I read the book while doing an exchange program in University College Dublin. During the first week, I felt quite bored and figured that it might not be a bad idea to check out the library for some real big volumes. Initially, "The Eighth Day of Creation" was not my choice, since I wrongly categorized it as an anecdotal little booklet, like "The Double Helix" by James Watson (personal opinion, no offense). Yet, when I semi-intentionally spotted it on the bottom shelf, covered with a yellowish jacket which seemed to have settled there for decades, I was awed by the sheer thickness of the book. Quickly, I turned to the end of the book and noted that the book was about 800 pages! That was the volume I was looking for. Without further hesitation, I checked it out, and didn't finish it until three months later.
The English was quite beyond me at first. It was stylish, with a little bit sophistication and demonstration of mastering in vocabulary, but essentially very logic and clear. The names appeared throughout the book were all the giants in molecular biology and biochemistry. I have encountered them many times in my university courses, yet I never had a chance to know them as day-to-day researchers. They were the Gods, the mysterious and magnificent Nobel Laureates, and the names in textbooks to me. It was great experience to read their stories as if I had been there with them, working in the same lab and complaining about the same problems. After all, they the giants were not that different from us, just with a bit more curiosity and dedication.
The most memorable figures in the book, in my opinion, were Max Delbruck and Jacques Monod. The former, a once physics student tutored by Niels Bohr, brought fresh idea from quantum mechanics to phage genetics, while the latter, enjoyed a life filled with music, social activity, and of course, one of the most significant discoveries in genetics, the operon. The quality shared by these two is diversity. I never doubt the importance of perseverance in one field and truly believe that is generally the only way to make significant breakthrough in science. However, diversity is what makes life worthwhile. Not everybody can reserve a blank space in future textbooks where his name could be put in--that is for the exceptionally wise, but everyone can make the best of his own life by trying as many fields as possible. Most of the time, it is not that we are not capable of following our heart, but that we are too careful to lose what we currently have. All right, this is off the point. Anyway, I do respect these two figures most.
The rigorous nature of the book is another feature to mention. I couldn't imaging how many efforts Mr. Judson had spared to create this masterpiece. Despite the fact that he might be considered one of the luckiest people in the world to have talked face to face with those giants, to organize all the scientific papers he came through and the recorded dialogues definitely were not a dream job for everyone. Yet, Mr. Judson hanged on there for good 10 years, only to bring to a very small audience around the globe the hardship and beauty behind the establishment of molecular biology. For that part, I think Mr. Judson deserves the highest appreciation from the realm of modern life sciences. In fact, anyone working in modern history or popular science could not ask for more if he has rivaled Mr. Judson in the completeness and accuracy of historical material, as well as understanding of the scientific questions within.
To sum up, this is definitely a good book for, probably not bed-time or light reading, but for people with serious interest in history recap and biology.
Probably the best book in molecular biology so far
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《创世纪的第八天》热门书评
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创世第八天
15有用 0无用 刘未鹏pongba 2008-09-16
以下是转来的评论:http://www.ourfreesky.org/bbs/read.php?tid=10847Amazon 全五星,作者跟踪130多位科学家10年专访,令人敬佩。应该是相当不错的一本科普。 就象地球上总有一些地方会成为风景名胜,吸引人们前往游览,留人驻足赞叹;在时间的长河中也...
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一句话简介
7有用 0无用 花和尚 2010-03-24
这是一个美国时代周刊的科学记者积10年之久往返于大西洋两岸走访了英国法国美国追踪采访了共计120余位科学家并对其中30余位科学大牛们其中不乏诺贝尔得主与某个或某几个领域的开山泰斗进行了一而再再而三三而四次的重访而后从上百万字的采访粗稿里整理出近70万字的关于分子生物学创立及发展历史的鸿篇巨制,因其场...
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见识优秀的科学头脑
5有用 0无用 花和尚 2007-07-08
借助作者的叙述,我们仿佛置身于当年的伟大变革潮流之中,看这帮科学家们如何发现问题,如何思考问题,如何尝试解决问题,看他们如何想象、分析、批判,进而探索出新的世界~ 认识历史,发现教科书之外的更多真实。 &nb...
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印象比较深的几个细节
4有用 0无用 Hydrogen 2009-04-02
《创世纪的第八天》强力推荐,是第一本我看的时候会做笔记的书,里面每一位科学家的态度及思路对我来说都是绝佳的科研入门教程。下面摘些有意思的细节:1.我第一次发现以前对DNA结构的认识是错误的,DNA的两条链旋转方向是不同的。DNA结构发现史很有意思。其实沃森最早的双链模型很有问题,而克里克指出了其在对...
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Probably the best book in molecular biology so far
3有用 0无用 Fanchen 2011-08-20
I read the book while doing an exchange program in University College Dublin. During the first week, I felt quite bored and figured that it might not ...
书名: 创世纪的第八天
作者: [美] 霍勒斯·贾德森
出版社: 上海科学技术出版社
原作名: The Eighth Day of Creation : Makers of Revolution in Biology
副标题: 20世纪分子生物学革命
译者: 李晓丹
出版年: 2005-01-01
页数: 489
定价: 98.00元
装帧: 平装
ISBN: 9787532377060