The triumphant memoir of the man behind one of the greatest feats in scientific history Of all the scientific achievements of the past century, perhaps none can match the deciphering of the human genetic code, both for its technical brilliance and for its implications for our future. In A Life Decoded, J. Craig Venter traces his rise from an uninspired student to one of the most fascinating and controversial figures in science today. Here, Venter relates the unparalleled drama of the quest to decode the human genome?a goal he predicted he could achieve years earlier and more cheaply than the government-sponsored Human Genome Project, and one that he fulfilled in 2001. A thrilling story of detection, A Life Decoded is also a revealing, and often troubling, look at how science is practiced today.

A Life Decoded: My Genome: My Life

Biographies & Memoirs

Venter, J. Craig

Professionals & Academics

Penguin Publishing Group

“Venter instills awe for biology as it is, and as it might become in our hands.” —Publishers Weekly On May 20, 2010, headlines around the world announced one of the most extraordinary accomplishments in modern science: the creation of the world’s first synthetic lifeform. In Life at the Speed of Light, scientist J. Craig Venter, best known for sequencing the human genome, shares the dramatic account of how he led a team of researchers in this pioneering effort in synthetic genomics—and how that work will have a profound impact on our existence in the years to come. This is a fascinating and authoritative study that provides readers an opportunity to ponder afresh the age-old question “What is life?” at the dawn of a new era of biological engineering.

Life at the Speed of Light: From the Double Helix to the Dawn of Digital Life

Science & Math

Biological Sciences

Penguin??Books

In 2010, scientists led by J. Craig Venter became the first to successfully create "synthetic life"-putting humankind at the threshold of the most important and exciting phase of biological research, one that will enable us to actually write the genetic code for designing new species to help us adapt and evolve for long-term survival. The science of synthetic genomics will have a profound impact on human existence, including chemical and energy generation, health, clean water and food production, environmental control, and possibly even our evolution.    In Life at the Speed of Light, Venter presents a fascinating and authoritative study of this emerging field from the inside-detailing its origins, current challenges and controversies, and projected effects on our lives. This scientific frontier provides an opportunity to ponder anew the age-old question "What is life?" and examine what we really mean by "playing God." Life at the Speed of Light is a landmark work, written by a visionary at the dawn of a new era of biological engineering.

ABACUS +

This important and exciting work brings together a high-calibre group of experts to discuss the practical application of genomic information to the development of drugs. Recent technological advances have led to a rapid acceleration in our ability to gather genetic data. The complete genetic sequences are now known for several organisms and accelerated programmes are in place for sequencing many other genomes, including human. The speed with which complete sequencing can be accomplished will continue to increase as new technologies come online. In principle, the scope for developing new diagnostic techniques and drugs is now greater than at any time in human history, but the pathway from genetic information to usable drug is a long and complex one. This major book covers such subjects as the current state of the art in squencing technology, the applications of these new technologies to sequencing the genomes of various organisms, and the challenge of proteomics. Additional contributions deal with legal and ethical implications of the new uses of genetic data, and functional genomics from the point of view of the pharmaceutical industry.

From Genome to Therapy: Integrating New Technologies with Drug Development - No. 229

Novartis Foundation

wiley

The renowned scientist and author of A Life Decoded examines the creation of life in the field of synthetic genomics.

VIKING

A leading genomic research scientists traces his lackluster education and military service in Vietnam before discovering his interest in scientific pursuits, his early achievements at the National Institutes of Health, and his sequencing of the first genome prior to the more expensive ventures of the Human Genome Project.

Viking Adult

“Will undoubtedly shape our understanding of the global ecosystem for decades to come.” 
―Siddhartha Mukherjee, author of The Emperor of All Maladies\nA celebrated genome scientist sails around the world, collecting tens of millions of marine microbes and revolutionizing our understanding of the microbiome that sustains us.\nUpon completing his historic work on the Human Genome Project, J. Craig Venter declared that he would sequence the genetic code of all life on earth. Thus began a fifteen-year quest to collect DNA from the world’s oldest and most abundant form of life: microbes. Boarding the Sorcerer II, a 100-foot sailboat turned research vessel, Venter traveled over 65,000 miles around the globe to sample ocean water and the microscopic life within.\nIn The Voyage of Sorcerer II, Venter and science writer David Ewing Duncan tell the remarkable story of these expeditions and of the momentous discoveries that ensued―of plant-like bacteria that get their energy from the sun, proteins that metabolize vast amounts of hydrogen, and microbes whose genes shield them from ultraviolet light. The result was a massive library of millions of unknown genes, thousands of unseen protein families, and new lineages of bacteria that revealed the unimaginable complexity of life on earth. Yet despite this exquisite diversity, Venter encountered sobering reminders of how human activity is disturbing the delicate microbial ecosystem that nurtures life on earth. In the face of unprecedented climate change, Venter and Duncan show how we can harness the microbial genome to develop alternative sources of energy, food, and medicine that might ultimately avert our destruction.\nA captivating story of exploration and discovery, The Voyage of Sorcerer II restores microbes to their rightful place as crucial partners in our evolutionary past and guides to our future.

The Voyage of Sorcerer II: The Expedition That Unlocked the Secrets of the Ocean’s Microbiome

Duncan, David Ewing

Belknap Press: An Imprint of Harvard University Press

Growing up in California, J. Craig Venter didn't appear to have much of a future. An unremarkable student, he nearly flunked out of high school. After being drafted into the army, he enlisted in the navy and went to Vietnam, where the life-and-death struggles he encountered as a medic piqued his interest in science and medicine. After pursuing his advanced degrees, Venter quickly established himself as a brilliant and outspoken scientist. In 1984, he joined the National Institutes of Health, where he introduced novel techniques for rapid gene discovery, and left in 1991 to form his own nonprofit genomics research center, where he sequenced the first genome in history in 1995. In 1998, he announced that he would successfully sequence the human genome years earlier and for far less money than the government-sponsored Human Genome Project would-a prediction that came to pass in 2001.A Life Decoded is the triumphant story of one of the most fascinating and controversial figures in science today. In this riveting and inspiring account, Venter tells of the unparalleled drama of the quest for the human genome, a tale that involves as much politics as science. He also reveals how he went on to be the first to read and interpret his own genome and what it will mean for all of us to do the same. He describes his recent sailing expedition to sequence microbial life in the ocean, as well as his groundbreaking attempt to create synthetic life. Here is one of the key scientific chronicles of our lifetime, as told by the man who beat the odds to make it happen.

A Life Decoded: My Genome---My Life

Tantor Audio

Business & Money

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Venter, J. Craig. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Venter, J. Craig

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Venter, J. Craig. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

A Life Decoded: My Genome: My Life

Life at the Speed of Light: From the Double Helix to the Dawn of Digital Life

Life at the Speed of Light: From the Double Helix to the Dawn of Digital Life

From Genome to Therapy: Integrating New Technologies with Drug Development - No. 229

Life at the Speed of Light: From the Double Helix to the Dawn of Digital Life

A Life Decoded: My Genome: My Life

The Voyage of Sorcerer II: The Expedition That Unlocked the Secrets of the Ocean’s Microbiome

A Life Decoded: My Genome---My Life

A Life Decoded: My Genome---My Life

A Life Decoded: My Genome---My Life