DNA Pioneers and Their Legacy [Hardcover]

Professor Ulf Lagerkvist (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0300071841 | ISBN-13: 978-0300071849 | Publication Date: June 16, 1998 | Edition: 1

In this entertaining account of the origins of modern molecular biology, the lives of pioneering scientists in the field of nucleic acid research, and the discovery of DNA, Ulf Lagerkvist speaks not only to scientists but to all students and general readers with an interest in science. The author, whose career in the nucleic acid field began in the late 1940s, recreates historical episodes from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and introduces for a modern audience the scientists whose discoveries revolutionized the field of biology. Knowledge of these pioneers as professionals and as human beings, Lagerkvist believes, may help us see modern problems in a new light and appreciate the greatness of the researchers who contributed to the foundations of molecular biology and biochemistry. Among these scientific pioneers was nineteenth-century biochemist Friedrich Miescher, discoverer of nuclein, the material now known as DNA. The book also explores early research into general problems of the chemistry of biological materials. Lagerkvist vividly describes the research of such influential scientists as Albrecht Kossel, another early leading figure; Emil Fischer, who received the Nobel Prize in 1902 for his work on carbohydrates and purines and was regarded as the foremost chemist of his time; P. A. Levene, known for his discoveries concerning the structure of nucleotides and the way these nucleic acid building blocks are linked to one another; and Oswald T. Avery, often considered the grandfather of molecular genetics.

Editorial Reviews

Review

I found this an unchallenging read, designed to inspire young ... researchers to enter the field. Crucially, for me, Lagerkvist's internalist account is untouched by the more critical approach to the growth of scientific knowledge that comes from historians, philosophers and sociologists. END -- New Scientist, Steven Rose

Product Details

• Hardcover: 168 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press; 1 edition (June 16, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300071841
• ISBN-13: 978-0300071849
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,395,441 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Overall very good., January 17, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: DNA Pioneers and Their Legacy (Hardcover)

I used this book in my Genetics course for a book report for the fall '99 semester. Interestingly, the vast majority of my students found it enjoyable as they could relate to many of the scientists as "human". The females in the class felt the shortcoming of the book was that Mr. Lagerkvist did not address the female influence in the DNA race. They noted that only two women were mentioned, Martha Chase and Rosalind Franklin. In the index, Martha Chase is listed as Margaret Chase. Many felt Rosalind Franklin was belittled in the author's account of the situation. The largest oversight (and I wholeheartedly agree with them) was that Barbara McClintock and Harriet Creighton were not even mentioned. Again, the overall was an enjoyable book, perhaps somewhat biased.