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The Statue Within: An Autobiography
In a new preface to this special edition of his critically acclaimed memoir, Francois Jacob recalls the events that brought him to Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in the early 1960's and taught him much about phage biology and the informal ways of American science. Throughout his book, Jacob demonstrates a scientist's eye for detail and a poet's instinct for the inner life, as he tells of a privileged Parisian boyhood, young love, heroism in war, and the fascination of life at the edge of scientific discovery.
326 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1987
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
February 7, 2023
Seis osos polares.
Se puede afirmar que la autobiografía está amenamente escrita. Jacob cuenta sus recuerdos sin profundizar en casi nada. Judío no practicante, recluta y médico en la guerra, activo en la “Francia libre” de De Gaulle, científico de laboratorio después.
En el tercio final, cuando el autor cuenta cómo se introdujo en la ciencia y sus vivencias en el Pasteur de los cincuenta, es cuando la obra, a mí entender, adquiere valor para el lector. Algunas reflexiones, no muchas, sobre método y fundamento de la ciencia son lo subrayable.
Pero me faltó pasión por la arquitecta y me sobró Jacob.
Le perdono el principio, entendiendo que novelistas, poetas y demás escritores que sufrieron el siglo pasado han profundizado más y mejor; pero también me faltaron osos polares en la parte que disfruté, en el relato sobre el descubrimiento que acabó haciendo merecedor del Nobel a un tipo que reconocía ser un soldado ignorante que acabó la carrera de medicina sin saber nada de medicina.
Ahí, en el descubrimiento de lo que ahora llamamos “ARN mensajero” también me faltó pasión…
problema mío, quizás, que tengo tantísima admiración por esa molécula fascinante que lleva nuestros planos fuera de casa. Por esa arquitecta que nos conoce mejor que nadie.
Se puede afirmar que la autobiografía está amenamente escrita. Jacob cuenta sus recuerdos sin profundizar en casi nada. Judío no practicante, recluta y médico en la guerra, activo en la “Francia libre” de De Gaulle, científico de laboratorio después.
En el tercio final, cuando el autor cuenta cómo se introdujo en la ciencia y sus vivencias en el Pasteur de los cincuenta, es cuando la obra, a mí entender, adquiere valor para el lector. Algunas reflexiones, no muchas, sobre método y fundamento de la ciencia son lo subrayable.
Pero me faltó pasión por la arquitecta y me sobró Jacob.
Le perdono el principio, entendiendo que novelistas, poetas y demás escritores que sufrieron el siglo pasado han profundizado más y mejor; pero también me faltaron osos polares en la parte que disfruté, en el relato sobre el descubrimiento que acabó haciendo merecedor del Nobel a un tipo que reconocía ser un soldado ignorante que acabó la carrera de medicina sin saber nada de medicina.
Ahí, en el descubrimiento de lo que ahora llamamos “ARN mensajero” también me faltó pasión…
problema mío, quizás, que tengo tantísima admiración por esa molécula fascinante que lleva nuestros planos fuera de casa. Por esa arquitecta que nos conoce mejor que nadie.
September 17, 2025
Splendide autobiographie d’un grand scientifique, de son enfance parisienne à son engagement dans la France libre comme médecin aux côtés des forces françaises en Afrique. Puis sa découverte de l’enthousiasmante aventure scientifique à l’Institut Pasteur, avec Lwoff, Monod, Wollmann… Sa science de nuit nous fait rêver.
September 16, 2010
At times this is great, a well-written fascinating story. It's much more fascinating than most science biographies, given that Jacob actually did more than the standard 'family, high school, university' before starting in science, and I for one don't really ever tire of hearing people's accounts of what they did in WW2.
At other times, it's just odd, and rather affected. The first chapter, in particular, is beyond odd. It opens philosophising about death, a friend wanting to commit suicide, and after a few paragraphs it's somehow morphed without so much as a seam into Greek godesses and an 'I love the ladies' confession. Tres francais, I suppose, and that part was so odd as to be amusing but most of that first chapter is pointless, meandering and attempts to be philosophical about memory without much gain. Proustian, maybe, but it really should have been cut.
All in all, this account best when Jacob is describing events and people as they're happening, and worst when he's attempting to philosophise about the universe.
At other times, it's just odd, and rather affected. The first chapter, in particular, is beyond odd. It opens philosophising about death, a friend wanting to commit suicide, and after a few paragraphs it's somehow morphed without so much as a seam into Greek godesses and an 'I love the ladies' confession. Tres francais, I suppose, and that part was so odd as to be amusing but most of that first chapter is pointless, meandering and attempts to be philosophical about memory without much gain. Proustian, maybe, but it really should have been cut.
All in all, this account best when Jacob is describing events and people as they're happening, and worst when he's attempting to philosophise about the universe.
July 31, 2021
Fascinating life and intellect. The science that I came for is compressed into merely the last 1/5, basically, but no big regrets reading about the other Jacob. The science parts are astounding, but they seem to have been somewhat difficult to put into a coherent order by the autobiographer - or maybe that's just the way great science used to work.
October 22, 2021
One of the best books I have ever read.
October 11, 2015
Woah. A book I wouldn't have found on my own (at least not at this point of my life) and I must thank the person who gave me this as a present :)
Absolutely inspiring - the life of a young medical student who went on to fight in the war, and eventually came across the world of research as an beginner, and then went on to become a Nobel Prize winner. Not only is his tale incredibly motivating, but the manner in which he uses language is just gripping. Here is a man who understands the science in its entirety: the thrill of discovery, the long stretches of failure and the joy of sharing knowledge.
Recommended for every budding researcher!
Absolutely inspiring - the life of a young medical student who went on to fight in the war, and eventually came across the world of research as an beginner, and then went on to become a Nobel Prize winner. Not only is his tale incredibly motivating, but the manner in which he uses language is just gripping. Here is a man who understands the science in its entirety: the thrill of discovery, the long stretches of failure and the joy of sharing knowledge.
Recommended for every budding researcher!
July 26, 2007
my advisor gave me this book for winter holiday of your choice, so i felt obliged to read it. when he (finally) got around to describing his actual scientific work, the book was pretty interesting (he was getting started around the time they were just figuring out that dna transmitted genetic information). unfortunately, the majority of the book was about his childhood and experiences in wwii and i found his reminiscing style fairly pretentious and annoying. even in the later part of the book, he'd occasionally lapse into the same style when talking about his family.
February 26, 2009
This is one of my all time favorites. This is a beautifully written story about what it means to be in love with what you do.
October 27, 2013
I admit I only read about the first quarter of this book, but the prose is remarkable. Hoping I'll be able to return to it another time.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews