In the Beginning Was the Worm: Finding the Secrets of Life in a Tiny Hermaphrodite

by Andrew Brown

This is the story of how three men won the Nobel Prize for their research on the humble nematode worm C. elegans ; how their extraordinary discovery led to the sequencing of the human genome; how a global multibillion-dollar industry was born; and how the mysteries of life were revealed in a tiny, brainless worm.

In 1998 the nematode worm―perhaps the most intensively studied animal on earth―was the first multicellular organism ever to have its genome sequenced and its DNA mapped and read. "When we understand the worm, we will understand life," predicted John Sulston, one of the three Nobel laureates, and his prediction proved astonishingly accurate. Four years later, the research that led to this extraordinary event garnered three scientists a Nobel Prize. Along with Robert Horvitz and Sydney Brenner, Sulston discovered the phenomenon of programmed cell death in the worm, an essential concept that explains how biological development occurs in animal life and, as Horvitz later showed, how it occurs in human life. C. elegans is about as simple as an animal can be, but understanding its genetic organization is helping to reveal the mechanisms of life and, by extension, the mechanisms of our own lives. In the Beginning Was the Worm shows that in order to unlock the secrets of the human genome we must first understand the worm.

But this story is about more than just the worm. It is about how an eccentric group of impassioned scientists toiled in near anonymity for years, driven only by a deep passion for knowledge and scientific discovery. It is the story of countless hours of research, immense ambition, and one of the greatest discoveries in human history.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Popular Science, Genetics, Biology

248 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Hilary · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice read, not super engaging.

[gadabout · Rating 3 out of 5]

An nteresting topic and well-covered, but awkwardly written.

[Adil Khan · Rating 1 out of 5]

The subject is interesting, but the writing is tedious and poor. DNFed after two chapters.

[DaniPhantom · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish there was more worm facts in this book about worms. Either way, I’m glad there’s a book about worms to begin with.

[Brok3n · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too much personality and DNA

I read this eleven years ago (10-Nov-2011), and was not super impressed. It didn't tell me much I didn't already know, and I am not so enamored of the personalities on which the book focuses.

I worked on the worm (C elegans) for most of my professional life -- from 1984 until 2015. My first International Worm Meeting was 1985. Thus, although I was not there for most of the events recounted here, I was there shortly after, and I heard about them from people who had experienced them first-hand. Thus, I didn't read this book expecting to learn more about C elegans research and researchers -- I read it to find out what people such as Andrew Brown have to say about it all. The focus on genome sequencing feels off to me. It was a big deal when it happens, but it isn't what most worm researchers care most about. We are mostly there for the biology. We LOVE the worm itself.

I know and respect most of the people involved, some more than others, but hardly any of them as much as Brown appears to want me to.

Blog review.

[James Watson · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Worm" is an engaging book about the beginning of genome sequencing, originating from the focused study of a type of nearly-microscopic, transparent worm. It is a chronicle of a historic research effort, and an insight into how research is conducted, rather than a technical discussion of biology. Andrew Brown assumes the reader has very little knowledge of genetics, and takes care to explain (in simple terms) key topics that are necessary to understand events and their importance to the narrative.

I would have liked there to be just a little more technical discussion in the book, but the author leaves numerous footnotes and sources pointing to further reading.

[Blair · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brown uses a common strategy of fitting a collection of scientific discoveries into a character-driven narrative, but the narrative itself is somewhat scattered and meandering. There are outright nonsequitors and typos, and a lot of underwhelming attempts at cleverness. The stories told are definitely interesting in places, and his inclusion of lab techs in his cast of characters is commendable, but I'm not sure this book would hold my interest for long if I weren't already interested in the subject.

[Emilie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Best science book I've ever read.