Review by Choice Review
This addition to a small genre of autobiographical books by Nobel science laureates is eminently readable. The author is a citizen of the world, having worked and studied at half-dozen places in the US and UK. Born in India to parents who had international training in biochemistry and psychology, married to an American artist who writes and illustrates children's books, he brings a broad perspective to his research. With great perceptiveness, Ramakrishnan leads readers through complex techniques and technologies to the final goal of describing how ribosomes translate genetic information into functional proteins. Many illustrations enhance descriptions of the players in the game--and the pieces that they move about--to finally capture the ribosome in action, allowing a dynamic story to emerge. He also describes how the game is played, giving sharp insights into the convoluted ways of science, describing how and where he acquired useful knowledge, how he interacted with the many other players, and how the game ends. Always gracious, writing eloquently, Ramakrishnan's story is truly worthy of the dust jacket quotes and worth a reader's time. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty and professionals; general readers. --Lawrence C. Davis, Kansas State University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Ramakrishnan, winner of the 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on the ribosome, shares his excitement about the scientific process in this enlightening if pedestrian memoir. As he traces his journey from India to the United States to attend graduate school at Miami University in Ohio, through various research and teaching positions in the U.S. and England, three things become clear: Ramakrishnan is an incredibly talented scientist; he is a kind and generous person; and he is a workmanlike writer. He describes the process and challenges of mapping the ribosome, the part of every cell that enables proteins to be constructed, in almost excruciating detail (while diligently giving appropriate credit to his collaborators and competitors). He is at his best reflecting upon the nature of the scientific enterprise, as when explaining that the "willingness to challenge is the great thing about science: no matter how important a discovery, people will attack any parts of it that they think are not right." Ramakrishnan also reflects on the politics of scientific awards, including the Nobel Prize, humbly noting that many well-deserving people are overlooked. Despite this work's literary shortcomings, one can't help celebrating with Ramakrishnan when, near his story's conclusion, the call from Stockholm arrives. Agent: John Brockman, John Brockman Inc. (Nov.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A skillful memoir and account of groundbreaking research by the winner of the 2009 Nobel Prize in chemistry.Ramakrishnanthe senior scientist at the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge and president of the Royal Society in Londonarrived in the United States in 1971 and obtained a doctorate in theoretical physics, but then he lost interest and devoted his life to biology. The author won his prize for his role in determining the structure of the ribosome. Anyone who has taken high school biology knows that the DNA inside each cell guides the assembly of small molecules into huge onesproteinsthat make up every living creature. DNA, discovered in the 1860s, is simple; in the 1950s, learning how it worked jump-started a revolution in biology. Protein assembly occurs in the ribosome, which is complex. Each cell contains millions. Soon after it was first observed in 1955, scientists sought to learn more. Years after joining their efforts, Ramakrishnan realized that "after forty years of trying to solve how ribosomes work by chemical methods alone," it was impossible "without a more detailed knowledge of the structure." Working mostly through X-ray crystallography, he and his lab staff gradually teased out its precise makeup. Rewards and famemostly within the scientific communityfollowed. The author also delivers a portrait of the ribosome that will satisfy even undemanding readers. Very few will understand his explanation of crystallography, but it doesn't matter. Readers will accept that it's a maddeningly difficult technique as they take in a vivid description of 20 years of frustration, tedium, and improvisation as he slowly approached his goal.An entertaining account of a peripatetic career, academic infighting, and the colorful, charismatic, or eccentric mentors, colleagues, and competitors the author encountered as well as an often cynical view of the scientific establishment. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
