Life at the Speed of Light: From the Double Helix to the Dawn of Digital Life Kindle Edition

by J. Craig Venter (Author)

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“Venter instills awe for biology as it is, and as it might become in our hands.” —Publishers Weekly

On May 20, 2010, headlines around the world announced one of the most extraordinary accomplishments in modern science: the creation of the world’s first synthetic lifeform. In Life at the Speed of Light, scientist J. Craig Venter, best known for sequencing the human genome, shares the dramatic account of how he led a team of researchers in this pioneering effort in synthetic genomics—and how that work will have a profound impact on our existence in the years to come. This is a fascinating and authoritative study that provides readers an opportunity to ponder afresh the age-old question “What is life?” at the dawn of a new era of biological engineering.

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Product Details

File Size: 1129 KB
Print Length: 241 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1408705249
Publisher: Penguin Books; Reprint edition (October 17, 2013)
Publication Date: October 17, 2013
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B00C1N5WRK
Text-to-Speech: Enabled

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Enhanced Typesetting: Enabled

Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #89,033 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
- #10 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Nonfiction > Science > Biological Sciences > Biotechnology
- #19 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Nonfiction > Science > Genetics
- #33 in Books > Engineering & Transportation > Engineering > Bioengineering > Biotechnology

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Customer Reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars

5 star		55%
4 star		28%
3 star		10%
2 star		4%
1 star		3%

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Top Customer Reviews

A Must Read for those interested in computers and biology

ByJosefon October 27, 2013

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

The positive:
Lots of up-to-date information on our current understanding of how the code of life, DNA, shapes our destiny. Venter describes is great detail the creation of man-made life in the form of Mycoplasma, "the first living self-replicating species to have a computer as a parent". This was pure science fiction only 20 years ago.
Lots of very-readable historical background information, from Erwin Schroedinger's "What is Life" through many of the key scientific experiments that got us to where we are today.
The (slightly) negative:
Venter's ego sometimes makes him seem somewhat immodest, in my humble opinion.
My recommendation is to read this book in combination with Venter's biography, "A Life Decoded", which in my opinion gives great insight into Craig Venter's thinking. Both of these books are a pleasure to read for anyone curious about the way life works. Science at its best.

11 comment 26 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Craig, from the heart..

ByR. Bartonon October 28, 2013

Format: Hardcover

The fact that Dr. Venter is writing another book is cause for me to drop everything, download and read it same day. And that excitement carried all the way through. This is a profound and incredible book on life and what makes it happen. He lays everything out transparently, all his ideas and reasonings and methods. He's just really smart and hardworking and those two things are at the root of his success, and success far beyond his time is what he has already accomplished. 'Some people see chaos, others see patterns' describes Dr. Venter's own mentality. I was astounded at how comprehensively he sees life, the cell and dna synthesis.

Someone floated a rumor (a chief rival?) in the past about Dr. Venter's ego and hubris and all that. When, where? I've never seen that from him and this book is further a credit to all those he works with. When he creates something he just says 'I did this' and I think he's allowed. Dr. Venter has been, like many in his field, one of the great assets to humankind. This book was conversational, like a fireside chat and I consumed it in a day. I couldn't get too much of his brilliance.

One thing I will note about this book, it closes the door on religion, vitalism and mysticism.

11 comment 29 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

next life

ByRenato Basergaon December 8, 2013

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

well narrated by the expert in the field. It is a fascinating story, and actually Venter underplays it as he does not delve into the multiple applications that can be derived from "new" cells. I am sure he is aware of what can be done with new cells, but somehow he does not spell it out, leaving it mostly to the reader's imagination. But Venter has been the first in other things, and it does not surprise me that he wanted to the first in replacing a "useless" nucleus with one made to order. Good luck to him; he deserves it.

0Comment 6 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

biology as information is the big kid on the science block

Bydgdon December 10, 2013

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I really enjoyed this book. It's not great writing but it is a recount of a tour de force in synthetic biology. Venter's group has paved bold routes before and this book recounts its next big challenges. We would all do well to better understand the Brave New World Venter's group, and similar, are doing in the 'biology as information' domains.

0Comment 4 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Saw the author J. Craig

BySteveon December 25, 2013

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Saw the author J. Craig Venter on Charlie Rose interview. Just had to order the book ASAP. Could not put it down. There are some part that are a little difficut to understand, but keep going as it all comes together at the end. Star Trek is here NOW.

0Comment 4 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

DNA "The Digital Concept"

ByRick Bon November 26, 2013

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Another Home run by J. Craig Venter. Science on the edge of our understanding, History the way it should be told, and a future of creation that we will witness in our life times. Read this book, and open your mind to the possibilities and it's realities. The author is not just telling a story, he is telling his story of his life's pursuit of what most considered impossible at the time. For those who have not read his prior book, "Cracking the Genome" Mr. Venter has been and continues to be one of the few people on the planet that has discovered all the genes in our and other species. He is the primary reason that in in the spring of 2000 that President Clinton could make the public announcement that our Human genome had been sequenced nearly 5 years ahead of schedule. I highly recommend both of these books.

0Comment 4 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Evolution's Co-Creators

Byfactoid junkieon December 22, 2013

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

This is a terrific book, part memoir, part broad review, of the history of synthetic biology. While too technical for some, I argue you should read it anyway and watch for the main sign posts, if the technical references are too detailed. Your understanding of how science is combining biological science, computer power, and the geometry of chemical reactions to understand disease, development, and life itself will be rewarded. We have passed the dawn of digital biology and I hope Venter continues to live a fruitful and inventive life for the benefit of all of us.

0Comment 3 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

fun read, I highly recommend it

ByWilliam N. Kerneyon December 8, 2013

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Craig bounces around a lot and uses terms familiar only to biologist. But he is brilliant. Gives us all a glimpse from to top. Like if we should enable more people like Craig. I wonder what is holding up his becoming the Saudi Arabia of CO2.

He keeps referring to evolution (a materialist assumption) when it takes his great intellect to advance things. Nowhere does he show how these things naturally occur or set odds. I saw him at an OOL conference in AZ a while back and where the rest of the "experts" expressed opinions one way or the other Venter would look at them and his expression would say he thought that they were talking through their hats.

Also ... his shot gun approach in sequencing isn't nearly as accurate as he claims.

0Comment 3 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Most Recent Customer Reviews

A challenging read

What Venter means by “life at the speed of light” is the digitalization of DNA that can then be sent in the form of light waves anywhere in the universe.

Published 20 days ago by Dennis Littrell

Four Stars

quite informative

Published 25 days ago by Amazon Customer

Three Stars

he thinks a lot of himself, doesn't he?

Published 2 months ago by Amazon Customer

excellent service

book received just as planned, excellent service

Published 2 months ago by Jean Bernard B.

Five Stars

Nice and inspiring book

Published 4 months ago by Amazon Customer

Venter is a giant in molecular biology and sees farther ...

Venter is a giant in molecular biology and sees farther because he looks way beyond and above many other practitioners.

Published 5 months ago by Bruce Lindgren

This book describes J. Craig Venter's ground breaking experiments ...

This book describes J. Craig Venter's ground breaking experiments and his belief that life is information imposed on material.Read more

Published 6 months ago by frederick r welsh

Really enjoyed the book and the story

Really enjoyed the book and the story, as with Venter's other books, weaving story and science together. Even in an audiobook format you could follow it.

Published 1 year ago by Robert D. Cormia

Five Stars

Visionary and sharp.

Published 1 year ago by Swedman Christer

Genetic future

A bit complicated but he dreams big and tries to explain clearly. You do need some background education in this subject as it helps draw out the significance.

Published 1 year ago by robert stallard

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