The Black Box of Biology

A clear and engaging overview of all the major developments and their interrelations. This is a very useful book that should be read by all scientists and anyone interested in the study of the molecular basis of life. – Kostas Kampourakis * History and Philosophy of the Life Sciences *
Anyone with serious pretentions to understand what went on in the middle of the last century in the field of molecular biology—discovery of the double helix, genetic code, going on a few decades later to the sequencing of human genome, and the rise of evolutionary development, ‘evo-devo’—simply must read this book. It is comprehensive, well written (excellently translated by Matthew Cobb), and simply absorbing. – Michael Ruse * Quarterly Review of Biology *
An important contribution to the big history of the molecular revolution and absolutely required reading for serious students of the huge impact it has had on biology. – Koen B. Tanghe * Journal of the History of Biology *
Readable and enjoyable…Instead of seeing molecular biology as a theoretical program of molecular reductionism, we get a messy science with ambiguous experiments and tinkering scientists, enabling the reader to experience all the excitement and frustration that accompanied the hidden life of molecular biology. – Massimiliano Simons * Metascience *
Michel Morange is our finest guide to the dramatic rise of molecular biology and its persistence in our lives through genetic engineering. Brilliant, clear, and nuanced, The Black Box of Biology will become a classic in the field. – Oren Harman, author of The Price of Altruism and Evolutions
Morange’s re-elaboration of his 1998 masterpiece, A History of Molecular Biology, is a gift. Compelling and masterful in its command of contemporary biology, history, and philosophy, The Black Box of Biology is a key reference for grasping the scope and roots of human interventions in the biological world. – Sabina Leonelli, University of Exeter
An original and expansive analysis of the history of molecular biology, from its origins to the rise of genomics and epigenetics. Unparalleled in its scope and insight, The Black Box of Biology should be required reading for historians and biologists seeking to understand the molecular transformation of modern biology. – Michael Dietrich, University of Pittsburgh
Written by a historian of science trained in François Jacob’s laboratory, The Black Box of Biology weaves together the social, political, and scientific dimensions of the ‘molecular revolution’ into a compelling narrative and a fascinating read. – Pierre-Olivier Méthot, Laval University

Michel Morange is Professor Emeritus at the Institute of the History and Philosophy of Science and Techniques at the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne and was Director of the Centre Cavaillès for the History and Philosophy of Sciences at the École Normale Supérieure. A former President of the International Society for the History, Philosophy, and Social Studies of Biology, Morange has received the Paul Doistau–Emile Blutet Prize of the French Academy of Sciences for his contributions.

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