Crick, Watson and DNA

The Big Idea: Scientists Who Changed the World

by Paul Strathern

At a moment of great discovery, one Big Idea can change the world...

The discovery by Francis Crick and James Watson of DNA- the very building blocks of life - has astounding implications for mankind's future.Not only in the scientific possibilities of cloning, life expectancy and medical research, but also in our everyday lives - such as forensics and the genetic engineering of food.But with this discovery have come important ethical questions...

Crick, Watson & DNA is an engaging and accessible examination of these two scientists' lives, radical work and legacy.Theirs was a frantic race against other scientists to understand the structure of DNA.Their Big Idea extends even beyond their monumental achievement to the moral implications that have arisen from it.

The Big Idea series is a fascinating look at the greatest advances in our scientific history, and at the men and women who made these fundamental breakthroughs.

Genres: Science, Biology, Nonfiction

96 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Paul Strathern (born 1940) is a English writer and academic. He was born in London, and studied at Trinity College, Dublin, after which he served in the Merchant Navy over a period of two years. He then lived on a Greek island. In 1966 he travelled overland to India and the Himalayas. His novel A Season in Abyssinia won a Somerset Maugham Award in 1972.

Besides five novels, he has also written numerous books on science, philosophy, history, literature, medicine and economics.

Reviews

[Mauricio Coronel Guzmán · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ameno, a ratos humorístico, es una mirada ligera a un tema mayor. Se ha dicho que el descubrimiento más importante de la segunda mitad del siglo XX es revelación de la estructura del ADN.

Paul Strathern es filósofo y novelista pero aquí vuelca su habilidades como divulgador de la ciencia. Inicia con la contextualización del asunto donde destaca cómo progresaron los estudios de la genética. Repasa las ideas de Erasmus Darwin (el primero en hablar de la evolución de las especies) hasta Mendel, el padre de la genética moderna.

Strathern advierte de los peligros éticos de la biología molecular y como esos avances puede ser un peligro para los humanos y la vida en general. En Crick, Watson y el ADN se focaliza en la convergencia de esos científicos que revelaron al mundo la estructura del ADN y las vicisitudes del proceso. Más allá de la anécdota, el autor deja en claro cómo ese desciframiento puede ser una caja de pandora que nos lleve a modificar la vida.

Es interesante como el autor, en su papel de divulgación se atiene a los hechos sin dejar de expresar sus opiniones, por un lado el contexto, por el otro, los afanes individuales y al final su velada opinión de un tema que en los años inmediatos dará mucho de qué hablar.

[Aline. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Score: 6/10 (3 Stars)
Crick, Watson y el ADN en 90 minutos es un libro bastante interesante que resume la historia de la genética poniendo un foco sobre estos dos científicos, con un cierto grado de humor, contribuyendo a una lectura rápida y liviana, para decirlo de alguna manera. Podría decirse que es una breve introducción y recolección sobre hechos y avances en esta área científica. Adicionalmente, incluye una lista de fechas significativas en la historia de la ciencia, ideal para tener una idea general pero no suficiente si realmente se quiere indagar en el tema.
En términos generales es una lectura agradable y accesible que empecé con el fin de matar tiempo y terminó siendo mejor de lo que esperaba. No obstante, no es una obra imparcial sino que incluye algunas opiniones propias, sobre todo en el epílogo. De todas maneras no es algo significante, solo un dato de color.

[Keiara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about the life of James Watson and Francis Crick in a detailed manner.It speaks about how soo many scientists were desperate to get to know about the DNA.
This book thought me many things about the DNA.The backbone of the DNA is made of sugar and phosphates.The structure of the DNA is a double helix. There was a lady called Rosalind Franklin who did lots of work on X-Ray crystallography. she had clicked a picture of the Tobacco Mosaic Virus.Her assistant Maurice Wilkins had found the picture and showed it to Watson and Crick and they realized it was the DNA. James Watson,Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins got the Nobel Prize because of their work on DNA.

[Zemmiphobe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a great brief overview of Watson and Crick. It is super short and fast to read and works well as an appetizer to get you in the right frame of mind for denser and more comprehensive reading of the same subject.

[iman · Rating 4 out of 5]

good book, great author too.

[Roger Adams]

Looks

[Juan Mesa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tal vez para una persona que no ha leido absolutamente nada sobre el tema le resulte de utilidad, de lo contrario no aporta.

[Luís Garcia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interessante apenas para quem estiver a ler sobre o assunto pela primeira vez.
Não gosto das suas piadas sem piada e parece-me extremamente irritante os seus parvos comentários anti-comunistas, que pelos vistos têm de aparecer pelo menos 1 vez em cada livro desta série! Que infantilidade e má vontade!

(lido em Chengdu, China)

[Stuart Black · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice little account of the discovery of DNA's structure, told in an engaging way with the characters rather than the science at the centre. Readable by anyone, I'd recommend it to those with an interest in biology or science generally.

3/5.

[Josue Garduño · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lejos de ser una biografía tan interesante como la de Robert Oppenheimer, lider del Proyecto Manhattan, o la de Alan Turing, el padre de la informática. Aun así bien narrado y claro como todas las publicaciones de Strathern.

[Gina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Again this is one where he spent a lot more time on background than seemed necessary, especially when there was the fascinating interplay right at that time. Given how much he has liked the gossipy aspects in other books, it seems odd that he didn't do more with the potential material here.