The Double Helix: The Discovery of the Structure of DNA
James D. Watson
Phoenix
This journal-entry account, written immediately after the breakthrough events of 1951-1953, contrasts the petty side of discovery with its characters, showing from the inside that even the brightest learn through error.
“Science seldom proceeds in the straightforward logical manner imagined by outsiders,” Watson writes.
The Double Helix is a testament to this, and Watson’s success in chronicling this almost overshadows his discovery – with Francis Crick – of the double helix.
A rare amalgamation of the page-turner and popular science, The Double Helix is a unique read. – Rory Keohane