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The Secret of Life [A GREAT AUDIOBOOK] by James D. Watson, Andrew Berry PART 1

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James D. Watson

Born

in Chicago, The United States

April 06, 1928

Died

November 06, 2025

Website

https://ffrf.org/news/day/dayitems/item/14283-j...

Genre

Biographies & Memoirs, Science, Biology

Influences

Francis Crick ...more

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In 1928, James D. Watson was born in Chicago. Watson, who co-discovered the double helix structure of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) at age 25, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1962, along with Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins. His bird-watching hobby prompted his interest in genetics. He earned his B.Sc. degree in zoology from the University of Chicago in 1947, and his Ph.D. from Indiana University in Bloomington in 1950. He worked with Wilkins and Francis Crick at Cavendish Laboratory in England in 1951-1953, when they discovered the structure of DNA. Watson became a member of the Harvard Biology Department in 1956, then a full professor in 1961. His book The Double Helix, which was published in 1968, became a bestse ...more

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James D. Watson’s books

Average rating: 3.86 · 24,640 ratings · 1,563 reviews · 91 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Double Helix 3.84 avg rating — 19,929 ratings — published 1968	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	DNA: The Secret of Life by James D. Watson, Andrew Berry 4.11 avg rating — 2,820 ratings — published 2002 — 46 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Avoid Boring People: Lessons from a Life in Science 3.22 avg rating — 696 ratings — published 2007 — 28 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Molecular Biology of the Gene by James D. Watson, Tania A. Baker 4.14 avg rating — 474 ratings — published 1965 — 80 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	DNA: The Story of the Genetic Revolution by James D. Watson, Andrew Berry, Kevin Davies 4.23 avg rating — 342 ratings — published 2017 — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Genes, Girls, and Gamow: After the Double Helix 3.22 avg rating — 188 ratings — published 2001 — 20 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Recombinant DNA by James D. Watson, Jan Witkowski, Mark Zoller 4.16 avg rating — 50 ratings — 18 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Passion for DNA: Genes, Genomes, and Society 3.46 avg rating — 56 ratings — published 1999 — 15 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Darwin: The Indelible Stamp 4.25 avg rating — 44 ratings — published 2005 — 10 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Ikili Sarmal 3.57 avg rating — 23 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by James D. Watson…

Walter Isaacson, it’s safe to say, is not afraid of tackling the really big topics. In 2011, he wrote about our ubiquitous computer culture...

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Quotes by James D. Watson (?)

“Every time you understand something, religion becomes less likely. Only with the discovery of the double helix and the ensuing genetic revolution have we had grounds for thinking that the powers held traditionally to be the exclusive property of the gods might one day be ours. . . .”
― James D. Watson

tags: biology, discovery, dna, double-helix, genetics, gods, probability, science, understanding

30 likes

“[When asked by a student if he believes in any gods]

Oh, no. Absolutely not... The biggest advantage to believing in God is you don't have to understand anything, no physics, no biology. I wanted to understand.”
― James D. Watson

tags: atheism, atheist, biology, dna, double-helix, god-of-the-gaps, ignorance, nobel-laureate, physics, science, understanding, watson, watson-and-crick

25 likes

“One could not be a successful scientist without realizing that , in contrast to the popular conception supported by newspapers and mothers of scientists, a goodly number of scientists are not only narrow-minded and dull, but also just stupid.”
― James D. Watson, The Double Helix

tags: humor, science

14 likes

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