Crick: A Mind in Motion

Cobb (The Genetic Age), a professor emeritus of zoology at the University of Manchester, captures the era when DNA and the genetic code were still a mystery in this comprehensive biography of Francis Crick, the scientist who, along with James Watson and others, discovered the structure of DNA. Cobb portrays Crick as an endlessly curious man (he was still “excited as a schoolboy” about new ideas, one acquaintance said shortly before Crick’s death at 88 in 2004) and conveys the sense of wonder and delight that accompany scientific problem solving. While Crick is inextricably linked with DNA, Cobb emphasizes that he also made significant contributions to neuroscience, bringing global attention to the cellular and molecular underpinnings of human consciousness. Along the way, Cobb acknowledges some of the scientist’s more problematic behavior, including his eugenicist views and extramarital affairs, but disputes accusations that Crick and Watson made their DNA discovery by stealing data from scientist Rosalind Franklin, arguing that new evidence suggests Franklin was an active collaborator. The result is a richly detailed picture of a brilliant and innovative, if flawed, man. Readers will be captivated. (Nov.)