Andrew Berry

I've found it very refreshing to read a popular science book and know that I can take it at face value and I don't have to consider all the possible ulterior motives commonly found in this genre (considering the age, reputation and achievements of author) or doubt author's competence (especially all the direct experience and participation).

The content is great and broad, from the fundamental building blocks of genetics and history of DNA research, through interesting applications such as GMO, tracing footsteps of our ancestors through the world or cancer, and finishing with a slightly philosophical touch of nature vs. nurture or implications of advancements in the area of prenatal DNA testing etc.

First few chapters are a little dry and require some basic knowledge of organic chemistry, but rest of the book is not technical at all so consider skimming those instead of putting the book away. Especially the second half is full of interesting facts and insights while really well written and enjoyable.… (more)

I didn’t really enjoy reading it. The best part was the pretty illustrations.

DNA’s biggest flaw was its inconsistent tone. I suspect, and I’m not sure why, that it was a ghost-written book, with James Watson’s name on the cover because he’s the famous scientist who discovered DNA to begin with. If that was the case, I could tell when Watson took over the writing: there were digressions and personal stories. A few chapters were chocked full of scientific explanations for how the double helix works, and I often found myself lost. Other chapters had some scientific explanations but were balanced with discussions of political and social impact of those explanations. Because the book is a glossy book, with color photos, I thought these less scientific chapters should have been the focus. It seems the book was trying to talk to both the experts and the non-experts at the same time.

Then again, maybe my inadequacy in science is to blame. It could be that the majority of the readers of nonfiction who pick this beautiful book up will be able to follow it without a problem.

More on my blog… (more)