Rating: 
Summary: Molecules can be fun
Review: This book is fun and highly entertaining to read. The point is to find out for yourself and not believe something just because you read it in a book; so, if you don't believe what Mullis says, more power to you. This is a thought-provoking philosophy of science and even though the author sounds like he would probably be an obnoxious jerk in real life, even an egotist has important things to say. Recommended if you like to think about things.
Rating: 
Summary: fun to read, but the scientific discussion is shallow
Review: Most of the other reviews here either give the book 5 stars or 1 star - it does not deserve either rating. It is not a great book, but is a lot of fun to read. Mullis makes a lot of extraordinary and even outrageous claims (the case against OJ Simpson is weak, astrology is valid, he was abducted by aliens, HIV is not the cause of AIDS, etc etc) but offers only shreds of evidence to back up his wild claims. His discussion of the Simpson fiasco sickened me at some points, such as when he tries to get Simpson to give him the phone number of one of Simpson's bimbos. He thinks Simpson is probably innocent because the lab test on the blood samples was not perfect!In another chapter he maintains that HIV is not the cause of AIDS. I must say I found his arguments provocative, until I read Nine Crazy Ideas in Science (that just might be true) by Robert Ehrlich. Here Ehrlich devotes a chapter to this claim, carefully considers all the evidence, and rejects it. If Mullis is wrong on this one, I wonder how many people will contact AIDS from unprotected sex because they trust the writing of a Nobel prize winner. This book is by no means great science, or even a great discussion of science. It is mostly a self-satisfied biography and a collection of weird tales, with a sprinkle of science thrown in. Mullis never tires of telling us how smart he is, and of how much drugs and sex he indulged in during the 60's and 70's. Never does he realize how lucky he has been - and I think he won the Nobel Prize mostly because he was lucky. It is fun to read and I recommend it, but I would have expected more responsible journalism and more careful science from a Nobel Prize winner.
Rating:
Summary: interesting but shallow
Review: Throughout Mullis's book, he never stops reminding us that he won the Nobel Prize. The problem is, he seems to think that this gives him a licence to spout controversial opinions without more than a few shreds of evidence. For instance, in chapter 18 ("A Case not Closed") he tells us how there really is no evidence that aids is caused by HIV. Fine, I admit I was intrigued but what he wrote, and started to wonder if he was right. Then I came across a book called Nine Crazy Ideas in Science by Robert Ehrlich, in which he discusses this "crazy idea." Ehrlich is much more thorough in his analysis, and comes to the opposite conclussion. Personally, I am not completely convinced either way, but this is a very important point and should be treated with much greater depth. Mullis writes: "The CDC has defined AIDS as one of more than 30 diseases accompanied by a positive result on a test that detects antibodies to HIV. But those same diseases are not defined as AIDS cases when the antibodies are not detected" So, as I see it, just one of the fundamental questions is: what percentage of people with HIV who do not indulge in high risk behaviour likely to over-load their immune system go on to be diagnosed with AIDS? This and other issues must be systematically examined if we are to settle the issue. Other than that, the book if fun to read, although Mullis never seems to realize how lucky he has been. He was lucky enough to receive a chemistry set as a child thereby finding his ideal occupation, never did anything else, indulged in a lot of sex and drugs in the 1960s and 1970s, achieved fame and fortune without working too hard, and found his true love. Fine Mullis, but if you now want to change the world, then you should use your privileged position of influence to do careful science in the controversial subjects you claim to care about.
Rating: 
Summary: Dancing Naked in the Mind Field
Review: A very mediocre and arrogant book. The only benefit I got from it was the feeling that profound scientific truths can be discovered by accident.
Rating: 
Summary: One of my favorite people
Review: People either like or hate Dr Mullis. Those who hate him and hate this book are such that they either envy his accomplishments, his genius, his willingness to speak his mind, or the fact he has the balls to march to his own drummer. Anyone who picks the book up and reads the inside flaps and the first page of a few chapters and who buys it knowing they hate him, get little respect from me. Those who buy and love the book fall into the following categories. Free spirited thinkers, other MENSA high IQ types and those who respect people who think outside the lines. So he is an eccentric. The late Linus Pauling who also won (2) Nobel prizes collected dictionaries and was considered a flake for his Vitamin C mission. Fact is the best and brightest are always different from the average person. The average person who can name six brands of beer but is hard pressed to name 6 Nobel prize winners or who can pronounce much less spell and explain the basics of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Mullis is a sexy fun guy and those of us who admire his spunk and quirkiness and are female often have dreams of him allowing us to be a lovers and then having his mathematical theories superimposed on nude photographs of us at his lectures. Guess you have to be a Burning Man fan to grasp this.
Rating:
Summary: Wow! What a trip!
Review: Once you get over this ego of his and get over some of his..."paranormal experiences", he actually brings forth and exposes the reader to alternate views that are present in the scientific community that are not very popular and therefore typically silenced. His views and arguments on such topics were to me the more interesting parts of the book. No matter if you agree or disagree with him, they are still valid points to consider. At the least, the book provokes great discussions and makes you curious enough to want get out on the internet do your own research on his theories. Easy to read (even if his writing is not well-edited) and funny, this is a book that is worth the read if you are at all interested in the scientific field or just like to read biographies.
Rating:
Summary: The Fly in the Ointment
Review: Kary Mullis is not your typical Nobel Prize winner. He's brash,unusual and openly anti-authority. His book is his own interpretation (or the one he wishes to share with the public) of why he is the person that he is and what part fate has to play in the undertakings of science. His writing style resembles that of a lecturer and not stereo instructions. Slightly arrogant. Moderately funny. Very enjoyable to read from his perspective.
Rating:
Summary: 100% Money-Back Guarantee
Review: If you have an IQ of > 150 or < 50, you will love this book by a fellow human. :-) If you don't love it, I'll refund your money.
Rating: 
Summary: A wretched book
Review: It's hard to imagine that the book is a fair representation of the author. But I tend to hold Nobel prize winners in high esteem. The book has pitifully little science in it, ignorant observations about other fields of endeavour, e.g. global warming, lots of sly allusions to drug use. There's almost nothing to suggest much of a character, certainly not a pleasant character that I'd want to talk with. I can't puzzle out the circumstances behind the book: perhaps the author was drunk or stoned, or not Cary Mullis, or the text was cadged together from post-it notes scattered under the fellow's desk.
Rating:
Summary: Five stars for science, Five stars for writing
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Mullis is human and brilliant--a combination that naturally creates a readable book. His personal stories are funny and information rich. His rebelliousness is heartening. Mullis shows us that the formula for a Nobel Prize is one part genius, one part humanity.
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