The Double Helix

A Personal Account of the Discovery of the Structure of DNA

By: James D. Watson

Narrated by: Grover Gardner, Roger Clark

Length: 4 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

By identifying the structure of DNA, the molecule of life, Francis Crick and James Watson revolutionized biochemistry and won themselves a Nobel Prize. At the time, Watson was only 24, a young scientist hungry to make his mark. His uncompromisingly honest account of the heady days of their thrilling sprint against other world-class researchers to solve one of science's greatest mysteries gives a dazzlingly clear picture of a world of brilliant scientists with great gifts, very human ambitions, and bitter rivalries.

With humility unspoiled by false modesty, Watson relates his and Crick's desperate efforts to beat Linus Pauling to the Holy Grail of life sciences: the identification of the basic building block of life. Never has a scientist been so truthful in capturing in words the flavor of his work.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©1968, 1996 James D. Watson (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"A fascinating case history...Describes the events that led up to one of the great biological discoveries of our time." ( The New York Times Book Review)

"The history of a scientific endeavor, a true detective story that leaves the reader breathless from beginning to end." ( Scientific American)

"Watson's chronicle gives readers an idea of what living science is like, warts and all. The Double Helix is a startling window into the scientific method, full of insight and wit, and packed with the kind of science anecdotes that are told and retold in the halls of universities and laboratories everywhere. It's the stuff of legends." (Amazon.com review)

Refreshingly Honest and Shockingly Enjoyable

What is the color of the wool that Watson is trying to pull over here? It is not of a sort that I have encountered before in autobiographical science writing. If this book is self-aggrandizing--which I am not entirely sure it is not--then the mythologizing that is occurring is that of a peculiar sort. Watson show's, by fits and start, how he and Crick stumbled unto the structure of the DNA while utilizing others work and doing little bench work of their own. He is (mostly) unapologetic. Candid. Funny. A little bit Ruthless. The candor is welcome. Science is more often composed of the likes of J. Craig Ventner than Francis Collins. It is nice to read a history of science that is light on over-emphasizing altruism and selflessness. They are young men trying to establish themselves. Having fun. Chasing Girls. It is reassuring how many times Watson admits to have little understanding about various aspects of his field.

Nature, on the 50th anniversary of the paper re-issued it. It is stunningly readable, coherent, and insightful. At the moment of discovery all of the implications of the structure are correctly interpreted and relayed. Nothing is missed in the article and little has been corrected in the subsequent 60 years. This book is great in that you get all that happens in Watson's, and to a lesser degree Crick's, life that was not on the pages of that nature article.

presupposes scientific and Cambridge knowledge

Nothing concerning Cambridge and little concerning the science is explained here. If you find chemistry difficult, you will not learn anything about it reading this. And if you know nothing of Cambridge in the 1950s or its environs, you will be left to guess based on context what the author is discussing. I was extremely put off by the first two chapters and had to force myself to continue beyond them. The author has many less than complimentary things to say about Francis Crick and Rosalyn Franklin early on and I found I was forming a bad opinion of the author. Happily, the Epilogue refutes most of the non-sexist complaints about Franklin.

Very entertaining story about DNA

I greatly enjoyed the writing style and all the anecdotes about how they all stumbled onto the actual structure with some sort of strange collaboration. I am left wanting Rosalind Franklin to get the Nobel prize despite her death and the fact she is a woman. Without a Nobel prize for her the story is incomplete.

worth it

What did you love best about The Double Helix?

good history; good science; good human elements

Any additional comments?

This is a worthwhile piece of history, written without having to infer what the historical figure was thinking, since he tells it. Biases are acknowledged, as befits something that purports to deal with facts but must confront human sentiments. The description of the technical details is remarkably effective, even for an audible delivery.

Intricacies and idiosyncracies of Academic pursuit

Autobiographical account of how the structure of DNA was discovered in 1950's. Watson's frank and honest revelation coupled with effortless prose and plot gives us a rare glimpse into the intricacies and idiosyncrasies of academic basic science research.

Informative

I would have like to learn more especially in what Dna combinations cause schizophrenia . I recommend this book.

The sexism is so thick

that it's difficult to wade through. Some funny parts and somewhat informative but definitely a bit rage inducing. "The best place for a feminist is in someone else's lab" and I almost turned it off but had to listen for my Genetics class and kept going.

Interesting snapshot on history being made

This title gives us as much of an insight into how scientific discoveries are made and how the scientific community works as it does on the finding of the double helix. The science described in the book is quite technical at times, but I don't think an expert knowledge of biology or chemistry is necessary for a reader to appreciate and enjoy the text. A must read for those interested in eye witness accounts of history being made.

..Candid Account of the Men in the White Lab Coats

An insider’s look into the cloistered realm of peer reviewed scientific establishment from one of the icons of the 20th century. Every schoolboy knows of Watson and Crick; what I didn’t know is that there was a scientist out there willing to expose his shortcomings in the very field for which his prestige is derived. Watson reveals his weakness in organic chemistry, X-ray crystallography, and an inability to think is three dimensions, all disciplines critical to the discovery of the structure of the DNA molecule, the discovery for which he is most famous. Watson is also not shy of depicting his fellows in all their personality quirks and professional blind spots, and, to be fair, even their times of intuitive brilliance. This account should completely dispel the idea that scientists are infallible.

Roger Clark narrates his own Afterward with a rich deep sonorous voice.

Grover Gardner delivers his usual perfect diction and impassive monotone delivery. If you love him this will be fantastic for you. He, for me, is always an obstacle to be overcome. I find that hearing his nasally voice in my head for several hours causes my soft palate to elevate as I subconsciously attempt to sub-vocalize his high-pitch intonations along with his voice in my ear. To be fair, he is always easy to understand and reads with great pacing. The problem is that Mr. Gardner never becomes “the voice in my head” that some listeners find so desirable. I prefer a more dramatic performance. Many fiction narrators are prized for their dramatic talent. Some may say that drama may be good for fiction but not for non-fiction. I disagree, seeking over-the-top performances in all my audiobooks. A recent non-fiction example comes to mind: Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue by John McWhirter.

The excitement of science

Without the scientific background to understand everything, it still conveyed the importance of the discovery.