The Double Helix: A Personal Account of the Discovery of the Structure of DNA.
by Watson, James D. [Francis Crick]
- Used
- Hardcover
- Signed
- first
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
-
Palm Beach, Florida, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
New York: Atheneum, 1968. First edition of Watson's ground breaking work regarding the discovery of DNA for which the author, Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins were awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1962. Signed by both James Watson and Francis Crick on the title page. Octavo, original blue cloth, with numerous diagrams and photographic illustrations. Fine in a fine dust jacket. Jacket design by Jeanyee Wong. Foreword by Sir Lawrence Bragg. Rare and desirable signed by both Watson and Crick. Science seldom proceeds in the straightforward logical manner imagined by outsiders," writes James Watson in The Double Helix, his account of his codiscovery (along with Francis Crick) of the structure of DNA. Watson, Crick and Maurice Wilkins won Nobel Prizes for their work, and their names are memorized by biology students around the world. But as in all of history, the real story behind the deceptively simple outcome was messy, intense, and sometimes truly hilarious. To preserve the "real" story for the world, James Watson attempted to record his first impressions as soon after the events of 1951-1953 as possible, with all their unpleasant realities and "spirit of adventure" intact. "One of the investigators, more than any of the others, realized the decisive importance of the DNA molecules in biology, and it was this understanding which urged him relentlessly to push this work toward a successful conclusion, in spite of his rather modest technical qualifications for this task" (Mayr, 823). "He has described admirably how it feels to have that frightening and beautiful experience of making a great scientific discovery" (Richard Feynman, winner of the 1965 Nobel Prize for Physics).
Synopsis
"A Touchstone book."
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Details
- Bookseller
- Raptis Rare Books (US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 112545
- Title
- The Double Helix: A Personal Account of the Discovery of the Structure of DNA.
- Author
- Watson, James D. [Francis Crick]
- Book Condition
- Used
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Publisher
- Atheneum
- Place of Publication
- New York
- Date Published
- 1968
- Keywords
- biology, DNA, first edition, genetics, James Watson, Nobel, signed
Terms of Sale
Raptis Rare Books
30 day return guarantee, with full refund including shipping costs for up to 30 days after delivery if an item arrives misdescribed.
About the Seller
Raptis Rare Books
Biblio member since 2012
Palm Beach, Florida
About Raptis Rare Books
Founded by Matthew and Adrienne Raptis, Raptis Rare Books is an antiquarian book firm that specializes in literature, children's books, economics, photo books, signed and inscribed books, and landmark books in all fields. Our business model is simple: we strive to handle books that are in exceptional condition and to provide exceptional customer service.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Title Page
- A page at the front of a book which may contain the title of the book, any subtitles, the authors, contributors, editors, the...
- Fine
- A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
- Cloth
- "Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
- Jacket
- Sometimes used as another term for dust jacket, a protective and often decorative wrapper, usually made of paper which wraps...
- Octavo
- Another of the terms referring to page or book size, octavo refers to a standard printer's sheet folded four times, producing...
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...