The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race

Walter Isaacson beweist wieder einmal, dass er einfach herausragende Biografien schreiben kann. Das Buch ist von Anfang bis Ende spannend und hochinteressant geschrieben – absolut ohne unnötige Längen. Es bietet extrem wichtige Einblicke in die Entwicklung der CRISPR-Technologie und beleuchtet die Geschichte aus vielen unterschiedlichen Blickwinkeln. Volle 5 Sterne!

Très bon livre

This is such an insightful read. I am a huge fan of Walter Isacson's work, and this is a great read. It gives an overview on CRISPR technology and its use in gene editing. It is a groundbreaking technology that has been simplified to that many complex concepts are understanable to the reader. It throws light on the ethical dilemmas that arise as a result of this technoology. It has piqued my curiosity in the biotechnology field. It is certainly one of my favourite memoirs that I have read.

Um dos melhores livros biográficos que li nos últimos anos!

I have read almost all the works of Walter Isaacson which deal with biographies of diversed personalities like Albert Einstein, Benjamin Franklin, Leonard da Vinci and Steve Jobs. I picked up this book with a little trepidation since it deals with Genetic engineering and I was afraid I would be drowned in a vocabulary that I am not familiar with. My fear was unfounded. Unlike his other biographical works this book is part biographical (of Jennifer Doudna, joint Nobel Prize winner for chemistry in 2021) and part about Genetic engineering, research world, patents and rivalries among the scientists. Isaacson engages with the readers very well as his style of writing is captivating and racy and there will not be a single moment of dullness. Here in this book he has the added responsibility of demystifying the world of DNA, RNA and enzymes. And he does it with aplomb. I gave myself 10 days to finish reading this voluminous book owing to the scientific nature of the book but I could finish it in 4 days. We have read Orwell's 1984 and Huxley's The brave new world and thought of them as pure fantasy and fiction. But wait. Gene editing could change all of that. Obviously there are ethical issues but if we do surmount them we will soon be in the brave new world. Brilliant book. Go for it!