Discover new selections
$11.89 with 50 percent savings
List Price: $24.00
FREE Returns
$4.99 delivery May 6 - 9. Details
Or fastest delivery Wednesday, April 30. Order within 1 hr 18 mins. Details
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
$$11.89 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$11.89
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
UPICK MARKETING LLC
UPICK MARKETING LLC
Ships from
UPICK MARKETING LLC
Returns
30-day refund/replacement
30-day refund/replacement
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt. You may receive a partial or no refund on used, damaged or materially different returns.
Read full return policy
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

J. Craig Venter
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

A Life Decoded: My Genome: My Life Paperback – Illustrated, September 30, 2008

by J. Craig Venter (Author)
4.5 out of 5 stars 140 ratings
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$11.89","priceAmount":11.89,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"11","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"89","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"TEGBawNMYcLIe4NLGQWtNF0VXwQguR6XFSrLEUUIVEvcj71ihmzbsc0byuFRBJkT95cHGhhXcZJ1BtNqcSdKqpg838zLJOq7mwk5geRnJFW5MTfMGeQZfNWlNUwfp9KODHK7cLREKpzDePY1qNzpugBYtz9AxnKGBC9yQcVlSvjK9y6ztQaP12PgmrU3kadQ","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

The triumphant memoir of the man behind one of the greatest feats in scientific history

Of all the scientific achievements of the past century, perhaps none can match the deciphering of the human genetic code, both for its technical brilliance and for its implications for our future. In A Life Decoded, J. Craig Venter traces his rise from an uninspired student to one of the most fascinating and controversial figures in science today. Here, Venter relates the unparalleled drama of the quest to decode the human genome?a goal he predicted he could achieve years earlier and more cheaply than the government-sponsored Human Genome Project, and one that he fulfilled in 2001. A thrilling story of detection, A Life Decoded is also a revealing, and often troubling, look at how science is practiced today.
Previous slide of product details
  1. Print length
    416 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    September 30, 2008
  4. Dimensions
    5.5 x 0.94 x 8.44 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    0143114182
  6. ISBN-13
    978-0143114185
Next slide of product details
The%20Amazon%20Book%20Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Frequently bought together

A Life Decoded: My Genome: My Life
This item: A Life Decoded: My Genome: My Life
$11.89
Get it May 6 - 9
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
Ships from and sold by UPICK MARKETING LLC.
+
Life at the Speed of Light: From the Double Helix to the Dawn of Digital Life
$19.22
Get it as soon as Monday, May 5
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
Sold by SAGUAROS STORE and ships from Amazon Fulfillment.
+
The Voyage of Sorcerer II: The Expedition That Unlocked the Secrets of the Ocean’s Microbiome
$19.23
Get it as soon as Saturday, May 3
Only 20 left in stock (more on the way).
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Total price: $00
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Details
Added to Cart
Some of these items ship sooner than the others.
Show details Hide details
Choose items to buy together.

Editorial Reviews

Review

? [Venter is] not just trying to understand how life works; he's trying to make it work for him, and for us.?
?"The Atlantic"

? [The] media has called Venter many things: maverick, publicity hound, risk-taker, brash, controversial, genius, manic, rebellious, visionary, audacious, arrogant, feisty, determined, provocative. His autobiography shows that they are all justified.?
?"Nature"

? "A Life Decoded" offers a window into the life and mind of a scientist who . . . has indisputably become an extraordinary figure.?
?"Science"



[Venter is] not just trying to understand how life works; he s trying to make it work for him, and for us.
"The Atlantic"
[The] media has called Venter many things: maverick, publicity hound, risk-taker, brash, controversial, genius, manic, rebellious, visionary, audacious, arrogant, feisty, determined, provocative. His autobiography shows that they are all justified.
"Nature"
"A Life Decoded" offers a window into the life and mind of a scientist who . . . has indisputably become an extraordinary figure.
"Science"

a [Venter is] not just trying to understand how life works; heas trying to make it work for him, and for us.a
a"The Atlantic"
a [The] media has called Venter many things: maverick, publicity hound, risk-taker, brash, controversial, genius, manic, rebellious, visionary, audacious, arrogant, feisty, determined, provocative. His autobiography shows that they are all justified.a
a"Nature"
a "A Life Decoded" offers a window into the life and mind of a scientist who . . . has indisputably become an extraordinary figure.a
a"Science"

With Venter, there must always be something new swelling on the horizon . . . he alone is taking the measure of lifes true diversity and dreaming up new life-forms at the same time.
"Wired"
[Venter is] not just trying to understand how life works; hes trying to make it work for him, and us.
"The Atlantic Monthly"

About the Author

J. Craig Venter is the founder, chairman, and CEO of the J. Craig Venter Institute, a nonprofit research organization dedicated to genomic research. He is also the founder and CEO of Synthetic Genomics, Inc. He lives in La Jolla, California.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Publishing Group; Reprint edition (September 30, 2008)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 416 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0143114182
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0143114185
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.94 x 8.44 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 out of 5 stars 140 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
J. Craig Venter

J. Craig Venter

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read book recommendations and more.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
140 global ratings

Review this product

Share your thoughts with other customers
Write a customer review

Customers say

Customers find the book to be a captivating story that is very well written and easy to read. Moreover, they appreciate the author's deeply personal autobiography, with one customer describing it as a "wonderful book combining science." Additionally, the book receives positive feedback for its knowledge level, with one customer noting how clearly it explains complex concepts.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more

21 customers mention "Readability"18 positive3 negative

Customers find the book engaging and captivating, describing it as a fun and inspiring read.

"...The audio book version was well read and easy to listen to as well." Read more

"Nice book looking into the life and past of a thinking individual with visions that have come to fruition in a timely manner...." Read more

"...basically if you're interested in science or the genome this is a fun read. While I like Venter his enormous ego at times can weigh on the story...." Read more

"...This field of science is extremely rich in opportunities and the author writes about his fight in a clear and interesting way...." Read more

16 customers mention "Knowledge level"14 positive2 negative

Customers appreciate the book's knowledge level, with one customer noting how it explains complex concepts clearly, while another highlights its comprehensive coverage of the field's development.

"Craig Venter is probably one of the most influential scientists during the last 20 years. I enjoyed the book...." Read more

"...The concepts are easy to understand but Venter emphasizes that biological ideas are cheap- the devil's in the details, a perhaps obvious statement..." Read more

"...after that he went to school. Great insights into genetics. He and his new lab are working to develop synthetic life...." Read more

"...He quickly became a distinguished scientist and then a visionary leader in science...." Read more

9 customers mention "Personality"9 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the author's deeply personal autobiography, describing it as an amazing man's story, with one customer noting it is chock full of insight.

"...I enjoyed the book. It was interesting to hear about his life story and how he ended up being one of the leading scientists in the human genome..." Read more

"This is a great man...." Read more

"...Craig's a most compelling public speaker. His deeply personal autobiography, observations, confessions and self-styled successes would have been..." Read more

"Book is well written and offers a personal view of the story of how the human was genome was decoded...." Read more

9 customers mention "Writing quality"7 positive2 negative

Customers find the book well written and easy to read, with one customer noting it's also easy to listen to.

"...The audio book version was well read and easy to listen to as well." Read more

"...On the other hand, this book is an easy reading. Craig is also good in writing...." Read more

"Book is well written and offers a personal view of the story of how the human was genome was decoded...." Read more

"...The Publisher's Weekly review sniffs that it is "clumsily written." I would attribute that opinion to one of two possibilities...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Justin
    5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Book
    Reviewed in the United States on May 28, 2010
    Verified Purchase
    Craig Venter is probably one of the most influential scientists during the last 20 years.

    I enjoyed the book. It was interesting to hear about his life story and how he ended up being one of the leading scientists in the human genome project. It is also interesting to me as someone working on his Ph.D to learn about all the politics that occur in science.

    My dad read this book as well, and didn't like it as much. He thought Craig was a bit too arrogaunt, a common complaint about Dr. Venter. Anyhow, still very interesting. Considering Dr. Venter's recent breakthroughs in synthetic biology, I am sure he will continue to be a leader in science.

    The audio book version was well read and easy to listen to as well.
    2 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Stephen Pellerine
    5.0 out of 5 stars an inquiring mind will enjoy
    Reviewed in the United States on December 26, 2010
    Verified Purchase
    Nice book looking into the life and past of a thinking individual with visions that have come to fruition in a timely manner. I like the "biological" side of the story as much as I do the human side. I enjoyed reading about his ventures and adventures as a child attempting to out cycle airplanes in San Francisco which runs parallel to the breakneck pace he mapped the genome.

    Not sure what some people think when they pick up an autobiography or biography on a person, especially an iconic person such as Venter here, we are bound to hear of their life and life efforts. I am not saying that "all" is positive nor that "nothing" is controversial in the work that was done/is being done - but this is all the more reason to read on.

    Some say ego - others see motivation. Some see evil - others see opportunity. Some see "new topics of inquiry" as interesting and others as a danger. And, I understand this goes for both parties on either side of a divided campfire as some onlookers will see the glow of the ambers as a majestic orange whereas undoubtedly others the coals are simply hot obstacles of avoidance. Both perspectives are worthy - but one must look into the fire and then initiate thoughtful discourse.

    Brilliant book that an inquiring mind will enjoy.
    Helpful
     Report
  • Nancyhua
    4.0 out of 5 stars Fortune, like all women, favors the bold
    Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    I started reading this autobiography alongside The Genome War and found it to be a great complement. Venter had a whole career before starting on the human genome- his book is more than half over before he relates an incident brought up 15% of the way through Shreeve's.

    Most of this book is about his work, the seemingly unavoidable politics of navigating schemes that opposed his work, and then a little about sailing. Venter had the vision and confidence to lead teams of people towards large goals that took years to achieve. Due to his biochemist training, he was attentive to detail and got unprecedented results partly due to painstakingly verifying manufacturer's claims. While his ability to execute on a long term plan and attend to detail seemed surprising for someone who was a bad high school student, throughout his life he consistently displayed a highly competitive, risk seeking nature, which allowed him to be the game changer in his field. A top performer, he seems to fixate on and draw motivation from opposition and criticims. Aside from Venter's boldness and drive, the only personality that comes out is that of a cartoonishly devious and somewhat stupid Watson.

    The concepts are easy to understand but Venter emphasizes that biological ideas are cheap- the devil's in the details, a perhaps obvious statement that helped to drive me away from biology ages ago because it's so complex, just one thing after another. Despite innovating towards using sophisticated computing and robotic technology, something like 10-90% of the machines would be broken on any given day, and Venter describes endless other implementational headaches to get the necessary data.

    This inspirational account of doggedly pursuing one's vision also reveals a depressing aspect of the current scientific world where mediocrity is incentivized and innovation difficult without significant ego. Modern scientists seem to have to choose between acclaim (ultimately in the form of the Nobel prize) and money (by disappearing into industry and branded as opposed to sharing work, regardless of whether they actually share data or not). This obsession with the Nobel prize makes me consider the motivations of the great scientists of yore like Newton, who obviously never received these prizes, and reveals that humans are naturally competitive- if we can't compete over money then we compete over recognition. The myth of the tenured genius like Mendel bumbling about with experiments so far ahead of their time as to have no immediate use is not a beneficial model when generally applied. Balancing the slow, beurocratic, often ineffective, resource draining motions of modern academia with the perhaps shortsighted, globally suboptimal greed of industry illustrates a question encountered in many spheres.
    4 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
  • Client d'Amazon
    3.0 out of 5 stars Three Stars
    Reviewed in Canada on January 10, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    ok ok
    Report
  • pankaj kumar
    5.0 out of 5 stars must read...
    Reviewed in India on June 29, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    You will be pumped up with adrenaline to pursue your interest. Passionate and well driven Craig exemplified ingredients of success..
    Report
  • Carlo C.
    5.0 out of 5 stars An inspiring read
    Reviewed in Italy on February 21, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    An insight on the mind and life in one of the most brilliant minds of our century.
    A must-have in the library of any science enthusiast.
    Report
  • M. G.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Very unlike other biographies of scientists
    Reviewed in Germany on November 16, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    I find this autobiography very atypical, unlike similar ones I read (from Crick, Varmus, Wilkins etc). It is written in a very blunt way (maybe similar to "Double helix" in style). Venter speaks a lot about life outside of the lab (for example, his Vietnam experience). Of course, the most interesting part for me was the story about the competition with NIH's human genome sequencing consortium. I have read previously "Genome wars", and Venter here provided more (probably factual) gossip. One of the books you just can't put down before reading it completely.
    Report
  • M. Hillmann
    5.0 out of 5 stars The human genome sequencing battle - Venter's robust view
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 7, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Craig Venter is a hugely controversial character.This is Venter's version of a brilliant innovator against the combined US (the National Institute of Health) and the British (Cambridge's Sanger Institute) publicly funded establishment. His account is of how he not only sequenced the human genome first in 2001, but by simultaneously sequencing fruit fly and mouse genomes provided comparative genetic data which allows comparison and by combining the raw genome data with heavy computational power provides interpretation of the data..

    His detractors accuse him of gene patenting and thereby restricting availability of data to the scientific community. Moreover, his shotgun method of gene sequencing is not the innovative method of interpreting the huge deluge of data made available by rapid development of computer technology and software, but is a shortcut in order to take the credit and leaving the hardwork of completing the human genome to others.

    I am not qualified to judge this case. But I can identify with Venter. I started a laboratory which used innovative NIR technology which quickly superceded conventional wet chemical techniques used by highly qualified publicly funded laboratories for organic material analysis. I have experienced the venom of the public sector's rage and accusations of inaccuracy for 9 years before the newly privatised government labs (Genus) promptly bought out my lab and adopted our NIR techniques for similar applications. .

    The approach of describing the development of the science interspersed with discussion of issues using his own his own personal genetic map to interpret the science brings the mind stretching descriptions of the genetic science down to earth. For example: When Caffeine kills. Venter drinks endless cups of coffee but carries a benign gene which allows him to metabolise caffeine. Many studies that have looked at the association between coffee consumption and heart attacks have been inconclusive because they took no account of the presence or absence of that gene.

    The key accusation against Ventor is his complicity with the pharmaceutical industry in their attempts to patent gene data to the detriment of the the free exchange of data between research scientists. The public genome effort was free of patents because the data it produced was deposited into Gen-Bank, the public repository of DNA sequences without any understanding or context. Ventor's commercial organisation also permitted researchers free, open and unrestricted use of their human genome sequence data. But he argues this raw data is of little value to scientists, biotech companies, the pharmaceutical industry or the public without interpretation. Ventor provided leading edge molecular biology with heavyweight computation to reveal the logic of biology to paying customers. And pharmaceutical companies needed patents on this data to justify the huge investment required to develop effective drugs and remedies.

    Who is right?

    No doubt a one sided account of the controversy but fascinating reading.
    Report