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The bestselling author of Leonardo da Vinci and Steve Jobs returns with a gripping account of how Nobel Prize winner Jennifer Doudna and her colleagues launched a revolution that will allow us to cure diseases, fend off viruses, and have healthier babies.When Jennifer Doudna was in sixth grade, she came home one day to find that her dad had left a paperback titled The Double Helix on her bed. She put it aside, thinking it was one of those detective tales she loved. When she read it on a rainy Saturday, she discovered she was right, in a way. As she sped through the pages, she became enthralled by the intense drama behind the competition to discover the code of life. Even though her high school counselor told her girls didn’t become scientists, she decided she would. Driven by a passion to understand how nature works and to turn discoveries into inventions, she would help to make what the book’s author, James Watson, told her was the most important biological advance since his co-discovery of the structure of DNA. She and her collaborators turned ​a curiosity ​of nature into an invention that will transform the human race: an easy-to-use tool that can edit DNA. Known as CRISPR, it opened a brave new world of medical miracles and moral questions. The development of CRISPR and the race to create vaccines for coronavirus will hasten our transition to the next great innovation revolution. The past half-century has been a digital age, based on the microchip, computer, and internet. Now we are entering a life-science revolution. Children who study digital coding will be joined by those who study genetic code. Should we use our new evolution-hacking powers to make us less susceptible to viruses? What a wonderful boon that would be! And what about preventing depression? Hmmm…Should we allow parents, if they can afford it, to enhance the height or muscles or IQ of their kids? After helping to discover CRISPR, Doudna became a leader in wrestling with these moral issues and, with her collaborator Emmanuelle Charpentier, won the Nobel Prize in 2020. Her story is a thrilling detective tale that involves the most profound wonders of nature, from the origins of life to the future of our species.

The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race is a captivating narrative by Walter Isaacson, the acclaimed author of Steve Jobs and Leonardo da Vinci. The book delves into the remarkable journey of Jennifer Doudna, the trailblazing biochemist who co-discovered the groundbreaking gene-editing technology known as CRISPR-Cas9. With her groundbreaking work, Doudna has revolutionized the field of genetics, opening up new avenues for treating diseases, improving crop yields, and potentially eradicating certain genetic disorders.

Isaacson masterfully weaves a tapestry of scientific breakthroughs, personal anecdotes, and ethical contemplations, providing readers with a comprehensive understanding of the implications of gene editing. He meticulously chronicles Doudna's life from her early fascination with science as a child to her pivotal role in the CRISPR discovery. The book vividly captures the excitement and challenges of scientific research, the rivalries and collaborations that shape the academic landscape, and the ethical quandaries that accompany the power to alter the very building blocks of life.

Isaacson delves deep into the technical intricacies of gene editing, explaining the science behind CRISPR in accessible terms without sacrificing scientific rigor. He explores the wide-ranging applications of this technology, from the potential to cure genetic diseases like sickle cell anemia and cystic fibrosis to the development of gene therapies that could eradicate HIV and malaria. The book also addresses the ethical, social, and legal implications of gene editing, raising questions about the boundaries of human intervention and the potential for unintended consequences.

The Code Breaker is more than just a biography; it's a chronicle of a scientific revolution and a profound exploration of the power of human ingenuity. Through Doudna's story, Isaacson sheds light on the transformative potential of science to solve some of the world's most pressing challenges and improve the human condition. It's a must-read for anyone interested in science, genetics, medicine, and the future of humanity.