Scan barcode
greeniezona's review against another edition
4.0
When asked to name women in science, Rosalind Franklin is always high on my list. Yet before reading this book, I knew only the barest facts about her: that she was gifted at x-ray crystallography, that Watson & Crick's DNA model would have been impossible (or really, terribly inaccurate) without her, and that her results were used by them in a questionable and poorly acknowledged manner. That's it. It was high time I read this book.
Thoroughly researched, this seems as an authoritative account of Franklin's life as one is likely to get. It starts slow, with an extensive exploration of Franklin's family -- parents, grandparents, uncles, their status, etc. I am sure it was helpful in establishing a complete portrait of Rosalind, but it was a bit of a chore to slog through.
But once Rosalind was on the scene, it was hard not to adore (and later sympathize with) her. She was smart, opinionated, and driven -- qualities the world of science (as well as the world in general) was badly prepared to appreciate in a woman. Still, she forged a way for herself, and authored an amazing number of peer-reviewed publications on some of the most pressing scientific problems of the day.
Surprisingly, at the end of the book I was less irritated on Franklin's behalf, and more just irritated (in a tired way) with Watson's immature self-aggrandizement, and disillusioned with the whole Nobel process. The primary difference between this book and The Double Helix is that Watson's little book is still clinging to a narrative in which great scientific breakthroughs are made by one or two people thinking in a room, whereas this book makes a solid case that modern science is group work.
Sometimes dry, but highly recommended.
Thoroughly researched, this seems as an authoritative account of Franklin's life as one is likely to get. It starts slow, with an extensive exploration of Franklin's family -- parents, grandparents, uncles, their status, etc. I am sure it was helpful in establishing a complete portrait of Rosalind, but it was a bit of a chore to slog through.
But once Rosalind was on the scene, it was hard not to adore (and later sympathize with) her. She was smart, opinionated, and driven -- qualities the world of science (as well as the world in general) was badly prepared to appreciate in a woman. Still, she forged a way for herself, and authored an amazing number of peer-reviewed publications on some of the most pressing scientific problems of the day.
Surprisingly, at the end of the book I was less irritated on Franklin's behalf, and more just irritated (in a tired way) with Watson's immature self-aggrandizement, and disillusioned with the whole Nobel process. The primary difference between this book and The Double Helix is that Watson's little book is still clinging to a narrative in which great scientific breakthroughs are made by one or two people thinking in a room, whereas this book makes a solid case that modern science is group work.
Sometimes dry, but highly recommended.
dairyqueen84's review
3.0
This summer I had an urge to read something about Rosalind Franklin, the scientist who actually discovered the structure of DNA and died young at 37. I liked this biography but I was struck by how often the author quoted friends, colleagues, and associates who commented on Franklin's looks...she was "quite striking," "pretty." I guess it was the 1940s and '50s and that was how women were judged but I thought it was excessive. Now I want to read The Double Helix by James Watson.
shrimpppyyy's review
4.0
This is a hard book to review. The content is great, if not overly meticulous, but it is not represented in a way that compels you to turn the pages. I would suggest people read this book because Rosalind Franklin was a fascinating and fierce woman.
Warning: You will step away from this book thinking Francis Crick and James Watson are the biggest dicks and deserve little credit other than being dicks.
Warning: You will step away from this book thinking Francis Crick and James Watson are the biggest dicks and deserve little credit other than being dicks.
ailiem's review
adventurous
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
Wow what a book!! Such a fascinating interpretation of Rosalind Franklin’s life. I found the way the DNA story was set amongst her life and other scientific works! Her attitude to life was fascinating and inspiring for someone wanting to pursue scientific research. The subtle feminist angle and the backdrop of antisemitism and WW2 made for a fascinating read and seemed essential for understanding ‘the dark lady of DNA’
katebb76's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting book about an incredible scientist but dry and too focused on small details for my liking. Maybe this was to try to give an in-depth portrayal of Rosalind Franklin's character but was unnecessary for me.
ahsenusta's review
5.0
Anyone who has read James Watson’s ‘The Double Helix’ where Rosalind Franklin is completely misrepresented as an incompetent, emotional woman in a man’s world joining the DNA discovery bandwagon must read this much more accurate and inspiring biography. Rosalind’s life, character, and contributions to science deserve to be recognised and celebrated. She was a woman of strength and intelligence who contributed 37 scientific publications in her brief 37 years on Earth. The most astonishing fact I retrieved from this book among many others is probably the unashamed way in which Wilkins (her boss and colleague) went behind her back and shared her unpublished data with Watson and Crick which led to their finding of the DNA model. While Wilkins made the undeserving profit of sharing the Nobel prize with the Cambridge pair, Rosalind got the lousy gift of sharing the name of one of King’s College London’s institutional buildings together with the man she despised most. The Franklin-Wilkins building in KCL’s Waterloo campus will forever be a bitter reminder of the misogynistic attitude of male scientists in the 20th century and how they were allowed to get away with it, and most of its students will remain unaware of the irony unless of course they read this eye-opening book.
mandi_m's review against another edition
3.0
A fascinating story. We should all know more about women like Rosalind and the role they play in important discoveries.
orangesquidbooks's review
informative
slow-paced
0.25
The author wrote a biography for James Watson. Rather than giving her a good background for attempting this biography, it instead gives her a huge bias against Rosalind. She also has no scientific background, leaving her unable to properly explain the concepts in layman’s terms.
The way the novel is laid out is abysmal. She quotes and cites sources that are inaccessible and difficult to ascertain where they are from. Her main source is James Watson himself. Anyone even vaguely familiar with Rosalind’s story, or any of Watson’s disgusting misogynistic, antisemitic, or homophobic comments, will understand why this is an issue.
Indeed, the author seems to have some issues with feminism or women herself, with the constant misogynistic comments spread throughout the book. She seems to have an issue with Rosalind not having a known romantic relationship, insisting that any man she comes into contact must have had a secret relationship with her.
The way that the author comments on Rosalind’s Jewish heritage is also not handled with care, and teeters on prejudices many times.
TLDR; author is prejudiced towards James Watson and has organized the book badly. I would strongly recommend another biography about Rosalind Franklin.
The way the novel is laid out is abysmal. She quotes and cites sources that are inaccessible and difficult to ascertain where they are from. Her main source is James Watson himself. Anyone even vaguely familiar with Rosalind’s story, or any of Watson’s disgusting misogynistic, antisemitic, or homophobic comments, will understand why this is an issue.
Indeed, the author seems to have some issues with feminism or women herself, with the constant misogynistic comments spread throughout the book. She seems to have an issue with Rosalind not having a known romantic relationship, insisting that any man she comes into contact must have had a secret relationship with her.
The way that the author comments on Rosalind’s Jewish heritage is also not handled with care, and teeters on prejudices many times.
TLDR; author is prejudiced towards James Watson and has organized the book badly. I would strongly recommend another biography about Rosalind Franklin.
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexism and Antisemitism
danielgwood's review against another edition
4.0
A thoroughly enjoyable read about a scientist I was only vaguely aware of beforehand. Brings home that Franklin was an excellent and renowned scientist even without her major contributions to the cracking of DNA.
A balanced and level-headed look at the relationship between Franklin, Watson and Crick also, which was a lot more complicated than it has been portrayed by some. Watson and Crick based their discovery on Franklin's hard work (as well as many other scientists), obtained her data without her knowledge, and subsequently got all the credit. However, both helped her in her career afterwards, and Crick in particular seems to have become a friend. While it doesn't excuse her omission from the history books, or their early behaviour towards her (and Watson's later book), it is fair to say it was a bit more complicated than that.
Easy-reading throughout, and a well-rounded portrayal of an intrepid traveler, great scientist and lively person. Would recommend.
A balanced and level-headed look at the relationship between Franklin, Watson and Crick also, which was a lot more complicated than it has been portrayed by some. Watson and Crick based their discovery on Franklin's hard work (as well as many other scientists), obtained her data without her knowledge, and subsequently got all the credit. However, both helped her in her career afterwards, and Crick in particular seems to have become a friend. While it doesn't excuse her omission from the history books, or their early behaviour towards her (and Watson's later book), it is fair to say it was a bit more complicated than that.
Easy-reading throughout, and a well-rounded portrayal of an intrepid traveler, great scientist and lively person. Would recommend.