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”.

Thought this was going to be a biography with some science in it; turned out to be a hagiography that ran all over the place. I don't understand why the author kept inserting himself into the story.

I enjoyed this book full of informations about biology, genetics, RNA, DNA, CRISPR, COVID-19, Jennifer Doudna and the future of research in the the different fields of medical genetics.

The author does an amazing job of making what has to be an extremely complex science with a unique language, into layman's terms that a science fan like myself can follow along and understand the science theoretically but not necessarily the details.

I'm so happy to see a book about a woman who has navigated the male dominated industry so well! Not only can she stand up to male-bias but rise above that negativity by focusing on collaboration, supporting others, and mentoring.

I thought the author did a great job of staying in the middle during the divisive sections of the story. Not presenting the folks from China as ‘bad' people, but people with different cultural perspectives and emphasis and not making the European and American cultures as ‘good' people.

And I especially like that the author interjected his own thoughts and perspectives in the storyline. He wasn't just telling someone else's story but how their story impacted his own story and expressed his differing opinions.

CRISPR

2.5

Read like an intro to a textbook, and kept hoping between explaining the science and the story of Jennifer Dowdna - I think I wanted it to pick a lane!

I skimmed. So many details that I did not have the brain power to absorb, but I appreciate all of the fun color photographs and interpersonal dynamics that he included. Also, thrilled to be reading one of his books but about a woman!

I legitimately thought this was mind-numbingly boring at the beginning and would have shelved it if I hadn't been tasked with reading it for book club. BUT the back half was great!

Science in general is really not my strong suit, and while this was quite biology- and genetics-heavy, Isaacson writes in a way that I can generally understand. This also had a ton of relevance to our current times, in the way it talked about the development of the Covid vaccines using the mRNA and CRISPR technology, that was quite interesting. It was not entirely a biography of Jennifer Doudna; it included enough of the other scientist players and technologies that they were racing to discover, and their pettiness in trying to get published and filing patents ahead of each other (which, pettiness is entertaining to me in any field), and the ethics of using vs. not using the technology once it was created. The book also has the benefit of reminding me how fast scientific advances happen, which I am prone to forgetting since I don't personally know very many scientists. (Obviously if it's not happening in my own personal sphere, it must not be happening anywhere! /s)

Too long - the extra details did not provide enough benefit to justify the length of the meandering book.