At the heart of every cell lies a collection of molecules that hold the key to biology's incredible diversity: DNA. In his 2003 book "DNA: The Secret of Life" molecular biologist James D Watson gives the reader an in depth tour of genetics, it's history, where it stands today and where it's going tomorrow. In the early 1950s Watson, along with Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins, codiscovered the hidden structure of DNA, for which they shared the 1962 Nobel Prize. That discovery is pretty well covered in "The Double Helix" so, if you've read that one, this book may be covering some familiar ground for you. But if you, like me, have not read TDH then DNA will serve as a good introduction to that era. Watson covers the early history of genetics starting in the early 19th century with Gregor Mendel and his work on heredity of the pea plants. The term "genetics" was coined about 1909 by a British biologist, William Bateson. But even before Mendel and Bateson people were thinking about heredity; theories like pangenesis and homunculus were popular for a time. Darwin proposed Natural Selection in 1859 but was troubled by not knowing a mechanism for his Theory of Evolution. Seven years later Mendel published his findings on pea plant heredity in an obscure Austrian/German journal but it took a long time before the two theories got together. The 20th century was a heady time for genetic research, competition between scientists reached an all time high as everyone searched for the correct molecular structure of DNA. Watson, having lived through those days, knew all those players in a professional, and sometimes personal, way. But when big business and the government got into the fray, things changed. With giant chemical companies investing millions into R&D, and expecting substantial profits in return, the days of free "exchange of knowledge" were over. Some scientists saw big business as an opportunity for unlimited research funding and for personal profit as well. Now the chemical companies, and some scientists, were seeking copyright patients on their discoveries so that anyone wishing to do additional research or even related research would have to pay-up first. Nowadays anything related to "genetics" is, for good or bad, in the public eye. Things like cloning, growth enhancement, GMO's in food and medicine are highly controversial for everyone; health care professionals, consumers, politicians and scientists as well. But no matter where you stand on these issues, you need to be well informed on the science involved and this book is a good starting point to that end. But there's more to genetics that the controversial issues mentioned above and Watson gives the reader an in depth look at the many different facets of this important science. Some of the topics covered are: the origin and evolution of life; medical research on human disease, genetic and otherwise; genetics in forensic law enforcement (like CSI); human evolution, how and when we came "out of Africa" and the Nature vs Nurture debate. Watson's writing is clear and informative, not to mention entertaining, and he gives a good overview of the history and workings of genetic research. You may not agree with everything the good professor has to say but after reading this book you'll have a clearer understanding of the issues. Filled with cutting edge science of the day DNA: The Secret of Life was scientifically up to date in 2003 but, like any science, a lot has changed since then. New findings and theories not withstanding this book is still as relevant and controversial as it was a decade ago. For the layperson reader DNA:SOL is a good jumping off place to newer publications and different authors in molecular biology and genetic research. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has a open, but skeptical, mind with some experience in reading science. I had no technical or formatting problems with this Kindle edition and, as far as I could tell, all the illustrations, charts and photos are included.Last Ranger