THE DOUBLE HELIX: A PERSONAL ACCOUNT OF THE DISCOVERY OF THE STRUCTURE OF DNA [First American edition - fourth printing]

Descripción

A fourth edition of the first American edition, published in March 1968. The book was first published in the USA in January 1968. Atheneum, New York is the stated publisher, and all four printings are listed on the printer's page. Dustwrapper designed by Jeanyee Wong. Illustrated with 19 half-tone, full page, photographic plates, six pages reproducing Watson's letter to Max Delbruck, telling of the Double Helix, & 11 diagrams. ***Near fine in blue cloth-covered boards with gilt titles to the spine. The gilt is still nice and bright, having been protected by the dustwrapper. Head and tail of spine slightly creased. Boards nice and clean and unmarked - just slightly faded at the extremities. The top edge of the page block is stained yellow by the publisher. All edges of the page block clean without foxing. Internally also near fine with no inscriptions or annotations. The pages are clean and have no creases or tears. The endpapers are bright red. Spine tight. ***In a very good illustrated dustwrapper, that has been neatly price-clipped at the top corner. The dustwrapper is largely complete, but there is a hole to the front panel with some associated creasing. There is also some wear and slight loss at the head of the spine. The edges of the dustwrapper are rubbed with some small nicks. The spine of the dustwrapper remains unfaded. The back panel is completely clean, which is unusual, as it is a white background. The large inner flaps, which are prone to creasing, are also uncreased. ***216 mm x145 mm. 226 pages - with a Foreword by Sir Lawrence Bragg and a Preface by the author. ***'"It is a strange model and embodies several unusual features. However, since DNA is an unusual substance, we are not hesitant in being bold." Thus quietly, Jim Watson, aged twenty-four, wrote from Cambridge to a friend in the States, one month before the public announcement in April 1953 of a discovery that many scientists now call the most significant since Mendel's. DNA is the molecule of heredity, and to know its structure and method of reproduction enables science to know how genetic directions are written and transmitted, how the forms of life are ordered from one generation to the next. The search for this molecular structure is the story told here, in a book that also has its unusual features as well as a measure of boldness. The work was done between the fall of 1951 and April 1953, and the scientific paper announcing the discovery was published in Nature immediately. What we have is more than the "inside story" of one participant's version of a revolutionary discovery. We have a book, written on the assumption that science is a human endeavor, and important enough to be written about forthrightly.' (Quote taken from the front flap of the dustwrapper) ***An early fourth edition of the first American edition, published in exactly the same format as the first edition. Early printings of the Atheneum edition of this classic work are uncommon in the UK. Despite the damage to the dustwrapper, the book itself is in beautiful shape. ***For all our books, postage is charged at cost, allowing for packaging: any shipping rates indicated on ABE are an average only: we will reduce the P & P charge where appropriate - please contact us for postal rates for heavier books and sets etc. N° de ref. del artículo 8469

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