Description
Book SynopsisThe history of one of the most important and dramatic episodes in modern science, recounted from the novel vantage point of the dawn of the information age and its impact on representations of nature, heredity, and society.
Trade Review"[
Who Wrote the Book of Life] offers a convincing and historically rich analysis of the origins and ongoing negotiations involved in the production of the genetic code. . . . Kay is doing the work of mapping cultural shifts through tracing discursive circles of influence—not an easy task. The book has many strengths."—
Canadian Journal of Communication"
Who Wrote the Book of Life? is, in general, carefully researched and technically accurate. It is a veritable treasure trove of quotations, citations and interesting information relating to its historical period."—
American Scientist"The entire book is fascinating and well written, unfolding more as a grand epic of the ways in which scientists work and think, rather than as a standard philosophical or historical treatise. The book is also an invaluable resource due to its exhaustive notes and reference sections. Highly recommended for all interested readers, undergraduates and up."—
ChoiceTable of ContentsPreface Abbreviations 1. The genetic code: imaginaries and practices 2. Spaces of specificity: the discourse of molecular biology before the age of information 3. Production of discourse: cybernetics, information, life 4. Scriptural technologies: genetic codes in the 1950s 5. The Pasteur connection: Cyberne;tique Enzymatique, Gene Informateur, and Messenger RNA 6. Matter of information: writing genetic codes in the 1960s 7. In the beginning was the wor(l)d Conclusion Notes Index.
