When Jennifer Doudna was in sixth grade, she came home one day and discovered that her father had left James Watson's book The Double Helix on her bed. She thought it was one of the crime stories she loved so much. When she read it, she found that, in a way, she was right. As she devoured the pages, she was captivated by the intense competition in the quest for the code of life. And even though her school counselor said that girls don’t become scientists, she decided she would.

Driven by her passion to understand how nature works, she helped achieve the most significant advancement in biology since Watson discovered the structure of DNA. Along with her collaborators, she made an invention that would change humanity – CRISPR. An easy-to-use tool capable of modifying DNA. CRISPR opened a wonderful new world of medical wonders but also raised many ethical dilemmas.

The development of CRISPR, with its most recent application being the rapid creation of vaccines for the coronavirus, will accelerate our transition into the next big revolution. The past half-century has been a digital age based on microprocessors, computers, and the internet. Now we are entering a revolution in the life sciences, which brings forth a series of ethical questions.

After helping invent CRISPR, Jennifer Doudna took the lead in addressing these ethical issues and, along with her collaborator, Emmanuelle Charpentier, was awarded the Nobel Prize in 2020. Her story resembles a "thrilling detective novel" (Oprah Daily) that deals with the greatest wonders of nature, from the origins of life to the future of the human species.

A unique book that delves into one of the most revolutionary biological discoveries of our time. “Isaacson captures the scientific process well, including the role that luck plays. The hard work at the bench, the sudden inspirations, the importance of conferences as 'cauldrons' of creativity, competition, sometimes friendly and sometimes not, and the sense of a common purpose – all of these are presented in his narrative. The Code of Life describes a dance to the music of our times, which began with Charles Darwin and Gregor Mendel, showing no signs of finishing.”

–The Economist

“Isaacson explains everything with his usual incisive prose; a quick, exciting, even entertaining read. You will close the book with a deeper understanding of science and scientific practice – including many curiosities.”

–The Washington Post

“Isaacson describes science at its most thrilling in this vibrant biography of Jennifer Doudna, Nobel Prize winner for her work on the CRISPR gene-editing system… The result is a gripping account of a major scientific breakthrough and the dedicated scientists who made it happen.”

–Publisher’s Weekly (starred review)

“Isaacson deftly probes the ethical uncertainties surrounding this new technology.”

–Scientific American