The Double Helix by James D. Watson
This issue's theme is "just a little" so I am going to write about one of my favorite "little" non-fiction gems. About the size and length of Steinbeck's The Red Pony, The Double Helix is the perfect short read. Don't let its size or length fool you though. This paperback packs an entertaining non-fiction punch that rivals the thickest of volumes. Originally published in 1968, about 15 years after the first public announcement of the discovery of the double helix structure, the book is still entertaining today.
James D. Watson tells the story of the discovery of DNA as only someone who was there can. I remember cramming for a high school biology final, memorizing "Watson and Crick" as the names of the two men who discovered the double helix structure. They were never more than names I needed to know to get an "A." This book brings them and the world of science to life. Who knew that scientists were people too?
The Double Helix: A Personal Account of the Discovery of the Structure of DNA is not a simple recounting of the science behind the structure of DNA, but a human story, detailing the trials and triumphs of young Watson and his contemporaries. Far from being a chronicle of boring labcoat-clad geeks in a sterile lab, this story brings the politics of science and the human relationships involved in this discovery to the forefront. Science does play a large role in the book, but girls, gossip, rivalry and other very familiar issues pepper the story of the men who pioneered the understanding of our most basic genetic building blocks.
This rare glimpse into the personal world of Nobel Prize-winning scientists is a classic. Some of Watson's fellow scientists no doubt object to some of his negative remarks about them and their colleagues. Watson's candid attitude makes for an excellent, entertaining story that defies what on first glance seems to be tale of biology and boredom.
Most will be able to read The Double Helix in one sitting, and I guarantee you'll chuckle out loud while building your science knowledge. That doesn't happen very often in my experience.