Judson's book, like Tracy Kidder's "The Soul of a New
Machine", stands out for getting it: the passion, the
politics, and the personalities behind scientific
and technological progress, as well as its pitfalls and
cul de sacs. Judson's book, like no other I've read,
captures molecular biology as it is practiced.

I received this book as a gift in 1980 when I was a
college freshman hoping to major in biochemistry.
Today, much as I like to see the biomedical research I
do as a rational, deductive, "hypothesis-driven"
affair, there is unescapably the human element. Think
ego, and all of the other human qualities, respectable
or scorned. Have you seen genome sequencer J. Craig
Venter on the cover of Time (or was it Newsweek?). What
do you think put him there?

Science as a human endeavor was put forth theoretically
in 1962 by historian Thomas Kuhn in his "The Structure
of Scientific Revolutions". Complementing Kuhn, Judson
illustrates it in deliciously readable human terms. For
this reason this book is unmatched and is worth six,
not five, stars.

Max Perutz appears significantly in Judson's story. In
1990, as a beginning graduate student, I had the
priviledge of meeting and conversing with Perutz. He
was just as Judson portrayed him: modest, plodding,
dedicated, pursuing what he might learn from the
structure and properties of hemoglobin. Reading Judson
a decade earlier prepared me for this most important
meeting for me.

Though dated (the story stops about 1975), I heartily
recommend this book to anyone considering a career in
biomedical research. Judson successfully conveys the
human reality of that honorable profession. Some times
it hurts -- crystallographer Rosalind Franklin never
got her due -- but that's the state of the profession.

I loved this book. Before reading it, I had the rather naive view that Crick and Watson discovered the structure of DNA and suddenly "all was light". I hadn't realised the huge effort required over the next twenty years to attain an understanding of the linkages between that structure and the biological processes it codes for. Judson's book tells that story, in detail, and is written at a level that I could follow (as a layperson with a keen interest in science).

Judson talked to the researchers responsible for all the major developments in molecular biology, and quotes extensively from his interviews, so the reader gets a feel for the human side of the great adventure, the sense of community and the rivalries, the frustrations and dead ends as well as the victories.

Be warned that it is not a light or short read. It demands the reader's close attention. Fortunately, though, it is a pageturner that (with only minor exceptions) keeps the reader gripped.

It should also be noted that the first edition of the book was written in the early seventies and, while no doubt Freedland has updated it, the main narrative ends in about 1972. There is a final chapter on developments since then, but it is of necessity quite brief and touches on a limited number of highlights.

Wonderful, it is simply the best book on the subject. An account that carefully balances scientific contents and personal issues of the scientists from the early times of molecular biology and conveys the the thrill of professional research.

This discusses the tools of science as modeling, theory, and prediction, but also quests for principles of pattern, feedback, and chance. The blur between model, theory, and reality and the non-linearity of scientific method were presented. By looking at both historical examples, and conversations with modern (as of 1980) scientists the book offers examples of what Judson calls "The Rage to Know". The photographs offer startling juxtapositions, like derailed train cars and a meandering Cape Cod salt marsh, or a rhinoceros and rhinoceros beetle. The book may not grant the reader the enlightenment needed to answer Judson's "Eight problems in search of solutions", but there is an appreciation of the effort.

How is it that new discoveries are made in science? Well Judson shows us that it is hard work as well as fortuitous circumstances which create new ideas. Mr. Judson is somehow able to draw from nearly all the scientific fields to relate his ideas.

The book covers many different disciplines and shows that underlying all of them are discoveries waiting to be found and understood. His examples are refreshingly beautiful and amazing. I found myself captivated from the start.

In some ways reading this book has enabled me to form a more concise mental picture of my own searching and feel at ease with the slow pace of my discoveries. The greatest discoveries in our history come only after significant effort.

I would encourage anyone in the sciences or becoming a scientist, or even just a science lover to read this book and enjoy the fresh ideas and insights Mr Judson is able to impart.