The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Human Race by Walter Isaacson
Reviewed by: Melissa Friedlund, Reference Specialist
Genre: Biography, Science Non-Fiction
Suggested Age: Adult
What is the book about? If you have ever wondered, “What is CRISPR? How does it work? Who came up with this groundbreaking new technique for gene editing?” this book will answer all your questions. Primarily following Jennifer Doudna, one of the winners of the 2020 Nobel Prize in Biochemistry, this book chronicles not only Doudna’s scientific interest starting in childhood through UC Berkley, but also the developmental path of CRISPR from its first success through its use in combatting the COVID-19 pandemic as a diagnostic tool.
My Review: Here is another fascinating biography by Walter Isaacson. I listened to the audiobook version on Axis360. I was very excited to read this book because I’ve been very curious about CRISPR and gene editing. I think Isaacson did an equitable accounting of which research teams made which breakthroughs and when. Considering there were multiple instances of different research groups publishing similar discoveries at nearly the same time, this was critically important for things like the Nobel Committee. Some sections are heavy in biochemical and genetic terminology, which didn’t bother me because I studied biology & chemistry in college. However, this might trip up the casual reader. Overall, I found this book to be extremely informative and current.
Three Words That Describe This Book: Intriguing, Educational, and Timely
Give This a Try if You Like…Einstein: His Life and Universe by Walter Isaacson, Unnatural Causes: The Life and Many Deaths of Britain’s Top Forensic Pathologist by Richard Shepherd, and The Gene by Siddhartha Mukherjee
Rating: 4/5
About FDL Reads
FDL Reads is a series of weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library.
