Used Book Review: A Life Decoded

In the late 1990's, it seemed all the science buzz was focused on the race to sequence the entire human genome. Two teams, using two different approaches, were trying to complete the genome, and unlock a new world of science. In the book A Life Decoded: My Genome: My Life , Craig Venter tells the story of his group's struggles, and ultimate triumph in the genome mapping race. The book also chronicles Venter's unusual path to genetic science from his days at a Vietnam battlefield hospital.

While the numerous players Venter mentions in the human genome effort can be hard to keep straight at times, an attentive reader is rewarded with a fascinating look at not only the science, but perhaps even more so, the politics behind arguably the most important scientific discovery in human history. 

These days Venter heads his own institute, focusing on the creation of completely artificial organisms; microscopic creatures that could help solve the energy problems/pollution around the world. The book ends without much of a conclusion, but that is in part because Venter's story continues, and the second act may prove just as momentous as the first.