Product Description
Fifty years ago, James D. Watson, then just twentyfour, helped launch the greatest ongoing scientific quest of our time. Now, with unique authority and sweeping vision, he gives us the first full account of the genetic revolution—from Mendel’s garden to the double helix to the sequencing of the human genome and beyond.
Watson’s lively, panoramic narrative begins with the fanciful speculations of the ancients as to why “like begets like” before skipping ahead to 1866, when an Austrian monk named Gregor Mendel first deduced the basic laws of inheritance. But genetics as we recognize it today—with its capacity, both thrilling and sobering, to manipulate the very essence of living things—came into being only with the rise of molecular investigations culminating in the breakthrough discovery of the structure of DNA, for which Watson shared a Nobel prize in 1962. In the DNA molecule’s graceful curves was the key to a whole new science.

Having shown that the secret of life is chemical, modern genetics has set mankind off on a journey unimaginable just a few decades ago. Watson provides the general reader with clear explanations of molecular processes and emerging technologies. He shows us how DNA continues to alter our understanding of human origins, and of our identities as groups and as individuals. And with the insight of one who has remained close to every advance in research since the double helix, he reveals how genetics has unleashed a wealth of possibilities to alter the human condition—from genetically modified foods to genetically modified babies—and transformed itself from a domain of pure research into one of big business as well. It is a sometimes topsy-turvy world full of great minds and great egos, driven by ambitions to improve the human condition as well as to improve investment portfolios, a world vividly captured in these pages.

Facing a future of choices and social and ethical implications of which we dare not remain uninformed, we could have no better guide than James Watson, who leads us with the same bravura storytelling that made The Double Helix one of the most successful books on science ever published. Infused with a scientist’s awe at nature’s marvels and a humanist’s profound sympathies, DNA is destined to become the classic telling of the defining scientific saga of our age.

From the Hardcover edition.

Amazon.com Review
What makes DNA different from hordes of competitors purporting to help readers understand genetics is that it is written by none other than James Watson, of Watson and Crick fame. He and his co-author Andrew Berry have produced a clear and easygoing history of genetics, from Mendel through genome sequencing. Watson offers readers a sense of immediacy, a behind-the scenes familiarity with some of the most exciting developments in modern science. He gleefully reports on the research juggernaut that led to current obsessions with genetic engineering and cloning. Aided by profuse illustrations and photos, Watson offers an enthusiastic account of how scientists figured out how DNA codes for the creation of proteins--the so-called "central dogma" of genetics. But as patents and corporations enter the picture, Watson reveals his concern about the incursions of business into the hallowed halls of science.

After 1975, DNA was no longer solely the concern of academics trying to understand the molecular underpinnings of life. The molecule moved beyond the cloisters of white-coated scientists into a very different world populated largely by men in silk ties and sharp suits.

In later chapters, Watson aims barbs at those who are concerned by genetic tinkering, calling them "alarmists" who don't understand how the experiments work. It is in these arguments that Watson may lose favor with those whose notions of science were born after Silent Spring. Nevertheless, DNA encompasses both sides of the political issues involved in genetics, and Watson is an enthusiastic proponent of debate on the subject. The book accompanies a 5-part PBS series. --Therese Littleton

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.5 based on 28 reviews)

Instant Classic? I agree.

I could not have received a more enlightening introduction to the DNA and Genetic Sciences and BioTechnology than this book from a worthy and eminently illuminating author - Dr. Watson.
He weaves his book with tales, trivia, history and facts and information as well as deeply involved scientific subject matter from the world of DNA and Genetic Sciences.

From DNA fingerprinting to Genetically modified Corn and Potatoes that is ubiquitous in the Soda, Sweeteners, Chips and Fries, I bet that no one living in the US is left untouched by the genetic technologies.

What i liked about Dr. Watson's book is that parts of it is history and tales around this large subject area: Biology, Genetics, Forensics, Law, Science, Technology, etc. I listened to the audiobook version of the book so that style works well for the audiobook. I think the printed version might feel excessively long winded.

Dr. Watson is a controversial figure. I do not agree with all the ideas that he espouses. Especially in the last chapter, he argues for aggressively pursuing Gene Therapy and advocates differential learning programs to account for the difference in learning potentials that are dictated by the genes. I thought those arguments were not clearly articulated and I do not agree with all those ideas.

In any case, for a novice to these subjects, this book presents the best choice by weaving several threads in this large story and presenting how all these connect and intertwine. The blurb says this book is an "Instant Classic". I think I agree.

October 07, 2008

Interesting

I know nothing about DNA, and this is my first ever book to read about the subject. The book is well written and whats really great about it is that its written by someone that has witnessed it all. The author is very opinionated, but this made the book even better. I don't agree with him on a lot of things but he presents his opinion in a very proper manner and does his best to back it up. The book gets too "scientific" in many areas but I guess there is no escaping that when you pick a book about DNA. The author tries to explain everything as clearly as he can, but there are areas where this was not enough. Over all this is a very good book to read. The most important question raised by this book is: nature or nurture? The answer isn't as simple as it seems and most probably wont be what we think it is.
March 26, 2008

DNA The secret of Life

If you want to know something about the role of DNA in the 21st century, who could be a better source of information than the man, who discovered its structure and pioneered its technology. That man is James Watson, the author of "DNA The Secret of Life".

Watson and Crick beat Chemistry's superstar, Linius Pauling, in the race to decipher DNA's chemical structure in 1953. Since then, science has made amazing progress in broading and applying that knowledge. Watson tells that story in this book. He, himself, played very important roles in pushing the scientific envelope, including his leadership of the Human Genome Project.

In the last second, our bodies each produced millions of new cells. Watson explains how this process works, starting with the reading of the DNA code and the activities of messenger and transfer RNA in assembling a protein. We humans, were not content to merely understand this process. We audaciously put those tiny factories to work for us. We learned how to splice DNA at a point if our choosing. We learned how to insert a gene of our choosing into a bacteria's DNA. We put the cell's factories to work for us making medical products. If we only had a minute sample of DNA, we learned how to make millions of copies of it. In short, we created the biotechnology industry.

Watson tells how Amgen and Genentech raced to be first to produce human insulin by recombinant DNA processing. It was another race against time.

He tells about the Human Genome Project (HGP), which was perhaps more ambitious than putting a man on the moon. Consider that our DNA is billions of letters long. Enormous breakthrough were made in the chemical analysis techniques. The sequencing rate was made faster and faster by brilliant breakthroughs. The HGP, once thought to be impossible, was finished ahead of schedule.

DNA technology will replace many of today's medical techniques in the years ahead. It allows us to understand the enemy and to attack it in a precise manner. The cure of cancers and AIDS will come from DNA technology. Heart disease too. Watson explains the hows and whys of future medical advances.

Gene therapy is in its infancy. Imagine having all the cells in your body made more perfect.

Tracing human origins, finding the ancestral paths of living things, fingerprinting with DNA, forecasting the health of a human embryo, and other topics are also covered in this book.

James Watson: He be the man!!

Reviewed by Ralph D. Hermansen, 12-01-07
December 01, 2007

Excellent science in laymen terms...unfortunately, author has an agenda

I got this book just because I enjoy reading science books. I hadn't read much depth about DNA, so it seemed that this would be an excellent beginner book. And it was.

Starting at the beginning, with the history of the challenges, competition, and science that went into "discovering" DNA, the author does a great job of explaining everything that happened, and how one discovery lead to another.

The author also opened eyes about the patenting of sequencing, which is an outright shame to all of humanity. But, pharma companies have plenty of money because they hook people on drugs, then make more drugs to fix problems that the first drugs caused, and it all spawns into a vicious cycle...I digress. Even at this point, as a scientist, the author says he can understand the patents since the time and money involved...but the knowledge needs to be shared somewhat freely, with licensing, etc.

Then you get to the middle of the book. And the author suddenly sounds like a politician more than a scientist. He systematically goes through various "myths" and beliefs, and attempts to dispel them, with absolutely horrible results.

"As the GM [Genetically Modified] food debate swirls around us, it is important to appreciate that our custom of eating food that has been genetically modified is actually thousands of years old," he writes. Arguing that scientists making hybrid crops is no different than crops being cross-pollinated and morphing into new breeds is asinine, but that what's going on here. Regardless of whether you want to EAT GM foods or not, another important point - genetically altered SEEDS are designed to NOT GROW THE NEXT YEAR. So, farmers have to buy new seeds the following year, and scientists have to create a new batch of altered seeds. There are many problems with this, and on the top of the list is that Seed companies (about 4 major ones in the world) control food.

Another interesting aspect that the author conveniently doesn't cover is the fact that genetically modified foods destroys the ORIGINAL seed - the next year, the modified seeds are modified again, and the next year, those modified seeds are again modified, and so on. What other "science" completely destroys it's base with long-term good results?

In another major point the author makes, regarding rBHT given to dairy cows to produce 10% more milk...here are some problems with his argument. (His argument consists of..."the milk of treated vs. untreated cows are identical, we get more milk, but it's a great idea.) Problems:
1. Cows treated with rBHT have a much higher rate of bovine infection. To combat this, the cows are given additional antibiotics, EVEN IF THEY APPEAR HEALTHY, as a precaution.
2. In one of the 2 concluding chapters, the author admits that we have a long way to go before we can really see details of how everything is working - the way it sounds, is that the milk from treated vs. untreated cows LOOKS the same to our current science, but given another 10 years (and probably another 5-10 in research studies), what if our methods improve, and in fact, the milk is not the same? What if the treated cow milk leads to increased rates of [enter disease name here.]? The author seems to think that it's OK, all in the name of science.

Lastly, the author really does seem to have a general dislike for any political movements OR citizen protests of dealing with genetics/dna/science. Riding along on his high horse, he seems to believe everyone with concerns is simply out to "delay science, and to delay cures for horrible diseases" (he has PLENTY of stories of horrible diseases that "could possibly be cured" through genetics (though he mentions later in the book that a couple experiments have been done, and one of them drastically increased cancer rates. While it may weaken as the years go on, the USA is "by the people, for the people." The government, by the people, fund your research. If the people and/or government wants more information or to delay your progress, it's their call, not yours.

Overall, this book does have some great information. I do believe, however, that there is another "beginner" DNA book whose author isn't out to "set everybody right."
May 23, 2007

Blatant Propaganda. Read with Caution

To be fair, I enjoyed how the book opened up the world of science to many non-scientists. Written in a understandable and comprehensible way, the book brought to life the life story and persuits of many scientists driving to understand the essence of life: DNA.

However, disaster struck when I got into the section about GM foods. It was clear that Watson was a great advocate of the new technology and he is entitled to that view. However, he utterly and horrible abuses the name of science and in his "scientific analysis" of Genetically Modified foods. First the refutes all protestors saying they have backwater knowledge of the area and that they are heavily influenced by politics. He goes on applies the stereotype that ALL protestors are from the non-scientific community and that they are professional trouble-rousers. This is ofcourse not true.

Summary of Watson's "Scientific" analysis of GM foods:
He first states that the alternative to GM is persticides. By using Genetically modified crops, farms can stop using the extensive array of pesticides. Watson states that all pesticides are bad and horrible for the environment, EVEN the natural pesticides. This is probably true has me makes quite a few examples how what has gone wrong.

However, his second point is that by using genetic technology, scientists can make a plant product a natural pesticide in every cell. This pesticide found naturally in chrysanthemum can paralyze insects that eat it and they die a horrible death. He seems to say that such a natural pesticide is good because it's fund naturally in chrysanthemum (although he previous said that natural pesicides are just as bad). He offers no counter argument for such technology and goes on to call the European food agencies "lazy" for not embracing such a gene. Readers should think for a moment and consider that although the natural pesticide incorporated into all the cells of corn etc is not dangerous, there are many other examples where other pesticides are incorporated into our food. In such a case, no matter how much you was a plant, you can never wash that pesticide away! Science needs to be applied with extreme caution. 10 years of research might not reveal what dangers some chemicals do to us in the long run. For example, when X-ray was first invented, no-one knew of such dangerous so people took x-ray pictures of their full body for fun! Not surprisingly after 30 years these some these people developed horrible cancers as a direct cause of the x-rays being taken. The implementation of a new science must be made with extreme caution and the public has every right to be suspicious of it.

Another argument made by Watson is that we have been manipulating genes for centuries in the cross cultivation of plants (therefore GM is safe and anyone saying it is playing good is a hypocrite). However, I must remind you that GM is completely different from genetic engineering where scientists have complete control over what they want to produce. In some cases scientists can have finer control over cross cultivation, but I must remind you that when our ancestors selectively breeded different species of goat wheat to make the wheat we use today, it took many generations of patient work. Now with a new technology, we can suddenly create a new species out of thin air and plant them with our nice machines. Therefore if we created something that wasn't good and didn't know about it, the results would be devastating cause we would be dealing with a mass of new species all around the globe instead of just our backyard.

Watson also claims that GM foods will help solve the world hunger problem. This is not the main and state aim of GM foods, it is merely a side agenda of big companies like Monsanto who is more concerned about getting a constant supply of income from farmers. I must remind you that GM foods is propelled by capitalism. Capitalism is good until it something messes up such as in the great depression. However, when genetic engineering is concerned, far worse catastrophes can occur if technology is too rapidly implemented. What if the "terminator gene" made all the plants on earth unable to reproduce in 60 years? Such inter-species mixing is rare but it does happen. The world hunger problem cannot be solved at the cost of world annihilation. The technology will eventually mature, but maybe in a few hundred years not a few years.

There are many more examples where Watson plainly ignores the counter argument and just makes a biased counter attack for GM foods. I must remind readers to read this book with extreme caution. GM foods are not as safe as the book makes it sound and you are not an uneducated myth believer you object to GM foods.
April 08, 2006

SIMILAR PRODUCTS

The Double Helix: A Personal Account of the Discovery of the Structure of DNA
by James D. Watson

Avoid Boring People: Lessons from a Life in Science
by James D. Watson

Genome
by Matt Ridley

A Life Decoded: My Genome: My Life
by J. Craig Venter

The Selfish Gene: 30th Anniversary Edition--with a new Introduction by the Author
by Richard Dawkins