What readers think of The Code Breaker, plus links to write your own review.

“The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race” by Walter Isaacson takes its science seriously and dumbs down absolutely nothing. I am neither the smartest nor dumbest guy in the room, but I had never heard the term CRISPR before cracking this open. The gentleman at Starbucks asked me what I was reading. When I told him, he said, “Ooh! Fun with CRISPR!”. Who says the schools have failed?
The first part of the book is about competition. Many people, including our hero Jennifer Doudna, knew the potential of gene editing and manipulation, but few could agree on who deserved the credit or made the most important discovery. Next, we meander into a portion of the ethics of gene manipulation in what seems to be a different but successful novel. In another’s hands, this could have been, as one reviewer put it, “too ambitious.” This book, however, is not Isaacson’s first rodeo, so he knows what to do here.
Most will seek out this story to hear the ethical arguments that have come up over the last few decades. Isaacson, a veteran author of history, seems less concerned with establishing a narrative and more focused on demonstrating how the national argument meandered. The scientists involved constantly battled with their desire for credit and responsibility to societal ethics. Most could see both the power of technology and the need for limits. Most agreed that only life-threatening reasons required such a boost.
We all draw the line differently. What qualifies as an “enhancement” instead of a “requirement” for life? The most emotionally resonant sections interview deaf and autistic adults who do not, under any uncertain terms, recognize their conditions as disabilities. Some wanted children that reflected their culture. These arguments show how differently we think as Americans. A specific population believes that it is immoral to genetically engineer, while a nearly equal amount feel that it is terrible not to if you prevent debilitating conditions.
I wish I did not have anxiety, but the coping mechanisms have proven to me that I have more resilience than anticipated. The same goes for my eldest child but seeing them tackle their fears shows they will persevere. Our opinions do not condemn those of others.
Isaacson acknowledges a blurry line and slippery slope but does not condone those who think differently than he does. He brings together some of the most brilliant minds in science and shows that they all had different goals and visions for the potential of their discoveries. You will want to know more about them. Once we end the Coronavirus mission, we know how we need to protect these minds.

A must read. While Doudna is the focus, the real hero is RNA and all the folks who have so single-mindedly spent their lives understanding the genetic code and what that understanding means for all of us, in the context of the last 20 months.