The Double Helix by Watson, James D. [Francis Crick] - 1968: A Personal Account of the Discovery of the Structure of DNA

SIGNED by both Nobel Prize winners Watson and Crick, a stunning first edition copy of The Double Helix, James Watson's account of his codiscovery (along with Francis Crick) of the structure of DNA. In The Double Helix, Watson "has described admirably how it feels to have that frightening and beautiful experience of making a great scientific discovery" (Richard Feynman, winner of the 1965 Nobel Prize for Physics). The discovery in 1953 of the double helix, the spiraling-ribbon ladder structure of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), by James Watson and Francis Crick, marked a milestone in the history of science and gave rise to modern molecular biology, to our understanding how genes control the chemical processes within cells. In short order, their discovery uprooted groundbreaking insights into the genetic code and protein synthesis. During the 1970s and 1980s, it helped to produce new and powerful scientific techniques, specifically recombinant DNA research, genetic engineering, rapid gene sequencing, and monoclonal antibodies, techniques on which today's multi-billion dollar biotechnology industry is founded. Major current advances in science, namely genetic fingerprinting and modern forensics, the mapping of the human genome, and the promise, not yet fulfilled, of gene therapy, all have origins in Watson and Crick's inspired work. The double helix has not only reshaped biology; it has become a cultural icon, adroitly represented in sculpture, visual art, jewelry, and toys. While originally slated to be published by Harvard University Press, Watson's home university, Harvard dropped the arrangement after protestations from Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins, co-discoverers of the structure of DNA, and it was published instead by Atheneum in the United States. Consequently, first edition copies signed by both Watson and Crick are rare and highly desirable. Illustrated with 19 half-tone photographic plates, including six pages reproducing Watson's letter to Max Delbruck, telling of the Double Helix, and 11 diagrams within the text. Original publisher's cloth with dust jacket. A very fine, tight, evidently unread copy. Book #Cv2323. $14,500. We specialize in Rare Ayn Rand, history, and science.