The Character of Life Watson and Crick, in their respective accounts of the discovery of the structure of DNA, both cited “What is Life” as their source of inspiration. It’s amazing how a physicist’s insights triggered a breakthrough in molecular biology. Schrödinger, based on the principles of quantum mechanics and thermodynamics and very limited experimental data, deduced with amazing accuracy the size and character of the genetic material, later known […]
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“The Double Helix” by James D. Watson
Comparing this book with Francis Crick’s “What Mad Pursuit”, which covers the discovery of the structure of DNA from a different perspective, I enjoy reading Crick a lot more. While this book provides a more colorful account of the lives and characteristics of the scientists involved in the work, I find Crick’s insightful and humorous commentaries on scientific discovery more stimulating and refreshing.
Read more“What Mad Pursuit” by Francis Crick
An Extraordinary Journey Dr. Crick shares with the readers his personal journey of scientific discovery. Starting with how he chose molecular biology as his pursuit, the “gossip test — what you are really interested in is what you gossip about”, leading up to the discovery of structure of DNA and the genetic code, and eventually the study of neurobiology when he passed 60, “at my time of life I had […]
Read more“Synaptic Self” by Joseph LeDoux
Well-structured and comprehensive overview of the historical development and recent advances in neuroscience, with focus on the functional architecture of the brain, especially the amygdala and working memory. I read this book shortly after “In Search of Memory” by Eric Kandel. There are some overlaps between the two, but overall they complement each other very well, approaching the same problems from different perspectives.
Read more“Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain” by Oliver Sacks
A comprehensive overview of the various aspects of musicality and the relationship between music and the mind, especially emotion and memory. Although I didn’t gain any further insights into the neural correlates of musicality (than what I’ve already learned from his other book “The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat”), I enjoyed stories of people whose lives are intimately bound with and affected by music. Links Oliver Sacks […]
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Understanding Mental Illness “Nothing is to be feared, but to be understood.” This is perhaps true especially in the cases of mental disorders. There are few things more devastating than losing one’s mind or the control of one’s body. If we can understand the cause of the disorder, however, we may be able to find a cure, or at least come to term with it. This books details some of […]
Read more“In Search of Memory” by Eric Kandel
A Good Mystery Novel Kandel tells the story of how fascination with memory has led him to a life-long search for the biological underpinning of memory and consciousness. It’s part autobiography and part textbook, but reads like a good mystery novel. I could hardly put it down until I finished it. His writing is very fluid and concise, and he inserts figures at just the right junctures to illustrate and […]
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