A Life Decoded: My Genome: My Life - Hardcover

Venter, J. Craig

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0670063584 ISBN 13: 9780670063581

Publisher: Viking Adult, 2007

Synopsis

A leading genomic research scientists traces his lackluster education and military service in Vietnam before discovering his interest in scientific pursuits, his early achievements at the National Institutes of Health, and his sequencing of the first genome prior to the more expensive ventures of the Human Genome Project.

About this title

About the Author

J. Craig Venter is one of the leading scientists of the twenty-first century. A pioneer in the world of genomic research, he is recognized for his visionary contributions to the field. In February 2001, Venter published the completed sequence of the human genome. He is the founder and president of the J. Craig Venter Institute.

Reviews

A great deal has been written about Venter as the head of Celera, the private research company that won a race with the National Institutes of Health's Human Genome Project to sequence the human genome. His role in this historic accomplishment has been both vilified and praised. Now, in a clumsily written autobiography, Venter offers his side of the story, portraying himself as the eternal underdog, fighting for truth and attempting to make scientific discoveries solely to help others. He is opposed in this struggle by a cadre of scientists out to advance their own careers, by a federal bureaucracy incapable of rationally using public funds to promote scientific advances and by the heads of corporations willing to do almost anything to make money. Venter accuses all of the big players—the Human Genome Project's Frances Collins and Nobel laureate James Watson, among many others—of outright dishonesty. Ignore the hyperbole and be skeptical of the accusations, but there's still a terribly depressing story about the politics of big science. Venter also attempts to contextualize the controversy swirling around the patenting of DNA sequences. Despite the lack of unbiased insight, this is well worth reading for the fascinating perspective it offers on one of the major scientific discoveries of all time. (Oct. 22)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Edition details

• Publisher: Viking Adult
• Publication date: 2007
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0670063584
• ISBN 13: 9780670063581
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 400