Cracking the Genome: Inside the Race to Unlock Human DNA

Author:   Kevin Davies (c/o Marie McCullough, Simon & Schuster)
Publisher:   Johns Hopkins University Press
ISBN:  

9780801871405


Pages:   352
Publication Date:   26 November 2002
Recommended Age:   From 18
Format:   Paperback
Availability:   To order   Availability explained
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Cracking the Genome: Inside the Race to Unlock Human DNA


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Overview

In 1953, James Watson and Francis Crick unveiled the double helix structure of DNA. The discovery was a profound moment in the history of science, but solving the structure of the genetic material did not reveal what the human genome sequence actually was, or what it says about who we are. Cracking the code of life would take another half a century. In 2001, two rival teams of scientists shared the acclaim for sequencing the human genome. Kevin Davies, founding editor of ""Nature Genetics"", has relentlessly followed the story as it unfolded week by week since the dawn of the Human Genome Project in 1990. Here, in rich human and scientific detail, is the story of one of the greatest scientific feats ever accomplished: the sequencing of the human genome. Davies captures the drama of this momentous achievement, drawing on his own genetics expertise and on interviews with the key scientists. He details the fraught rivalry between the public consortium, chaperoned by Francis Collins and Celera Genomics, directed by sequencer J. Craig Venter, and in this updated edition, Davies sheds light on the secrets of the sequence, highlighting the myriad ways in which genomics will impact human health for the generations to come.

Full Product Details

Author:   Kevin Davies (c/o Marie McCullough, Simon & Schuster)
Publisher:   Johns Hopkins University Press
Imprint:   Johns Hopkins University Press
Dimensions:   Width: 15.20cm , Height: 2.30cm , Length: 22.90cm
Weight:   0.499kg
ISBN:  

9780801871405


ISBN 10:   0801871409
Pages:   352
Publication Date:   26 November 2002
Recommended Age:   From 18
Audience:   General/trade ,  General
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   To order   Availability explained
Stock availability from the supplier is unknown. We will order it for you and ship this item to you once it is received by us.

Table of Contents

Preface to The Johns Hopkins Edition Introduction Chapter 1. Knights of the Double Helix: The Quest for Biology's Holy Grail Chapter 2. Reading the Book of Life: A Quick Voyage around the Human Genome Chapter 3. The Eye of the TIGR: J. Craig Venter-Maverick Sequencer Chapter 4. Loading the Bases: Francis Collins and the DNA Detectives Chapter 5. The Circle of Life: Decoding the First Free-Living Creatures Chapter 6. Treasures of the Lost Worlds: The Keys to Human Disease from Tristan da Cunha to Iceland Chapter 7. Prize Fight: The Creation of Celera Genomics Chapter 8. The Story of Us: The Secrets of Who We Are Chapter 9. The Croesus Code: Passion, Personality, and Profit Chapter 10. The Eighth Day: Braving the New World of Designer Genes Chapter 11. The Language of God: A Defining Moment in the History of the Human Race Chapter 12. Genomania! Notes Acknowledgments Index

Reviews

For an up-to-the-minute account of one of the most dramatic periods in present-day science, Cracking the Genome is an essential read. Sunday Times A superb job... A tantalizing glimpse of the ethical perils and technological possibilities awaiting humanity. Los Angeles Times A rollicking good tale about an enduring intellectual monument. American Scientist The race is over, and Davies was there, all along, providing the running commentary-and there, too, at the finish line. In Cracking the Genome, he hands out the prizes. The Independent Davies has tracked one of the most important stories ever to unfold. Davies helps readers understand how the deciphering of our genetic code will revolutionize our lives while posing serious ethical dilemmas. Science News An impressive job of contextualizing the science within a political, economic, and social framework, creating a lively tale as accessible to non-specialists as it is to scientists. Publishers Weekly Investors and others looking for a quick primer on the science and business of biotechnology will find this a useful guide. Business Week In Davies' prose, this story of molecular biology and the Human Genome Project is as compelling as any Arthurian legend. In a fast-moving approachable style, Davies captures the uncovering of biology's Holy Grail, relying on his own expertise in genetics and interviews with key players such as Collins and Venter. -- Margaret R. McLean History and Philosophy of the Life Sciences


<p> In Davies' prose, this story of molecular biology and the Human Genome Project is as compelling as any Arthurian legend. In a fast-moving approachable style, Davies captures the uncovering of biology's Holy Grail, relying on his own expertise in genetics and interviews with key players such as Collins and Venter. -- Margaret R. McLean, History and Philosophy of the Life Sciences


<p>In Davies' prose, this story of molecular biology and the Human Genome Project is as compelling as any Arthurian legend. In a fast-moving approachable style, Davies captures the uncovering of biology's Holy Grail, relying on his own expertise in genetics and interviews with key players such as Collins and Venter.--Margaret R. McLean History and Philosophy of the Life Sciences (01/01/2004)


Author Information

Kevin Davies is the founding editor of Nature Genetics and is currently editor-in-chief of Bio*IT World. He graduated from Oxford University and holds a Ph.D. in genetics from the University of London.

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