The Double Helix: A Personal Account of the Discovery of the Structure of DNA

By identifying the structure of DNA, the molecule of life, Francis Crick and James Watson revolutionized biochemistry and won themselves a Nobel Prize. At the time, Watson was only twenty-four, 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, and bitter rivalries. With humility unspoiled by false modesty, Watson relates his and 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.

Amazon.com Review
"Science seldom proceeds in the straightforward logical manner imagined by outsiders," writes James Watson in The Double Helix, his account of his codiscovery (along with Francis Crick) of the structure of DNA. Watson and Crick won Nobel Prizes for their work, and their names are memorized by biology students around the world. But as in all of history, the real story behind the deceptively simple outcome was messy, intense, and sometimes truly hilarious. To preserve the "real" story for the world, James Watson attempted to record his first impressions as soon after the events of 1951-1953 as possible, with all their unpleasant realities and "spirit of adventure" intact.

Watson holds nothing back when revealing the petty sniping and backbiting among his colleagues, while acknowledging that he himself was a willing participant in the melodrama. In particular, Watson reveals his mixed feelings about his famous colleague in discovery, Francis Crick, who many thought of as an arrogant man who talked too much, and whose brilliance was appreciated by few. This is the joy of The Double Helix--instead of a chronicle of stainless-steel heroes toiling away in their sparkling labs, Watson's chronicle gives readers an idea of what living science is like, warts and all. The Double Helix is a startling window into the scientific method, full of insight and wit, and packed with the kind of science anecdotes that are told and retold in the halls of universities and laboratories everywhere. It's the stuff of legends. --Therese Littleton

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All Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review:
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

Captivating, even for a layman, 2008-10-14
I was initially daunted by the very subject of this book. My girlfriend lent it to me and I wasn't sure I would enjoy it as much as she had--she's a molecular biologist and I'm a historian. Having helped her in a lab once or twice, I was well aware that genetic science was far beyond anything I could remember from seventh grade.

But The Double Helix was no problem. Some have called Watson's tone condescending--I, for one, am glad he talked down in his book, because dealing with DNA on a lower level is the only way I could ever approach it. And it's to Watson's great credit that he not only helped discover the double helix, but can write about it in mostly layman's terms and make the story understandable.

The most fascinating thing about the book, for me, was the nature of the research and the scientists themselves. Most of my life I've thought of scientists with the subconscious imagery of Frankenstein in my head. Here, Watson gives us a mostly genial but very often competitive world of collaborators and laid-back geniuses. Not at all what I was expecting, but very good reading.

Highly recommended.


0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

C+, 2008-10-03
Honest yet condescending and superficial. These adjectives would be the best way of describing not only the tone of this memoir, but also the personality of its author, the famed James D. Watson who, with the help of others, discovered the structure of DNA. The slight tome gives a unique, inside-look at the inner workings and egos of the scientific community, especially in regards to winning fame and renown. In fact, that seems to be the only goal - there isn't much regard to the fact that their biological work with DNA and helices could actually benefit society. The quest for the Nobel Prize is the dominant theme of the book, and the author is very alienating in this regard. The ending is abrupt and frankly anticlimactic, although, as previously stated, the honesty was rather refreshing. However, the memoir was filled with suspense and intriguing in its descriptions of bickering and competition between scientists. It would have been nice to see some analysis or reflection, but there is little imagery or imagination. The Double Helix is literal and informative, and distinguishes itself only by being the first of its kind. It's more personal than a thesis but less inspiring than a textbook.


0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

the book was perfect but it arrived a 2 weeks after the mailing date, 2008-09-28
the book was perfect but it arrived a 2 weeks after the mailing date


1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

Science Memoir, 2008-06-29
I remember upon first reading The Double Helix I was delighted with the fact that Watson was a slacker and still managed to make one of the most important discoveries in biology. There was hope for me too! It is a pleasure to read a book about scientific discovery where the researchers are not mercilessly driven type-A personalities confined to their labs. A well-written account of the personalities and community behind a major scientific discovery, of the molding of disparate facts into a new theory that changed the field.


0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

Good book, 2008-02-08
Good book, very easy to read despite its scientific background. As an autobiography, it also makes no attempt to remain neutral, which makes it much more interesting than your average textbook.

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