Blueprints: Solving the Mystery of Evolution

"Blueprints" is an intriguing account of the evolution of the idea of evolution. The book is as much about the discoverers as it is about the discoveries. We meet the sickly, reclusive Charles Darwin who only published the Origin of Species to scoop American scientist T. H. Morgan; Francis Crick whose rambling doctoral researches were suddenly stimulated by his obsession with the DNA molecule; and Stanley L. Miller, who succeeded in simulating the beginnings of life in a test tube. Edey and Johnson's scientific detective story reveals the unruly ways and workings of scientific genius and the seemingly equal roles played by brilliance and chance.