Book Summary:
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 "A real page-turner.... If Victor McElheny is not already a prince among science writers, this book should elevate him to that high position." --Judah Folkman, Nature Medicine The most influential scientist of the last century, James Watson has been at dead center in the creation of modern molecular biology. This masterful biography brings to life the extraordinary achievements not only of Watson but also all those working on this cutting edge of scientific discovery, such as Walter Gilbert, Francis Crick, Franois Jacob, and David Baltimore. From the ruthless competition in the race to identify the structure of DNA to a near mutiny in the Harvard biology department, to clashes with ethicists over issues in genetics, Watson has left a wake of detractors as well as fans. Victor McElheny probes brilliantly behind the veil of Watson's own invented persona, bringing us close to the relentless genius and scientific impresario who triggered and sustained a revolution in science. |