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…Evolution (2017) by Jennifer A. Doudna, Samuel H. Sternberg, 304 pages [Genetics]

• Paperback
• Hardcover
• Kindle
• Audiobook
• Library: https://fcplcat.fairfaxcounty.gov/search/title.aspx?ctx=1.1033.0.0.1&pos=1&cn=279378

Description
Finalist for the L.A. Times Book Prize

One of Science News' "Favorite Books of the Year"

“The first book on CRISPR to present a powerful mix of science and ethics…This book is required reading for every concerned citizen—the material it covers should be discussed in schools, colleges, and universities throughout the country.”
—New York Review of Books

“Fascinating… When people refer to CRISPR now, they talk about wiping out disease, resurrecting woolly mammoths, and fashioning designer babies. Such implications fascinate and torment Doudna, and she writes about them movingly with Samuel Sternberg, a biochemist and former research colleague, in A Crack in Creation.”
—Bloomberg Businessweek

"An invaluable account, by Doudna and Samuel Sternberg, of their role in the revolution that is genome editing…It is unusual to have a popular account of a great scientific breakthrough written by the protagonist, so soon after its discovery. Watson’s The Double Helix appeared 15 years after the work. We owe Doudna several times over – for her discovery, for her zeal to take it from the lab into the clinic, for her involvement in the ethical issues raised, for her public engagement work, and now for this book. It’s a fine weapon against the still far too large tribe of those who don’t believe in the power of very small things."
—Guardian (UK)

“A Crack in Creation is a powerful testament to the role of curiosity and tenacity in scientific research, and also an urgent plea from the celebrated biologist whose discovery enabled us to rewrite the code of life. The future is in our hands as never before, and this book explains the stakes like no other.”
—George Lucas, filmmaker

“A Crack in Creation, by one of the most pioneering women in science, is both exhilarating and frightening. Jennifer Doudna and her co-author Samuel Sternberg challenge us to confront the possible dangers of gene editing, even as we embrace its incredible potential. This book is a roadmap to our future.”
—Arianna Huffington, bestselling author of Thrive and The Sleep Revolution

“Jennifer Doudna is the true pioneer who built the bridge between the basic science of CRISPR and its diverse applications in agriculture and medicine. Writing with Samuel Sternberg, she has crafted a beautifully written book with A Crack in Creation—a pure pleasure for both neophyte and expert. Now is the time to read about the revolution that could change our world.”
​—George Church, Professor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School and author of Regenesis

"[A Crack in Creation] contribute[s] to a public understanding of CRISPR, explaining science in terms that are understandable for the general reader…Fascinating."
—Wall Street Journal

“An enthusiastic and definitely not dumbed-down account of gene manipulation that, unlike earlier methods, is precise and easy…an important book about a major scientific advance.”
—Kirkus Reviews, STARRED

“The authors describe the biological mechanisms in a way that nonspecialists can appreciate…excellent book.”
—Publishers Weekly

"A Crack in Creation chronicles the origin and potential application of CRISPR, the powerful new gene-editing technique that established Doudna as a household name in scientific circles…The first section begins with a history of gene-editing technology and how these research endeavors were largely propelled by the quest to eradicate genetic diseases…Reviewing the fundamentals will enable your imagination to unspool. You'll find yourself pausing to plot your own CRISPR-inspired science project—or science fiction scenario…In the second half of the book, the authors outline the staggering potential applications of CRISPR technology…The narrative between the lines that propels the book forward."
—Science

### About the Author

JENNIFER A. DOUDNA, Ph.D. is a professor in the Chemistry and the Molecular and Cell Biology Departments at the University of California, Berkeley, investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and researcher in the Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. She is internationally recognized as a leading expert on RNA-protein biochemistry, CRISPR biology, and genome engineering. Along with Emmanuelle Charpentier, she was awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their research on CRISPR-Cas9. She lives in the Bay Area.

DR. SAMUEL H. STERNBERG is a protein-RNA biochemist and author of numerous high-profile scientific publications on CRISPR technology. He runs a research laboratory at Columbia University, where he is assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics. He lives in New York City.

 
 
 

…Evolution (2017) by Jennifer A. Doudna, Samuel H. Sternberg, 304 pages [Genetics]

• Paperback
• Hardcover
• Kindle
• Audiobook
• Library: https://fcplcat.fairfaxcounty.gov/search/title.aspx?ctx=1.1033.0.0.1&pos=1&cn=279378

Description
Finalist for the L.A. Times Book Prize

One of Science News' "Favorite Books of the Year"

“The first book on CRISPR to present a powerful mix of science and ethics…This book is required reading for every concerned citizen—the material it covers should be discussed in schools, colleges, and universities throughout the country.”
—New York Review of Books

“Fascinating… When people refer to CRISPR now, they talk about wiping out disease, resurrecting woolly mammoths, and fashioning designer babies. Such implications fascinate and torment Doudna, and she writes about them movingly with Samuel Sternberg, a biochemist and former research colleague, in A Crack in Creation.”
—Bloomberg Businessweek

"An invaluable account, by Doudna and Samuel Sternberg, of their role in the revolution that is genome editing…It is unusual to have a popular account of a great scientific breakthrough written by the protagonist, so soon after its discovery. Watson’s The Double Helix appeared 15 years after the work. We owe Doudna several times over – for her discovery, for her zeal to take it from the lab into the clinic, for her involvement in the ethical issues raised, for her public engagement work, and now for this book. It’s a fine weapon against the still far too large tribe of those who don’t believe in the power of very small things."
—Guardian (UK)

“A Crack in Creation is a powerful testament to the role of curiosity and tenacity in scientific research, and also an urgent plea from the celebrated biologist whose discovery enabled us to rewrite the code of life. The future is in our hands as never before, and this book explains the stakes like no other.”
—George Lucas, filmmaker

“A Crack in Creation, by one of the most pioneering women in science, is both exhilarating and frightening. Jennifer Doudna and her co-author Samuel Sternberg challenge us to confront the possible dangers of gene editing, even as we embrace its incredible potential. This book is a roadmap to our future.”
—Arianna Huffington, bestselling author of Thrive and The Sleep Revolution

“Jennifer Doudna is the true pioneer who built the bridge between the basic science of CRISPR and its diverse applications in agriculture and medicine. Writing with Samuel Sternberg, she has crafted a beautifully written book with A Crack in Creation—a pure pleasure for both neophyte and expert. Now is the time to read about the revolution that could change our world.”
​—George Church, Professor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School and author of Regenesis

"[A Crack in Creation] contribute[s] to a public understanding of CRISPR, explaining science in terms that are understandable for the general reader…Fascinating."
—Wall Street Journal

“An enthusiastic and definitely not dumbed-down account of gene manipulation that, unlike earlier methods, is precise and easy…an important book about a major scientific advance.”
—Kirkus Reviews, STARRED

“The authors describe the biological mechanisms in a way that nonspecialists can appreciate…excellent book.”
—Publishers Weekly

"A Crack in Creation chronicles the origin and potential application of CRISPR, the powerful new gene-editing technique that established Doudna as a household name in scientific circles…The first section begins with a history of gene-editing technology and how these research endeavors were largely propelled by the quest to eradicate genetic diseases…Reviewing the fundamentals will enable your imagination to unspool. You'll find yourself pausing to plot your own CRISPR-inspired science project—or science fiction scenario…In the second half of the book, the authors outline the staggering potential applications of CRISPR technology…The narrative between the lines that propels the book forward."
—Science

### About the Author

JENNIFER A. DOUDNA, Ph.D. is a professor in the Chemistry and the Molecular and Cell Biology Departments at the University of California, Berkeley, investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and researcher in the Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. She is internationally recognized as a leading expert on RNA-protein biochemistry, CRISPR biology, and genome engineering. Along with Emmanuelle Charpentier, she was awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their research on CRISPR-Cas9. She lives in the Bay Area.

DR. SAMUEL H. STERNBERG is a protein-RNA biochemist and author of numerous high-profile scientific publications on CRISPR technology. He runs a research laboratory at Columbia University, where he is assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics. He lives in New York City.

 
 
 

(2022) by Sabine Hossenfelder, 272 pages [Physics]
• Paperback
• Hardcover
• Kindle
• Audiobook
• Library: https://fcplcat.fairfaxcounty.gov/search/title.aspx?ctx=1.1033.0.0.1&pos=1&cn=545618

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Review
“The most surprising and interesting feature of the book is the claim that many of her physicist peers are as guilty of bringing speculation and belief into their scientific thinking as theologians and New Age mystics… Existential Physics is an informed and entertaining guide to what science can and cannot tell us. If Ms. Hossenfelder is sometimes a little too opinionated, the reader will quickly forgive her. Anyone capable of bridging the concerns of the human world and the baffling complexities of physics has earned the right to be indulged a little.”
—The Wall Street Journal
“Stimulating… encourage[s] readers to push past well-trod assumptions […] and have fun doing so… By demarking ascientific views from scientific ones, she helps delineate science’s limits in answering life’s big questions.”
—Science Magazine
“Hossenfelder elegantly illustrates complex ideas in straightforward, layfriendly language… [She] takes readers on a riveting cerebral journey through surprisingly confounding differences between scientific method and storytelling… In addition to her own powerful voice, Hossenfelder includes enlightening interviews with […] luminaries in the field… Existential Physics is spectacular, and a must-read for all who ponder the purpose of existence.”
—Booklist
“Unlike many other science writers, Hossenfelder is less interested in denouncing pseudoscience than revealing that many spiritual ideas are compatible with modern physics… Casting her net widely, she investigates God and spirituality, free will, universal consciousness, dualism (whether the mind is separate from the body), the Big Bang theory about the origin of the cosmos, the possible existence of parallel universes, and whether we live in a computer simulation… readers who wonder how to tell a good from a bad explanation can now consult [Existential Physics]… An intriguing book fully of highly opinionated and convincing arguments.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“[An] excellent book on physics for general readers… Hossenfelder uses current and historical research to show the deep connections between philosophy and the scientific method… Recommended for readers interested in philosophy of science and the sorts of questions that current science can and can’t answer.”
—Library Journal
“Smart… [Hossenfelder] explores fascinating questions… though she asserts that 'physicists are really good at answering questions, but really bad at explaining why anyone should care,' her curiosity and clever prose prove that doesn’t have to be the case. Budding physics buffs, take note.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Part gonzo journalist, part curious child, part teacher, and part accomplished researcher, Sabine Hossenfelder is a unique writing talent and a unique science popularizer. One cannot help being provoked reading her prose, as she knows how to push your buttons. But she also abhors bullshit, which makes her take on the deepest human questions and what physics has to say about them worth looking at, and also ensures that it will be different than those other physics books of grand verbosity about frontier physics. You might agree with her. You might not. But you will come away from the experience enriched, and will think about the world differently than you did before.”
—Lawrence Krauss, bestselling author of The Physics of Star Trek, A Universe from Nothing, and The Physics of Climate Change
“Sabine Hossenfelder is a rare gem. There are other theoretical physicists out there who can write for a popular audience, but very few of them are able to do so in such a no-nonsense way. There's no puffery or posturing, but a direct and potent takedown of some of the fashionable ideas lounging at the edges of modern science. The result is not just illuminating, but enjoyable.”
—Charles Seife, author of Decoding the Universe
“Sabine Hossenfelder offers a radical and brand-new exploration of the limits and power of scientific explanation to address the most pressing existential questions that strike to the core of the essential curiosity that makes us human in the first place. Her book offers a riveting and remarkably original take that makes room for hope, belief and faith within the house of reason and rationality. A must-read to better navigate this chaotic and complex current moment.”
—Priyamvada Natarajan, author of Mapping the Heavens: The Radical Scientific Ideas That Reveal the Cosmos
"I don't always agree with Sabine Hossenfelder, but I'm always eager to hear what she has to say. She is one of our boldest young thinkers, and not just in physics. Her new book provides a splendid showcase for her iconoclastic outlook."
—John Horgan, author of The End of Science and director of the Center for Science Writings at Stevens Institute of Technology

 
 
 

…Human Race (2021) by Walter Isaacson, 560 pages [Genetics]

• Hardcover
• Kindle
• Audiobook
• Library: https://fcplcat.fairfaxcounty.gov/search/title.aspx?ctx=1.1033.0.0.1&pos=1&cn=467055

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Amazon.com Review
An Amazon Best Book of March 2021: Isaacson is famous for writing Steve Jobs and Leonardo da Vinci, so a title like The Code Breaker might imply a lesser book about a lesser character. But 2020 Nobel winner Jennifer Doudna, who developed the gene editing technology CRISPR, is a giant in her own right. CRISPR could open some of the greatest opportunities, and most troubling quandaries, of this century—and this book delivers. —Chris Schluep, Amazon Book Review

Review
Named one of the Best Books of the Year by Time Magazine, The Washington Post, Smithsonian Magazine, Amazon, BookPage, Science News
“This year’s prize is about rewriting the code of life. These genetic scissors have taken the life sciences into a new epoch.” – Announcement of the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
“Isaacson captures the scientific process well, including the role of chance. The hard graft at the bench, the flashes of inspiration, the importance of conferences as cauldrons of creativity, the rivalry, sometimes friendly, sometimes less so, and the sense of common purpose are all conveyed in his narrative. The Code Breaker describes a dance to the music of time with these things as its steps, which began with Charles Darwin and Gregor Mendel and shows no sign of ending.” – The Economist
“Isaacson lays everything out with his usual lucid prose; it’s brisk and compelling and even funny throughout. You’ll walk away with a deeper understanding of both the science itself and how science gets done — including plenty of mischief.” – The Washington Post
"This story was always guaranteed to be a page-turner in [Isaacson's] hands." – The Guardian
“Deftly written, conveying the history of CRISPR and also probing larger themes: the nature of discovery, the development of biotech, and the fine balance between competition and collaboration that drives many scientists.”— New York Review of Books
“The Code Breaker is in some respects a journal of our 2020 plague year.”— The New York Times
“An extraordinarily detailed and revealing account of scientific progress and competition that grants readers behind-the-scenes access to the scientific process, which the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us remains opaque to the wider public. It also provides lessons in science communication that go beyond the story itself.” – Science Magazine
"A vital book about the next big thing in science—and yet another top-notch biography from Isaacson." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"In Isaacson's splendid saga of how big science really operates, curiosity and creativity, discovery and innovation, obsession and strong personalities, competitiveness and collaboration, and the beauty of nature all stand out." — Booklist (starred review)
"Isaacson depicts science at its most exhilarating in this lively biography of Jennifer Doudna, the winner of the 2020 Nobel Prize in medicine for her work on the CRISPR system of gene editing…The result is a gripping account of a great scientific advancement and of the dedicated scientists who realized it." — Publisher's Weekly (starred review)
"A brilliant and engaging book. There are many quotable gems but I have chosen one sentence from the epilogue that epitomizes not only Doudna but also Isaacson himself, whose book title ends with a hortatory claim that CRISPR affects the future of the human race: 'To guide us, we will need not only scientists, but humanists. And most important, we will need people who feel comfortable in both words, like Jennifer Doudna.'" — Policy Magazine
"The journalist who told the life stories of Leonardo da Vinci and Steve Jobs is back with a timely biography of Jennifer Doudna, PhD, winner of the 2020 Nobel Prize in chemistry. It’s a fast-paced account of her life as a pathbreaking scientist on CRISPR — and how gene editing could alter all life as we know it."— Medium
"It is a gripping tale, showing how our new ability to hack evolution will soon start throwing us curveballs."— New Scientist
“[A] fascinating story… [Isaacson’s] unique skill as a master storyteller of scientific development over the centuries has educated not only his fellow Baby Boomers, but also succeeding generations, helping people of all ages and backgrounds travel down the long and winding road toward understanding how life works.” – Washington Independent Review of Books
“ Isaacson expertly plumbs the moral ambiguity surrounding this new technology. ”–Scientific American
“Isaacson senses a more collaborative spirit between the rivals that will surely pay dividends come the next pandemic… The Code Breaker is a true celebration of science and scientists, for all their flaws and jealousies.” – Nature Reviews Chemistry