The Code Breaker by Walter Isaacson

Favorite Quote

“The power to control our species’ genetic future is awesome and terrifying. Deciding how to handle it may be the biggest challenge we have ever faced.” — Jennifer Doudna

The Book in One Sentence

The Code Breaker details the life of Nobel Prize winner Jennifer Doudna, who embarked on — and successfully completed — a journey to invent a tool that allows us to edit the human genetic code and thus will change our lives, health, and future generations forever.

Why should you read it?

If you’re both fascinated and a little scared by what it might mean for us to be able to edit our own genetic code, read this book. Knowledge is the best antidote to fear, and in this read, you’ll learn about the origins of this humanity-shaping discovery. Plus, if you’re into science, chemistry, biology, and human performance, you’ll also get a lot out of this read.

Key Takeaways

1. Doudna and Charpentier discovered a potential cure for cancer.
2. CRISPR technology can help us cure diseases, but it comes with an ethical cost.
3. This emerging technology could lead to biohacking and have some pretty serious implications.