Ahead of the Curve David Baltimore's Life in Science

by Shane Crotty

Shane Crotty's biography of David Baltimore details the life and work of one of the most brilliant, powerful, and controversial scientists of our time. Although only in his early sixties, Baltimore has made major discoveries in molecular biology, established the prestigious Whitehead Institute at MIT, been president of Rockefeller University, won the Nobel Prize, and been vilified by detractors in one of the most scandalous and protracted investigations of scientific fraud ever. He is now president of Caltech and a leader in the search for an AIDS vaccine. Crotty not only tells the compelling story of this larger-than-life figure, he also treats the reader to a lucid account of the amazing revolution that has occurred in biology during the past forty years.Basing his narrative on many personal interviews, Crotty recounts the milestones of Baltimore's completing his Ph.D. at Rockefeller University in eighteen months, participating in the anti—Vietnam War movement, winning a Nobel Prize at age thirty-seven for the codiscovery of reverse transcriptase, and co-organizing the recombinant DNA/genetic engineering moratorium. Along the way, readers learn what viruses are and what they do, what cancer is and how it happens, the complexities of the AIDS problem, how genetic engineering works, and why making a vaccine is a complicated process. And, as Crotty considers Baltimore's public life, he retells the famous scientific fraud saga and Baltimore's vindication after a decade of character assassination.Crotty possesses the alchemical skill of converting technical scientific history into entertaining prose as he conveys Baltimore's huge ambitions, intensity, scientific genius, attitude toward science and politics, and Baltimore's own view about what happened in the "Baltimore Affair." Ahead of the Curve shows why with his complex personality, keen involvement in public issues, and wide-ranging interests David Baltimore has not only shaped the face of American science as we know it today, but has also become a presence in our culture.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, History

Hardcover

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, my husband wrote it. That doesn't change the fact that it is a wonderful book, perfect for the non-scientist who is interested in how biology has changed our lives in the past 50 years. Read it!

[Estela · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ahead of the Curve talks about the events in David Baltimore's life. From the beggining David knew what he would study. Her mother teached him every thing that she knew about medicine. His brother followed his passes. David had a partner in the laboratory. He also discovered new things about DNA. He also had a laboratory were he worked and discovered many things. Many people wanted to work with him because of his characteristics such as group work and smart. His partner won a nobel prize after he died and he dedicated to him. David was sixty when he died.
The book I had been asigned is a biography. " A biography or simply bio is a detailed description or account of a person's life. It entails more than basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death" (Source: Wikipedia). The book Ahead of the Curve talks about David Baltimore's life. This book also describes events of David 's life, "David's introduction to experimental biology did not come from Great Neck High School, it came with a little help from his mother" (Crotty 8). A biography describes de events of someone from the begining to the end. David had qualities that people like Caltech wanted in his team, " They wanted Baltimore because he had the four qualities they were looking for: he was a biologist, he had good people skills, he had leadership experience, and he was well-connected in Washington" (Crotty 218). Often the biographies are about an important person that discovered or changed something in the world that help us now in our days.
 Ahead of the Curve is a book with information that would help students whith projects or homework. This book would be perfect for high schoolers. High schoolers would love it. It teaches the reader information like how is the format of DNA. This book would be also perfect for seventh and eighth grade because it helps you see that you have to work in life to achieve your goals. I will also recomend it to science teachers. It would help them teach students new information. Ahead of the Curve  has also high vocabulary words so students that would like to improve their vocabulary or high schoolers would love this book. This book is different, it is another topic but it teaches students more then technology can.

[Michaelx · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short life story about living legendary biologist David Baltimore.
1. In the old days, there are always talented and straightforward experiments illuminating a great biological phenomenon and deep insights, this is similar to what we called hypothesis-driven research; nowadays, style of research has beed changed to data-driven, simply digging a whole lot of data then giving them biological insights.
2.Ask solvable questions where you need some efforts to tackle down.
3.Teaching is very important. As Feynman said, If you want to master something, teach it. The more you teach, the better you learn. Teaching is a powerful tool to learning. STUDY-TEACH-FILL THE GAPS-SIMPLIFY
4.Scientists should be dedicated to increase the knowledge. The great scientist always share the value of ‘usefulness of the useless’.
5.ASK THE PROPER AND IMPORTANT QUESTIONS

[Chopa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lessons learned from this book: keep your lab notebook organized, and take detailed notes... great book highlighting the advance of molecular biology(recombinant protein). Experience might needed to understand the book well.. I was a physicist when I bought this book, and I could not read it. Only after I completed my studies in molecular biophysics I gave it a try again and I could not stop reading it..
it was very well written !!! 📓📚🔬

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating story of DNA reverse transcriptase!

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really great intro to biology research in the 20th century. I learned so much about microbiology and the process of microbiology research.

[Kathy Partin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. Especially enjoyed the unfolding of the history of molecular biology. One of the best books I have ever read that successfully intertwines personal stories with science. Recommend!!!