists vs. physicists) and you get an entertaining story of one of the most important discoveries of the 20th century.
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Summary: the double helix
Review: a lively account of the personal and professional life and quest for the structure of dna by a young brillant american in london . the science world of the 1950ies is brought to life complete with the zest for competition to advance knowledge and contribute . it is especially interesting due to the present advances in gene sequencing and the stem cell controversy. the regeneration of cells via dna is simply awesome and leads one to think THE MASTER DESIGNER OF THE UNIVERSE CREATED A BEAUTIFUL SYSTEM .
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Summary: I think it's obvious my dear Watson...
Review: A must read for everybody who is even vaguely interested in modern biology, this books describes the key event that lead to today's age of biotechnology: the discovery of the double helix by Watson and Crick in 1951-1953 through the eyes of one of the discoverers, James Watson. At the time of the discovery James Watson was a young, brilliant student in the laboratory of Francis Crick in Cambridge. The two formed an unlikely pair: the smooth, young, ambitious American and his English colleague, every inch the typical English university scholar. The scientific path leading to the conception of the Double Helix (the structure of the DNA) is described and it is not a path with nice views only. The descriptions of Francis Crick and Roselind Franklin are not very flattering to say the least. The book is a very smooth read, especially for a "science" book, maybe also because James Watson dared to vent his personal opinions on his colleagues. This may not be very scientific, but it makes the book interesting to read. And of course the highlight in not every scientist's life is there: that one time only moment when you have a deep insight and all the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle fall into place and what is left afterwards is this feeling of utter joy and satisfaction. And in the case of James Watson of course also the Nobel prize.
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Summary: A book every biologist should read
Review: The structure of DNA was discovered before I was born. This book allowed me to look back to a time when the structure of DNA was unknown. Could proteins be the genetic material? Seems like it since there are so many amino acids. Could DNA be the genetic material? But how could only 4 bases create such diversity? How could these 4 bases possibly fit together? These are questions that every scientist now knows the answers to. But these questions used to be very puzzling. "The Double Helix" truly is a personal account in the race to discover the structure. The book explains the many ideas that were considered, the fears that someone would beat them to it, and the feeling of triumph when they knew they had succeeded. "The Double Helix" is a book for scientist and non-scientist alike.
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