Join Amazon Prime and get unlimited Free One-Day Delivery. Already a member? Sign in.

 

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
   
More Buying Choices
25 used & new from £3.00
 
   
A Life Decoded: My Genome: My Life (Allen Lane Science)
 
 
Share your own customer images
Search inside this book

A Life Decoded: My Genome: My Life (Allen Lane Science) (Hardcover)

by J. Craig Venter (Author)
4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
RRP: £25.00
Price: £16.25 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save: £8.75 (35%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.

Only 1 left in stock--order soon.

Want guaranteed delivery by Saturday, July 11? Choose Express delivery at checkout. See Details
18 new from £5.46 7 used from £3.00
Other Editions: RRP: Our Price: Other Offers:
Hardcover 23 used & new from £2.45
Paperback (Reprint) 16 used & new from £1.50
Unknown Binding (Unabridged) Order it used

Frequently Bought Together

Customers buy this book with Avoid Boring People: And other lessons from a life in science by James D. Watson

A Life Decoded: My Genome: My Life (Allen Lane Science) + Avoid Boring People: And other lessons from a life in science
Price For Both: £26.74

Show availability and shipping details

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Avoid Boring People: And other lessons from a life in science

Avoid Boring People: And other lessons from a life in science

by James D. Watson
2.5 out of 5 stars (2)  £10.49
Genome War, the

Genome War, the

by Shreeve James
£9.77
The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window into Human Nature

The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window into Human Nature

by Steven Pinker
3.0 out of 5 stars (2)  £21.25
Bad Science

Bad Science

by Ben Goldacre
4.6 out of 5 stars (141)  £4.85
The Oxford Book of Modern Science Writing

The Oxford Book of Modern Science Writing

by Richard Dawkins
4.8 out of 5 stars (13)  £13.99
› Explore similar items

Product details

Product Description

Sunday Times
'This book marks the beginning of something new. It is the first molecular biography...Venter's account is never less than engaging'

Nature
`maverick, publicity hound, risk-taker, brash, controversial, genius, manic, rebellious, visionary, audacious, arrogant, feisty, determined, provocative. His autobiography shows they are all justified'

See all Product Description
Inside This Book (Learn More)
Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
Search inside this book:

Suggested Tags from Similar Products

 (What's this?)
Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
Check a corresponding box or enter your own tags in the field below
(3)
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)
(3)
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

A Life Decoded: My Genome: My Life (Penguin Press Science)
54% buy
A Life Decoded: My Genome: My Life (Penguin Press Science)
£6.49
A Life Decoded: My Genome: My Life (Allen Lane Science)
28% buy the item featured on this page:
A Life Decoded: My Genome: My Life (Allen Lane Science) 4.7 out of 5 stars (3)
£16.25
Avoid Boring People: And other lessons from a life in science
8% buy
Avoid Boring People: And other lessons from a life in science 2.5 out of 5 stars (2)
£10.49
Bad Science
7% buy
Bad Science 4.6 out of 5 stars (141)
£4.85
Explore similar items
 

Customer Reviews

3 Reviews
5 star:
 (2)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.7 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Life in the fast lane, 24 Nov 2007
By brian sweeney "gas man" (dorset uk) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
Although essentially a biography of Craig Venter, the book is more than this. It is an up-to-date account of the very latest developments in genomic science. The book is also one side of the somewhat accrimonious dispute regarding the ownership of the human genome. Venter, the enfent-terrible of science, gives a detailed and exciting blow by blow account of the race to sequence the human genome. On one side the entrepreneurs and on the other side the government sponsored consortium determined to keep the genome in the public domaine. Although primarily a book for the initiated, this is a fast-moving thriller written by a born story-teller. At times the science is challenging for those without prior knowledge or interest in the field. Throughout however, there is Venter at the sharp-end of science continually pressing forward with new ideas, breaking all the existing rules and inventing new ones as he goes. Throughout the book there are clever references on the side, to various genes from Venters own genome which he has sequenced. Venter gives a description of the relevant gene and the implications of the particular genetic variant in terms of his future health. This is in itself unique.

Venter is a man driven, both in the laboratory and behind the wheel of his expensive yachts which he sails with a passion. There is only one thought in Venter's mind- success at any price. This book is a must for anyone wanting a current perspective of genomic science written by one of the leaders in the field.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Build me an alien soon Craig - you should have been in Star Trek, 1 Jan 2008
By R. Bannerman (Nottingham UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
Perhaps I'm being unkind but Craig is one of those people whose every life experience somehow has to surpass those of anyone else, you know the sort, his story always tops yours, his anecdote is always the ultimate. He's done it faster, bigger and better than you. But that's my only complaint - this is a fascinating biography set in the fast growing field
of molecular biology and it must be well written because it held my attention despite my complete ignorance of biology, molecular or otherwise. Of course its all about Craig and the essential point is that he pioneered the full sequencing/reading of a human genome (program code). Hithertoo I had the impression that Craig was an unscrupulous villain tryng to steal the secrets of our DNA and lock them up for profit. This book sets the record straight. Craig has been sinned against - on the one hand by greedy capitalists who sought to exploit him - and on the other by petty bureaucrats abetted by jealous academics who sought to stiffle him or steal his laurels. No wonder Craig has to pop off on his latest yacht every now and again and have a larger scale man v. nature adventure - but you can skip his yacht excursions without compromising the rest of the book. Finally, I'm sorry to say that Big Jim Watson doesn't emerge very well from this tale. I've long harboured (Cold Spring Harbour ?) a fond image of Watson and Crick rushing into the Eagle that famous Saturday lunchtime in January 1953 and woofing back pints of Abbott to celebrate discovering the meaning of life - and no one in the pub knew what they were talking about! Now my image is a bit dashed, as the "father" of DNA, Jim was no help to Craig's decodering endevours at all - it looks like he was obstructive and possibly devious. Another hero struck off. Good job Craig can take his place. This book is about Craig and molecular biology so far - his next book is going to be about the future. Bring it on !
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
4.0 out of 5 stars Meet the controversial scientist who deciphered the human genome, 16 Dec 2008
By Rolf Dobelli "getAbstract.com" (Switzerland) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
This review is from: A Life Decoded: My Genome: My Life (Hardcover)
J. Craig Venter says he is one of the "leading scientists of the 21st century," and he is. Venter is a brilliant visionary and pioneer in genomic research. He was first to decode the full DNA of a living organism, the bacterium Haemophilus influenzae. Later, Venter moved up significantly in scientific class by completing the DNA sequence of the human genome. Feverishly ambitious, he is now researching ocean genomes in hopes of finding new fuel sources and of becoming the first scientist to create artificial life. Venter does nothing halfway, hence his designation by Time magazine as one of the world's 100 most influential people. Yet, in scientific circles, he has also earned some disdain as an egotistical "wild man of biotech." Many scientists see his use of his own DNA in the human genome project as a shocking lack of scientific decorum. He comes across, in his own words, as narcissistic. This self-absorption, and his pervasive portrayal of himself as an altruistic purist constantly battling bureaucratic philistines, interferes with his story about how he cracked the human genome code. Clearly, it's not easy being a genius, but it sure is interesting, and so getAbstract recommends Venter's account of his scientific achievements.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)
This product's forum (0 discussions)
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
  No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
  [Cancel]


Active discussions in related forums
   
Related forums

Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category

Feedback

Fun for Everyone

Christmas Gifts
Achieve over 15,000 RPM with our great range of Powerballs.

›Shop the Powerball store

  

Up to 75% off Shoes

Shoe Clearance - 75% off Shoes
Save up to 75% on shoes for the whole family.

›Shop clearance shoes

  

Boys Smell

Lynx Africa Body Spray and After Shave Gift set
But we make sure they smell good...

›Discover male grooming at Amazon.co.uk

  

Treat Someone

Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificates--available in any amount from £5 to £500 With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is).

›Learn more about Gift Certificates

  
Ad

Where's My Stuff?

Delivery and Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)
You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.
Continue Shopping: Top Sellers
The Girl Who Played with Fire
The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson
4.5 out of 5 stars (72)£3.86
 Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga)
Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga) by Stephenie Meyer
4.1 out of 5 stars (458)£6.49
 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
4.1 out of 5 stars (161)£3.99
 The Host
The Host by Stephenie Meyer
4.2 out of 5 stars (80)£3.86

amazon.co.uk Amazon Home
International Sites:  United States  |  Germany  |  France  |  Japan  |  Canada  |  China
Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Fulfilment by Amazon  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage
Customer Service  |  Help  |  View Basket  |  Your Account
About Amazon.co.uk  |  Careers at Amazon
Conditions of Use & Sale |  Privacy Notice  © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. and its affiliates