The Double HelixThe Double Helix
Score Classic
What it's about
James Watson tells the inside story of one of the key discoveries of the 20th century, the structure of DNA: how he, a young American, and Francis Crick raced rival scientists to solve it, and the egos, ambitions and accidents along the way.
Why it's worth reading
It's on the Modern Library, TIME and Guardian lists of the greatest nonfiction. It's a frank, gripping account of how science really works.
You'll love it if you liked
The Gene: An Intimate History
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
The Structure of Scientific RevolutionsGood to know
Its portrait of Rosalind Franklin, whose work was crucial, is widely criticized as unfair. It's short.
By the numbers
- Readers35 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics92 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller7 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #162 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #308 of the 762 classics we rank
- #1006 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story
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Quick answers
Is The Double Helix worth reading?
Yes. It's on the Modern Library, TIME and Guardian lists of the greatest nonfiction. It ranks #1,006 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 72.9 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Double Helix about?
James Watson tells the inside story of one of the key discoveries of the 20th century, the structure of DNA: how he, a young American, and Francis Crick raced rival scientists to solve it, and the egos, ambitions and accidents along the way.
How long does it take to read The Double Helix?
About 5 hours (189 pages), or about 10 days at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Double Helix?
If you liked it, try The Gene: An Intimate History by Siddhartha Mukherjee, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot or The Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Thomas S. Kuhn.