Collins Lab Blog

Library sale

Picked up this little 10 cent gem at the library sale downtown.

Published in 1966 it is a succinct introduction to the era of molecular biology by one of the founders. The writing is clear, fresh and accurate. Throughout the book Kendrew points out the limitations of knowledge, and avoids the trap of making pontificating predictions that would seem embarrassing in 2011.

Let me quote from the introduction which remains as accurate today as it was in 1966:

“it seemed to me that molecular biology was a subject perfectly suited to a non-specialist audience. Anyone should be able to understand it easily without being trained as a scientist; we all find it natural to be interested in biology because we ourselves, being living organisms, are part of its subject matter; and, finally, molecular biology is advancing with such tremendous rapidity that it should be possible to communicate some of the excitement which scientists feel when a whole area of knowledge is quickly being illuminated by new understanding and by a new synthesis of hitherto unconnected facts.”

I especially like the optimistic tone that molecular biology is “perfectly suited to a non-specialist audience”.

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