A History of Molecular Biology

by Michel Morange

Every day it seems the media focus on yet another new development in biology--gene therapy, the human genome project, the creation of new varieties of animals and plants through genetic engineering. These possibilities have all emanated from molecular biology. A History of Molecular Biology is a complete but compact account for a general readership of the history of this revolution. Michel Morange, himself a molecular biologist, takes us from the turn-of-the-century convergence of molecular biology's two progenitors, genetics and biochemistry, to the perfection of gene splicing and cloning techniques in the 1980s. Drawing on the important work of American, English, and French historians of science, Morange describes the major discoveries--the double helix, messenger RNA, oncogenes, DNA polymerase--but also explains how and why these breakthroughs took place. The book is enlivened by mini-biographies of the founders of molecular Delbrück, Watson and Crick, Monod and Jacob, Nirenberg. This ambitious history covers the story of the transformation of biology over the last one hundred years; the transformation of biochemistry, genetics, embryology, and evolutionary biology; and, finally, the emergence of the biotechnology industry. An important contribution to the history of science, A History of Molecular Biology will also be valued by general readers for its clear explanations of the theory and practice of molecular biology today. Molecular biologists themselves will find Morange's historical perspective critical to an understanding of what is at stake in current biological research.

Genres: Science, Biology, Nonfiction, History Of Science

348 pages, Hardcover

First published March 4, 1998

Reviews

[Gregory · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is absolutely fantastic. Morange has the rare ability to describe the state of a scientific field at some point in the past. This requires 'forgetting' one's contemporary view of the field, which is much more difficult than it sounds! Books like this are priceless.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is truly my year to read these historical science books. I really enjoy reading about their confusion, frustration, and hypothesizing (of which we have the answers today). I'm not sure how many non-scientists (such as myself) would enjoy this book, but it read fairly easily, with some googling of certain words and techniques. He stops around the early 1980's. I found this free on Internet Archive but have purchased my own copy to turn to again and again.

[Betsy Curlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exceptional account of how molecular biology began and grew as an area of science and scientific inquiry. I never would have guessed that it started with a paper written by the Physicist Erwin Schrodinger. Indeed, many of the early pioneers of this science were physicists who were looking for new challenges after the Manhattan project.

[Arslen Ben Gouissem · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good god, this is amazing, the history of this scientific discipline is so wonderful. Half of our medical progress wouldn't exist without it, half of our food too. We owe so much to Biotechnology progress, but very few know about it.

[Alexandre Guay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un très bon livre d'histoire des sciences. Dans son histoire de la biologie moléculaire, Michel Morange utilise les méthodes de l'histoire internaliste et de l'histoire externaliste, ce qui est passablement rare dans le domaine de l'histoire des sciences. Il obtient donc une histoire de la discipline qui montre bien la complexité de la pratique scientifique et des facteurs qui l'influencent.

[Nick Black]

i'm finding it difficult to care about the history of molecular biology. i'd rather reread george orwell singing the praises of sensible battle dress for the recherche socialist laborer of england, 1944.
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Amazon third party, 2009-11-11 (happy armistice day!)

[Stefan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well written summary of the early work done in the field. A highly recommend book for those interested in pursuing studies in genetics today.