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Published Oct 2007
400 pages
Genre: Biography/Memoir
Publication Information
In 1984 Craig Venter joined the National Institute of Health, where he introduced novel techniques for rapid gene discovery, and left in 1991 to form his own nonprofit genomics research center, where he sequenced the first genome in history in 1995. In 1998 he announced that he would successfully sequence the human genome years earlier, and for far less money, than the government-sponsored Human Genome Project would - a prediction he kept in 2001.
A Life Decoded is the triumphant story of one of the most fascinating and controversial figures in science today. In his riveting and inspiring account Venter tells of the unparalleled drama of the quest for the human genome, a tale that involves as much politics (personal and political) as science. He also reveals how he went on to be the first to read and interpret his own genome and what it will mean for all of us to do the same. He describes his recent sailing expedition to sequence microbial life in the ocean, as well as his groundbreaking attempt to create synthetic life. Here is one of the key scientific chronicles of our lifetime, as told by the man who beat the odds to make it happen.
"Despite the lack of unbiased insight, this is well worth reading for the fascinating perspective it offers on one of the major scientific discoveries of all time." - Publishers Weekly.
“With Venter, there must always be something new swelling on the horizon . . . he alone is taking the measure of life's true diversity and dreaming up new life-forms at the same time.” - Wired.
"[Venter is] not just trying to understand how life works; he’s trying to make it work for him, and us." - The Atlantic Monthly.
"Despite an often heavy burden of technical details, the personalities and machinations involved in Big Science make this an engaging read." - Kirkus Reviews.
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