The Code Breaker

3.5/5

This is a really interesting insight into the evolution of gene editing and what that means for our future. The beginning wasn't as interesting to me, but it definitely picked up as the story continued.

interesting person, science, and stories...but told at an excruciatingly slow pace - rhythm of this book was off

This is a good example of a book I read for book club that I might not otherwise have picked up, but I'm so glad I read it. I started it expecting a long (it's a big book) heavy tale that would require my closest attention and some coffee. What I found instead was what I feel is a well written book that somehow explains enough of the science to be able to understand the impact of each discovery and the way this technology has developed over decades.
Although I learned about Jennifer Doudna, the book spent considerable time touching on the community of people who also helped push the science forward to the discoveries of CRISPR and the gene editing tools and understanding that led to the mRNA vaccines that are in use today. It gave me an inside look at the process and large amounts of collaboration (and yes, personalities and competition) in the scientific community on these cutting edge research topics.
Not only will I take away new knowledge about the topic of gene editing and understand a bit better what may lie ahead for us, I will also spend time thinking about all of the moral and ethical questions that come up with using it. A favorite quote (p. 368) is “In a world in which there are people who don't get access to eyeglasses, it's hard to imagine how we will find a way to have equal access to gene enhancements. Imagine what that will do to our species”.