5 Important Biology Books That Every Biologist Should Read

Aspiring young scientists must stay current with the scientific literature. However, we all know that certain journal publications are a pain to read and evaluating other people's research may be exhausting. So, it's healthy to take a break now and then. Following is a list of popular science books I have found useful and would like to share.

1. The Double Helix by James Watson and What Mad Pursuit by Francis Crick

Watson and Crick are, without a doubt, the finest biologists of all time. They're the discipline's yin and yang. Our scientific forefathers have a legacy that precedes them and will outlast us all. So, it's refreshing to hear them wax poetic about science. 

Reading a biology book, someone once said, was like renting someone else's brain for a while. That is something I agree with. You get to think as they do, feel what they feel, and go through what they go through. Who better read than the men who discovered DNA to get a hold of molecular biology nonsense?

Though from slightly different perspectives, these works describe the narrative of their tragic discovery. Watson and Crick individually recount their pioneering research circumstances, including their contentious access to Rosalind Franklin's data. These books teach a young scientist a vital lesson not addressed in the curriculum: the relevance of personality and ego in the field of research.

2. Time, Love, Memory by Jonathan Weiner

During my first year in the lab, a friend loaned me a book about pioneering geneticists like Thomas Hunt Morgan. The content inspired me to consider for the first time what I believe to be one of the most pressing practical problems confronting modern Molecular Biologists with a genetics interest. 

The entire area is moving at such a breakneck pace that it might be tough to keep up as a newcomer in the lab. It's like going halfway through a movie and expecting to instantaneously get the narrative, subtext, and interactions between all the characters.

You are thrown into the pool's deep end as a student and expected to learn to swim quickly. This book gives a wealth of historical context for the work that is currently being done all around the world. There are many intriguing descriptions of the different behavioural genetics’ investigations done on Drosophila, and who doesn't like a little Drosophila chat?

3. Evolution

Did you know that a host-parasite co-evolutionary arms race drives the evolution of all life on Earth? Although this is an unprovable theory, the text makes a persuasive argument for it. In addition to some pretty esoteric pondering about where energy comes from, the author also provides fascinating examples of viruses in action, such as fish that get sick and die from a virus hidden in their DNA that becomes activated when the fish reach reproductive age, assisting in the ecosystem's maintenance of a sustainable population.

4. Cantor's Dilemma by Carl Djerassi

On the list, this is the solo work of fiction. This is the novel in the new genre of lab literature. While shows like CSI have created an unrealistic expectation of what science can achieve and how easily it can accomplish it, the ever-growing corpus of this genre manages to portray science more realistically while maintaining the drama and entertainment that one would expect from a good book. 

In addition, this book offers a fascinating look into the human side of research and delves into some of the ethical concerns young scientists face.

5. A Life Decoded by Craig Venter

He is known as the "Father of Synthetic Biology." The Human Genome Project's architect is possibly the single most egotistical figure in science right now. It was rumoured in the scientific world that once the human genome was sequenced, it would only be a matter of time before every known ailment was treated. However, once completed, the genome proved to be Pandora's Box. 

The 80% of the genome assumed to be junk DNA turned out to be a veritable microcosm of hitherto undiscovered epigenetic processes. 'Not only is biology more complex than we assume, but it is also more complex than we can assume,' to misquote Haldane.

Craig Venter's memoir describes the prominent scientist's early upbringing, his motivations for entering the field of research, and his career's accomplishments and tribulations. The race to sequence the human genome and his subsequent work in synthetic biology take up a significant amount of the text. Craig Venter's presentation is peppered with results from his genome and a discussion of how this connects to future health issues.

The story of the struggle between state-funded and privately owned businesses attempting to attain the same aim is also fascinating. It has a cameo appearance by James Watson. James Joyce thinks the same way.