A riveting portrait of the man behind the greatest scientific achievement of our time: the discovery of the structure of DNA and the creation of modern molecular biology. . From the discovery of the double helix to the imminent sequencing of the human genome, James Watson has been at dead center in this great biological revolution. Since the very morning after his Nobel Prize-winning discovery, he has continued to ride the scientific supernova that he and his collaborator, Francis Crick, detonated in 1953. Targeting the big questions, mobilizing the best talent, writing the textbook that defined molecular biology, energizing the "war on cancer," he has served as a prime mover of the DNA era. Now, a distinguished science reporter who has known him for decades and worked for him for four years, with unique access to the scientists who know Watson best, has written an unauthorized, non-reverential account of this extraordinary man. While Watson is probably the most influential scientist in the last half-century, he is also one of the most controversial. From the ruthless competition in the race to identify the structure of DNA, to clashes with ethicists over charged issues in genetics, to a chorus of Bronx cheers for his recent memoir, Watson has left a wake of detractors as well as fans. Until now, Watson has managed to keep control over his legend, fending off aspiring biographers with his own memoirs. Victor McElheny gets behind this invented persona, bringing us close to the relentless genius who triggered and sustained a revolution in science that affects us all. A Merloyd Lawrence Book

Review

"...a vivid portrait of a man who himself is an institution...the book contains many insightful comments and quotations..." (Nature, 23 January 2003)

"...packed with factual information, anecdotes and gossip about those involved...this book will be a riveting read..." (New Scientist, 15 March 2003)

"...to molecular biologists and history of science aficionados, this biography will be both a great pleasure and a great resource..." (Spectator, 8 March 2003)

"... McElheny presents the science in this amazing story with effortless lucidity...McElheny has done a good job, producing a warts–and–all portrait..." (The Guardian, 15 March 2003)

"...McElheny has researched the story of Watson′s extraordinary life diligently...and recounted it fairly and with occasional panache..." (The Sunday Telegraph23 March 2003

"...an excellent third–person account in Victor McElenhy’s Watson and DNA for its invaluable array of objective character perspectives..." (The Sunday Times, 23 March 2003)

′... brings a clear eye to the hard–to–explain combination of Watson′s abrasive personality and unremitting achievement.′ (Manchester Guardian Weekly, 2 April 2003)

′... challenges the simplicity of both the science and the person in ways that make both more real.′ (Focus, May 2003)

"...a marvellous insight...a fine biography, many years in the making and containing plenty of new material..." (Chemistry in Britain, April 2003)

"...McElhwny provides a very full account of Watson’s life and scientific contributions..." (Times Higher Educational Supplement, 25 April 2003)

"... for those with a predilection for the minutiae of this historical event, McElheny is your only man..." (Irish Times (Dublin), 19 April 2003)

"Watson has told his own story, piecemeal, in several books: this one by a veteran newspaperman does it well, and warmly, in one narrative..." (Lancet, 19 April 2003)

No 6 in Bestsellers Cambridge list (New Scientist, 26 April 2003)

"...there is plenty more in this book to keep you turning the pages..." (British Society for Cell Biology Newsletter, Summer 2003)

"...This book puts the discovery of the double helix into context and explains how the effects of the discovery will resonate for many years..." (www.relaxwithabook.com 13June 2003)

"...there is plenty more in this book to keep you turning the pages..." (British Society for Developmental Biology Newsletter, Summer 2003)

‘...informative, entertaining, and well–written.’ (The Biochemist, 10 July 2003)

"...The story is the most fascinating in the history of science..." (Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, September 2003)

“This is a life well worth chronicling, and McElheny has made a good job of it ...” (Cambridge – The Magazine of the Cambridge Society, February 2004)

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