Get our latest book recommendations, author news, and competitions right to your inbox.
Table of Contents
About The Book
'The Code Breaker’s confident, cinematic style makes Crispr accessible like never before, taking readers on a journey that is exciting, as well as ethically treacherous.' – The Financial Times
'A page-turner. It weaves history and contemporary events into a narrative propelled by the career of its protagonist, Jennifer Doudna.' – The Economist
‘Nobody knows this stuff and these people, and explains them, quite like Isaacson. If you need to know about CRISPR – and you do – this is the place to start.' – The Sunday Times
The best-selling author of Leonardo da Vinci and Steve Jobs returns.
In 2012, Nobel Prize winning scientist Jennifer Doudna hit upon an invention that will transform the future of the human race: an easy-to-use tool that can edit DNA.
Known as CRISPR, it opened a brave new world of medical miracles and moral questions. It has already been deployed to cure deadly diseases, fight the coronavirus pandemic of 2020, and make inheritable changes in the genes of babies.
But what does that mean for humanity? Should we be hacking our own DNA to make us less susceptible to disease? Should we democratise the technology that would allow parents to enhance their kids?
After discovering this CRISPR, Doudna is now wrestling these even bigger issues.
The Code Breaker is an examination of how life as we know it is about to change – and a brilliant portrayal of the woman leading the way.
'The Code Breaker’s confident, cinematic style makes Crispr accessible like never before, taking readers on a journey that is exciting, as well as ethically treacherous.' The Financial Times
'The CRISPR history holds obvious appeal for Walter Isaacson, a biographer of Albert Einstein, Benjamin Franklin, Steve Jobs and Leonardo da Vinci. In “The Code Breaker” he reprises several of his previous themes — science, genius, experiment, code, thinking different — and devotes a full length book to a female subject for the first time. Jennifer Doudna, a genuine heroine for our time, may be the code breaker of the book’s title, but she is only part of Isaacson’s story... The Code Breaker” is in some respects a journal of our 2020 plague year. By the final chapter, Isaacson has enrolled in a vaccine trial' - New York Times
‘Nobody knows this stuff and these people, and explains them, quite like Isaacson. If you need to know about CRISPR — and you do — this is the place to start' - The Sunday Times
'A page-turner. It weaves history and contemporary events into a narrative propelled by the career of its protagonist, Jennifer Doudna.' – The Economist
‘Nobody knows this stuff and these people, and explains them, quite like Isaacson. If you need to know about CRISPR – and you do – this is the place to start.' – The Sunday Times
The best-selling author of Leonardo da Vinci and Steve Jobs returns.
In 2012, Nobel Prize winning scientist Jennifer Doudna hit upon an invention that will transform the future of the human race: an easy-to-use tool that can edit DNA.
Known as CRISPR, it opened a brave new world of medical miracles and moral questions. It has already been deployed to cure deadly diseases, fight the coronavirus pandemic of 2020, and make inheritable changes in the genes of babies.
But what does that mean for humanity? Should we be hacking our own DNA to make us less susceptible to disease? Should we democratise the technology that would allow parents to enhance their kids?
After discovering this CRISPR, Doudna is now wrestling these even bigger issues.
The Code Breaker is an examination of how life as we know it is about to change – and a brilliant portrayal of the woman leading the way.
'The Code Breaker’s confident, cinematic style makes Crispr accessible like never before, taking readers on a journey that is exciting, as well as ethically treacherous.' The Financial Times
'The CRISPR history holds obvious appeal for Walter Isaacson, a biographer of Albert Einstein, Benjamin Franklin, Steve Jobs and Leonardo da Vinci. In “The Code Breaker” he reprises several of his previous themes — science, genius, experiment, code, thinking different — and devotes a full length book to a female subject for the first time. Jennifer Doudna, a genuine heroine for our time, may be the code breaker of the book’s title, but she is only part of Isaacson’s story... The Code Breaker” is in some respects a journal of our 2020 plague year. By the final chapter, Isaacson has enrolled in a vaccine trial' - New York Times
‘Nobody knows this stuff and these people, and explains them, quite like Isaacson. If you need to know about CRISPR — and you do — this is the place to start' - The Sunday Times
About The Author
No credit
Walter Isaacson is the bestselling author of biographies of Jennifer Doudna, Leonardo da Vinci, Steve Jobs, Benjamin Franklin, and Albert Einstein. He is a professor of history at Tulane and was CEO of the Aspen Institute, chair of CNN, and editor of Time. He was awarded the National Humanities Medal in 2023. Visit him at Isaacson.Tulane.edu.
Product Details
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK (March 9, 2021)
- Length: 560 pages
- ISBN13: 9781398502314
Raves and Reviews
'The Code Breaker’s confident, cinematic style makes Crispr accessible like never before, taking readers on a journey that is exciting, as well as ethically treacherous.'
– Financial Times
'A page-turner ... The Code Breaker describes a dance to the music of time with these things as its steps, which began with Charles Darwin and Gregor Mendel and shows no sign of ending.'
– The Economist
‘Nobody knows this stuff and these people, and explains them, quite like Isaacson. If you need to know about CRISPR — and you do — this is the place to start.'
– The Sunday Times
'Compelling'
– The New Statesman
'An inspiring ride along perhaps the greatest frontier in science'
– The Independent
'He understands the tensions that drive discovery and how flawed brilliant people can be. This story was always guaranted to be a page-turner in his hands.'
– The Guardian
Resources and Downloads
High Resolution Images
- Book Cover Image (jpg): The Code Breaker Hardcover 9781398502314
- Author Photo (jpg): Walter Isaacson No credit(0.1 MB)
Any use of an author photo must include its respective photo credit
