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K-teacherDH
Posted February 20, 2010
Venter offers insights into the field of genetic science and the political world that often shapes the research. I've read books before about the NIH and it's discouraging to see how politics influences even pure scientific work. Venter does a good job of helping non-scientist such as myself, see the difficult and painstaking work that goes into great scientific discoveries. I particulary enjoyed the sections all through the book where he highlights a particular gene and explains how that can effect our lives. It makes you want to have your genetic code tested.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.J. Craig Venter says he is one of the ¿leading scientists of the 21st century,¿ and he is. Venter is a brilliant visionary and pioneer in genomic research. He was first to decode the full DNA of a living organism, the bacterium Haemophilus influenzae. Later, Venter moved up significantly in scientific class by completing the DNA sequence of the human genome. Feverishly ambitious, he is now researching ocean genomes in hopes of finding new fuel sources and of becoming the first scientist to create artificial life. Venter does nothing halfway, hence his designation by Time magazine as one of the world¿s 100 most influential people. Yet, in scientific circles, he has also earned some disdain as an egotistical ¿wild man of biotech.¿ Many scientists see his use of his own DNA in the human genome project as a shocking lack of scientific decorum. He comes across, in his own words, as narcissistic. This self-absorption, and his pervasive portrayal of himself as an altruistic purist constantly battling bureaucratic philistines, interferes with his story about how he cracked the human genome code. Clearly, it¿s not easy being a genius, but it sure is interesting, and so getAbstract recommends Venter¿s account of his scientific achievements.
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Posted August 20, 2010
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Posted April 9, 2011
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Overview
The triumphant memoir of the man behind one of the greatest feats in scientific historyOf all the scientific achievements of the past century, perhaps none can match the deciphering of the human genetic code, both for its technical brilliance and for its implications for our future. In A Life Decoded, J. Craig Venter traces his rise from an uninspired student to one of the most fascinating and controversial figures in science today. Here, Venter relates the unparalleled drama of the quest to decode the human genome?a goal he predicted he could achieve years earlier and more cheaply than the government-sponsored Human Genome Project, and one that he ...