Discovering Life’s Story: The Birth of Genetics

Gr 9 Up–This book answers the following questions: What is inside us that makes us unique? How did we receive the traits that make us who we are? What is the role of chromosomes and genes? It is a story of scientific research, and it is told in rich detail about the work of many scientists from around the world whose curiosity was ultimately rewarded. Hakim gives the story rich historical context. In addition to explaining what happened in many laboratories and sites, she describes how during this time—the late 19th century and early 20th century—Henry Ford found a way to use an assembly line to mass-produce his Model-T automobile, the Eiffel Tower was completed, and the Panama Canal was under construction. This was a time of immense change. Readers get a sense of the scientific work being done by getting a look inside various research laboratories, such as the “Fly Room” at Columbia University and the “Tie Club” organized by George Gamov, who invited scientists to join him in discovering how RNA works to construct proteins. Readers also learn about how James Watson and Francis Crick discovered the double helix model of DNA. The book makes clear that the story of scientific advances is not without flaws; notable is the unrecognized work of many women scientists such as Rosalind Franklin, whose photos of DNA were used by scientists Watson and Crick, yet they never acknowledged her work or mentioned her when they won the Nobel Prize.