This is the only book written by someone working in the field that deals with the history of gene action. As a college student, Werner Maas took a course in genetics in 1941 and wondered why so little was said about the biochemical action of genes in controlling the specific function of an organism. Just at that time, biochemists and geneticists began to investigate jointly the basis of gene action, especially in microorganisms. Thus, Maas was able to witness firsthand the spectacular developments that led in the next twenty-five years to a clear picture of the action of genes. The history of these remarkable discoveries is the core of this book.
After 1965, building on insights gained from the work with microorganisms, studies of gene action turned to animals and plants and concentrated on processes not present in microorganisms, such as embryonic development, the role of genes in diseases, and the function of the nervous system. Because of the rapidity of technical advances made in handling genes, it has been possible to learn much about these complex processes. The last part of the book deals with these developments, which are ongoing parts of the history of gene action.
Industry Reviews
From reviews of the manuscript:
"Werner Maas has been part of the tidal movement of molecular biology since he was a graduate student in genetics at Columbia, almost 60 years ago. Informed by that close involvement, he has gone far beyond it in recounting the intricate story of gene action, with its innumerable actors and several Nobel Prizes. We get insightful glimpses into such personalities as Jacques Monod, Francois Jacob, George Beadle, Leo Szilard, Bernard Davis, and many others,
whose luck in place and time conjured with their conceptual brilliance and experimental ingenuity to reveal for us the concrete clockwork machinery of the cell. So much has been written about the double
helix, about gene structure, it is a valuable complement to see how these intricate parts play with one another to generate the dynamical drama of the living, functional organism."Joshua Lederberg, professor-emeritus, The Rockefeller University.
"This is a wonderful book. Maas, now 78, was involved in at least a minor role in the whole development beginning with his first work at Cal Tech in 1946. This permits him to give personal insight into the personalities, temperament, and even physical appearances of the principals." --Victor McKusick, Institute of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University
"It was great fun to read this manuscript. The style is charming. The book, although very short, contains a lot of genetic information and reveals, in clear language, the intellectual paths that geneticists have followed in making many of the major scientific discoveries of the past century.It is filled with useful nuggets of genetics history." --Millard Susman, Laboratory of Genetics, University of Wisconsin
From reviews of the manuscript:
"Werner Maas has been part of the tidal movement of molecular biology since he was a graduate student in genetics at Columbia, almost 60 years ago. Informed by that close involvement, he has gone far beyond it in recounting the intricate story of gene action, with its innumerable actors and several Nobel Prizes. We get insightful glimpses into such personalities as Jacques Monod, Francois Jacob, George Beadle, Leo Szilard, Bernard Davis, and many others,
whose luck in place and time conjured with their conceptual brilliance and experimental ingenuity to reveal for us the concrete clockwork machinery of the cell. So much has been written about the double
helix, about gene structure, it is a valuable complement to see how these intricate parts play with one another to generate the dynamical drama of the living, functional organism."Joshua Lederberg, professor-emeritus, The Rockefeller University.
"This is a wonderful book. Maas, now 78, was involved in at least a minor role in the whole development beginning with his first work at Cal Tech in 1946. This permits him to give personal insight into the personalities, temperament, and even physical appearances of the principals." --Victor McKusick, Institute of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University
"It was great fun to read this manuscript. The style is charming. The book, although very short, contains a lot of genetic information and reveals, in clear language, the intellectual paths that geneticists have followed in making many of the major scientific discoveries of the past century.It is filled with useful nuggets of genetics history." --Millard Susman, Laboratory of Genetics, University of Wisconsin
BHM 76 #4, 12/02
