Cracking The Genome: Inside The Race To Unlock Human Dna

Kevin Davies

91 ratings by Goodreads

Language: English

Published by Free Press, 2001

0743204794 / 9780743204798

  • Hardcover
  • Used
See all details

Seller: SZ Global, Toronto, ON, CanadaSZ Global

5-star seller

AbeBooks seller since October 3, 2025

Hardcover

Condition: Used

£ 59.75

£ 28.11 shipping 
Ships from Canada to U.S.A.

Quantity: 1 available

Add to basket
Free 30-day returns

Item description from seller

In 1953, James Watson and Francis Crick discovered the double helix structure of DNA. The discovery was a profound, Nobel Prize-winning moment in the history of genetics, but it did not decipher the messages on the twisted, ladderlike strands within our cells. No one knew what the human genome sequence actually was. No one had cracked the code of life. Now, at the beginning of a new millennium, that code has been cracked. Kevin Davies, founding editor of the leading journal in the field, Nature Genetics, has relentlessly followed the story as it unfolded, week by week, for ten years. Here for the first time, in rich human, scientific, and financial detail, is the dramatic story of one of the greatest scientific feats ever accomplished: the mapping of the human genome. In 1990, the U.S. government approved a 15-year, $3 billion plan to launch the Human Genome Project, whose goal was to sequence the 3 billion letters of human DNA. At the helm of the project was James Watson, who resigned after only a couple of years, following a feud with National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Bernadine Healy over gene patenting. His successor was the brilliant young medical geneticist Francis Collins, who had made his name discovering the gene for cystic fibrosis. As Davies reports, Collins is a devout Christian who has traveled to Africa to work in a missionary hospital. He believes the human genome sequence is 'the language of God.' Just as Collins became project director, J. Craig Venter, a maverick DNA sequencer and Vietnam veteran, was leaving the NIH to start his own private research institute. Venter had developed a simple 'shotgun' strategy for sequencing DNA, and his fame skyrocketed when his new institute proved his sequencing system worked by becoming the first to sequence the entire genome of a microorganism. Only 3 percent of the human genome had been sequenced by early 1998, the public project's halfway point. That same year, Venter was approached by PE Corporation to launch a private human genome project. He stunned the world when he announced the formation of a new company to sequence the human genome in a mere three years for $300 million. A war of words broke out between public and private researchers. Undeterred, Venter built Celera Genomics with the motto 'Speed matters. Discovery can't wait.' and an $80 million supercomputer. While the insults intensified, Celera's stock price soared, tumbled, and soared again. Negotiations for cooperation between the public and private institutes began, only to fall apart in acrimony. Then in the spring of 2000 President Clinton stepped in, telling his science adviser to restart negotiations. History was about to be made. Davies captures the drama of this momentous achievement, drawing on his own genetics expertise and interviews with key scientists including Venter and Collins, as well as Eric Lander, an MIT computer wizard who refers to the public genome project as 'the forces of good'; Kari Stef?nsson, the genetics entrepreneur who is remaking Iceland's economy; and John Sulston, chief of the UK genome project, who led the charge against gene patenting. Davies has visited geneticists around the world to illustrate a vast international enterprise working on the frontier of human knowledge. Cracking the Genome is the definitive account of how the code that holds the answers to the origin of life, the evolution of humanity, and the future of medicine was broken.…

Seller Inventory # 9780743204798

Title
Cracking The Genome: Inside The Race To Unlock Human Dna
Author
Kevin Davies
Publisher
Free Press
Publication year
2001
Condition
Collectible-Very Good
Binding
Hardcover
Language
English
ISBN 10
0743204794
ISBN 13
9780743204798

SZ Global

Toronto, ON, Canada

5-star seller

AbeBooks seller since October 3, 2025

Shipping rates from Canada to U.S.A.

Item5 to 10 business days3 to 5 business days
First item£ 28.11£ 30.37
Delivery times are set by sellers and vary by carrier and location. Orders passing through Customs may face delays and buyers are responsible for any associated duties or fees. Sellers may contact you regarding additional charges to cover any increased costs to ship your items.

Payment methods

  • Visa
  • Mastercard
  • American Express
  • Apple Pay
  • Google Pay

Store description

At SZ Global, we specialize in sourcing and offering a diverse selection of books across a wide range of categories, including fiction, literature, business, religious works, and more. Our inventory includes both contemporary titles and hard to find editions, carefully selected to meet the needs of readers, collectors, and enthusiasts. We are committed to providing accurate listings, reliable service, and a smooth purchasing experience. All orders are shipped from our Kuwait warehouse, and we take great care in packaging to ensure books arrive in the condition described. Returns are accepted at our designated return address in Toronto, Canada, in accordance with AbeBooks policies. Whether you are expanding your personal collection, searching for a specific title, or simply exploring, SZ Global aims to be a dependable source for quality books.…

Specialty

Fiction, and etc., Novels, Business, Religious, Law

Seller's business information

SZ Global

ON, Canada