The secret of life Rosalind Franklin, James Watson, Francis Crick, and the discovery of DNA's double helix

"A definitive history of the race to unravel DNA's structure, by one of our most prominent medical historians. Biologist James Watson and physicist Francis Crick's 1953 revelation about the double helix structure of DNA is the foundation of virtually every advance in our modern unders...

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Main Author: Markel, Howard (Author)
Format: Books Print Book
Language: English
Published: New York, NY : W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., [2021]
Edition: First edition.
Subjects:
Summary: "A definitive history of the race to unravel DNA's structure, by one of our most prominent medical historians. Biologist James Watson and physicist Francis Crick's 1953 revelation about the double helix structure of DNA is the foundation of virtually every advance in our modern understanding of genetics and molecular biology. But how did Watson and Crick do it--and why were they the ones who succeeded? In truth, the discovery of DNA's structure is the story of a race among five scientists for advancement, fame, and immortality: Watson, Crick, Rosalind Franklin, Maurice Wilkins, and Linus Pauling. They were fascinating and brilliant, with strong personalities that often clashed. But it is Rosalind Franklin who becomes a focal point for Markel. The Secret of Life is a story of genius and perseverance, but also a saga of cronyism, misogyny, anti-Semitism, and misconduct. Markel recounts the intense intellectual journey, and the fraught personal relationships, that resulted in the discovery of DNA"--
Physical Description: 564 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm
Bibliography: Includes bibliographical references (pages 433-535) and index.
ISBN: 9781324002239
1324002239
Author Notes: Howard Markel is Director, Historical Center for the Health Sciences, George E. Wantz Professor of the History of Medicine, and Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, University of Michigan Medical School.