The Secret of Life
Rosalind Franklin, James Watson, Francis Crick, and the Discovery of DNA's Double Helix
An NPR Best Book of the Year James Watson and Francis Crick’s 1953 discovery of 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 five towering minds in pursuit of the advancement of science, and for almost all of them, the prospect of fame and immortality: Watson, Crick, Rosalind Franklin, Maurice Wilkins, and Linus Pauling. Each was fascinating and brilliant, with strong personalities that often clashed.…
An authoritative history of the race to unravel DNA’s structure, by one of our most prominent medical historians.