author : Sam Kean

This is the course guidebook that accompanies the 12 lecture “Great Course” of the same name. It is essentially an abbreviated transcript of each lecture, a few pictures, and some related reading. (I watched the lectures, which is what I am reviewing here, and am using the book simply as an aide-memoire.)

The history here covers partly the evolution of DNA over the aeons (mutations that made up human, mutations after that), and also the discovery and decipherment of DNA over the last century or so (from Mendel to Crick and Watson, to Venter, Doudna, and more). We get descriptions of the personalities, and of the science, but it is more of an overview than a deep dive into either. Good as an introduction, but not a lot is further ‘unlocked’.