Crick

A Mind in Motion

By: Matthew Cobb

Narrated by: Neil Gardner

A major new biography of Francis Crick, codiscoverer of the structure of DNA, pioneering neuroscientist, and twentieth-century genius

What are the moments that make a life? In Francis Crick’s, the decisive moment came in 1951, when he first met James Watson. Their ensuing discovery of the structure of DNA made Crick world-famous. But neither that chance meeting nor that discovery made Crick who he was.

As Matthew Cobb shows in Crick, it is another chance encounter, with a line from the writing of Beat poet Michael McClure, that reveals Crick’s character: “THIS IS THE POWERFUL KNOWLEDGE,” it shouted. Crick, having read it, would keep it with him for the rest of his life, a token of his desire to solve the riddles of existence. John Keats once accused scientists of merely wanting to “unweave a rainbow,” but it was an irrepressible, Romantic urge to wonder that defined Crick, as much as a desire to find the basis of life in DNA and the workings of our minds.

For the first time ever, Cobb presents the full portrait of Crick, a scientist and a man: his triumphs and failings, insights and oversights. Crick set out to find the powerful knowledge. Almost miraculously, he did.

Critic reviews

"Crick: A Mind in Motion beautifully captures the personality of Francis Crick, the way I knew him for 16 years, his incandescent intellect, his incessant striving for mechanistic explanations in terms of genes and neurons
underlying the code of life and the footprints of consciousness in the brain, always, always asking why and why not, until, literally, the day he died."—Christof Koch, author of Then I Am Myself the World

"In this thrilling biography of one of the 20th century’s greatest minds, Cobb uncovers the unseen twists, relentless curiosity, and sheer audacity that shaped Francis Crick’s remarkable life. This intimate portrait will inspire any reader drawn to the thrill of discovery and the power of big ideas."—David Eagleman, author of Livewired and Incognito

Amazing Life of Francis Crick

Enjoyed the book immensely. An amazing life of an incredible man and his influence on the world.

A happy insight into giant

A happy insight into giant. It is said our culture stands on the shoulders of giants. Cricke os shown to be one of those giants

amazing human amazing story

Loved this book. The only thing I didn’t love was the American accents the reader did for any USA person. But it wasn’t a huge thing. Just my only minor criticism