In almost every science textbook you’ll find the story of James Watson and Francis Crick discovering the double helix in 1953. The truth is, there were multiple people looking into the building blocks of life, including Rosalind Franklin who was the first to photograph it. The Secret of Life looks at five main people who helped lead to the discovery of DNA: Watson, Crick, Rosalind Franklin, Maurice Wilkins, and Linus Pauling. This book looks at the antisemitism, misogynic, and old boys club mentality that gave the spoils to Watson and Crick over the others who did a large portion of the world.
Howard Markel tells the incredible story of the discovery, as well as illustrates the background and history that lead to major discoveries in science. His writing is smart, fun to read, and feels like one is looking into science’s dirty little secret.
The Secret of Life is available September 21st from W.W. Norton and company.
