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)

An insiders look t the scientific establishment

It was lots of fun tracking the progress of the discovery of the structure of DNA with one of its key participants. Remarkably candid and well written!

Double enjoyable

This was a fast moving and well spoken book. Kept my interest even though I’m a pastor not a scientist. Well done!

Fascinating

Who knew that one of the Nobel Laureates for discovering the structure of DNA could also write such a fascinating, funny, gossipy book about the journey? Five stars!

I laughed, I almost cried, it was very good

I enjoyed this book and was able to follow along, but did get a little lost in some of the scientific terms.
I especially enjoyed Watson's epilogue about Rosie. That almost made me cry.
I would definitely recommend this book. I like to read some good non-fiction, especially after I've read/listened to a 'guilty-pleasure' book. Hope it keeps me in balance.
So glad this is available.

Second Time Around

Where does The Double Helix rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is a pretty good listen. It helps if you know what they are talking about in order to visualize the scenes, an X-ray crystallography for example. I have had a good look at all the research spoken of hear and seen "The Race for the Double Helix" so I could imagine the interiors very well.

What did you like best about this story?

The story reads like a good mystery and it is suspenseful.

Any additional comments?

It is very interesting about the abrupt end to James Watson's career and very intigueing how a possible (note possible) racist would be involved in DNA research.

Not good, not bad

This is a case where the story leading up to the scientific breakthrough and beyond that is exactly what you'd expect: skeptics, supporters, distractions and rivalries.

Fabulous book!

I have always been fascinated by the story of the discovery of DNA, but this book far exceeded my expectations. Although I am not a scienctist, this book presented the key scientific aspects of the research in a way that I easily understood them. More importantly, though, I enjoyed hearing about the various personalities that were involved in one way or another with the scientists. The narration was outstanding! It was a perfect match to the subject matter. I am so grateful that Watson wrote this book. It's a great contribution to science and the world.

More of an adventure story than learning science

An interesting autobiographical piece by one of the discoverers of the structure of DNA. Interesting to get a sense of professional rivalries, egos, and the challenge of a lot of smart people and a lot of ideas. I don't think I gained any great insights, or learned much more about DNA, but it is well written and enjoyable. It is about the search and not so much the science.

easy to learn

I was always not sure about how the human structure is made but this books takes you in deep into the matter

A must read for any student of the sciences

This book is the account from James Watson view of the discovery of the structural model of DNA and briefly humanize all that were involved. It is a must read for any one who had at least a passing interest of high school level in biology and it would be inspiring story to any Phd or Phd candidate. I enjoyed it all through and through.