The Eighth Day of Creation: Makers of the Revolution in Biology

A gripping drama with the biggest question of all, what is life? That's what "The Eighth Day of Creation" is, a historical drama capturing the characters, the challenges, the thrills and disappointment that makes science the compelling endeavor that it is. It's unfortunate that this book has not been made into what would be a great mini-series. The brilliance of this book is that it investigates the people behind the science, and how they approach their problems. Some are matters of pure logic to deduce the results such as the deciphering of the genetic code, while others are pure perseverance such as coming up with the physical structure of myoglobin. But what makes the book powerful is that each discovery is a major accomplishment, but that it also uncovers the next question. And Judson follows the line of reasoning to answer the next question. It also explores the human side of science, the fierce faith that an answer exists and that they will find it. You get a flavor of science as it is practiced in James Watson's "The Double Helix" but you get the full meal here. A warning, while the book goes to great lengths to explain the science, those lacking at least college biology may find the subject matter difficult to comprehend. More valuable for graduate students in any of the sciences, it is a complement to the facts by giving a perspective on how those facts are discovered.

Judson's book, like Tracy Kidder's "The Soul of a NewMachine", stands out for getting it: the passion, thepolitics, and the personalities behind scientificand technological progress, as well as its pitfalls andcul de sacs. Judson's book, like no other I've read,captures molecular biology as it is practiced. I received this book as a gift in 1980 when I was acollege freshman hoping to major in biochemistry.Today, much as I like to see the biomedical research Ido as a rational, deductive, "hypothesis-driven"affair, there is unescapably the human element. Thinkego, and all of the other human qualities, respectableor scorned. Have you seen genome sequencer J. CraigVenter on the cover of Time (or was it Newsweek?). Whatdo you think put him there? Science as a human endeavor was put forth theoreticallyin 1962 by historian Thomas Kuhn in his "The Structureof Scientific Revolutions". Complementing Kuhn, Judsonillustrates it in deliciously readable human terms. Forthis reason this book is unmatched and is worth six,not five, stars. Max Perutz appears significantly in Judson's story. In1990, as a beginning graduate student, I had thepriviledge of meeting and conversing with Perutz. Hewas just as Judson portrayed him: modest, plodding,dedicated, pursuing what he might learn from thestructure and properties of hemoglobin. Reading Judsona decade earlier prepared me for this most importantmeeting for me. Though dated (the story stops about 1975), I heartilyrecommend this book to anyone considering a career inbiomedical research. Judson successfully conveys thehuman reality of that honorable profession. Some timesit hurts -- crystallographer Rosalind Franklin nevergot her due -- but that's the state of the profession.

I loved this book. Before reading it, I had the rather naive view that Crick and Watson discovered the structure of DNA and suddenly "all was light". I hadn't realised the huge effort required over the next twenty years to attain an understanding of the linkages between that structure and the biological processes it codes for. Judson's book tells that story, in detail, and is written at a level that I could follow (as a layperson with a keen interest in science). Judson talked to the researchers responsible for all the major developments in molecular biology, and quotes extensively from his interviews, so the reader gets a feel for the human side of the great adventure, the sense of community and the rivalries, the frustrations and dead ends as well as the victories. Be warned that it is not a light or short read. It demands the reader's close attention. Fortunately, though, it is a pageturner that (with only minor exceptions) keeps the reader gripped.It should also be noted that the first edition of the book was written in the early seventies and, while no doubt Freedland has updated it, the main narrative ends in about 1972. There is a final chapter on developments since then, but it is of necessity quite brief and touches on a limited number of highlights.

Wonderful, it is simply the best book on the subject. An account that carefully balances scientific contents and personal issues of the scientists from the early times of molecular biology and conveys the the thrill of professional research.

I used to think "The Soul of a New Machine" by Tracy Kidder was unsurpassable in this genre. But the truth is, "The Eight Day of Creation" is far more ambitious, far more informative, far more amazing, and far more important. And it's also very beautifully written. What a great way for people to find out what the deepest truths are in biology, and how they were discovered!