A Crack in Creation: Gene Editing and the Unthinkable Power to Control Evolution

“Urgent, riveting, and endlessly fascinating, A Crack in Creation is a journey through the past, present, and future of one of biology’s most significant discoveries. Combining deep historical perspectives, personal narrative, and scientific data, Doudna and Sternberg bring the story of CRISPR and ‘gene editing’ alive with pointed honesty and clarity. This book is destined to become an instant classic. Read it and understand its implications if you want to understand our biological future.” —Siddhartha Mukherjee, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Gene and The Emperor of All Maladies "The technology of gene editing will be the most important advance of our era, one that will create astonishing opportunities combined with frightening moral challenges. In the tradition of The Double Helix, one of the pioneers of the field describes the exciting collaborative and competitive hunt for the key breakthrough and what it portends for our future." —Walter Isaacson, bestselling author of Steve Jobs, Einstein, and The Innovators “A Crack in Creation, by one of the most pioneering women in science, is both exhilarating and frightening. Jennifer Doudna and her co-author Samuel Sternberg challenge us to confront the possible dangers of gene editing, even as we embrace its incredible potential. This book is a roadmap to our future.” —Arianna Huffington, bestselling author of Thrive and The Sleep Revolution   “Jennifer Doudna is the true pioneer who built the bridge between the basic science of CRISPR and its diverse applications in agriculture and medicine.  Writing with Samuel Sternberg, she has crafted a beautifully written book with A Crack in Creation—a pure pleasure for both neophyte and expert. Now is the time to read about the revolution that could change our world.” ?—George Church, Professor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School and author of Regenesis “We are developing ever more powerful tools that allow us to change the genetic makeup not only of life around us but also of ourselves. Describing the potential benefits of these tools as well as some of the risks and ethical issues they present to society, A Crack inCreation is a scientific thriller and a gripping read, framed as a personal voyage by a brilliant scientist who played a major role in developing what is currently one of the most promising and powerful ways of editing our genomes.” —Venki Ramakrishnan, president of the Royal Society and winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry

"The technology of gene editing will be the most important advance of our era, one that will create astonishing opportunities combined with frightening moral challenges. In the tradition of The Double Helix, one of the pioneers of the field describes the exciting collaborative and competitive hunt for the key breakthrough and what it portends for our future." —Walter Isaacson, bestselling author of Steve Jobs, Einstein, and The Innovators

"An enthusiastic and definitely not dumbed-down account of gene manipulation that, unlike earlier methods, is precise and easy...an important book about a major scientific advance." —Kirkus Reviews, STARRED “Urgent, riveting, and endlessly fascinating, A Crack in Creation is a journey through the past, present, and future of one of biology’s most significant discoveries. Combining deep historical perspectives, personal narrative, and scientific data, Doudna and Sternberg bring the story of CRISPR and ‘gene editing’ alive with pointed honesty and clarity. This book is destined to become an instant classic. Read it and understand its implications if you want to understand our biological future.” —Siddhartha Mukherjee, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Gene and The Emperor of All Maladies "The technology of gene editing will be the most important advance of our era, one that will create astonishing opportunities combined with frightening moral challenges. In the tradition of The Double Helix, one of the pioneers of the field describes the exciting collaborative and competitive hunt for the key breakthrough and what it portends for our future." —Walter Isaacson, bestselling author of Steve Jobs, Einstein, and The Innovators “A Crack in Creation, by one of the most pioneering women in science, is both exhilarating and frightening. Jennifer Doudna and her co-author Samuel Sternberg challenge us to confront the possible dangers of gene editing, even as we embrace its incredible potential. This book is a roadmap to our future.” —Arianna Huffington, bestselling author of Thrive and The Sleep Revolution   “Jennifer Doudna is the true pioneer who built the bridge between the basic science of CRISPR and its diverse applications in agriculture and medicine.  Writing with Samuel Sternberg, she has crafted a beautifully written book with A Crack in Creation—a pure pleasure for both neophyte and expert. Now is the time to read about the revolution that could change our world.” ?—George Church, Professor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School and author of Regenesis “We are developing ever more powerful tools that allow us to change the genetic makeup not only of life around us but also of ourselves. Describing the potential benefits of these tools as well as some of the risks and ethical issues they present to society, A Crack inCreation is a scientific thriller and a gripping read, framed as a personal voyage by a brilliant scientist who played a major role in developing what is currently one of the most promising and powerful ways of editing our genomes.” —Venki Ramakrishnan, president of the Royal Society and winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Awards and honors for Jennifer Doudna: Warren Alpert Foundation Prize, Harvard Medical School Nakasone Award, Human Frontier Science Program L’Oreal-UNESCO Prize for Women in Science Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities Award Charles Butcher Award, University of Colorado Massry Prize, UCLA/USC Gruber Prize in Genetics Canada Gairdner International Award Princess of Asturias Award for Technical and Scientific Research Fellow, American Society of Microbiology International Society for Transgenic Technologies Prize Time 100, Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences Member, National Academy of Inventors Foreign Policy’s 100 Leading Global Thinkers Jacob Heskel Gabbay Award in Biotechnology and Medicine Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research Lurie Prize, Foundation for the NIH BayBio Pantheon Award Hans Neurath Award, Protein Society Mildred Cohn Award, ASBMB Member, Institute of Medicine of the National Academies Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science The Nucleic Acid Group Award, NACON VII, Sheffield, UK Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences Member, National Academy of Sciences Eli Lilly Award in Biological Chemistry, American Chemical Society Trustee, Pomona College Member, Life Sciences Institute Advisory Board, University of Michigan Jean Francois LeFevre Memorial Lectureship, CNRS, Strasbourg, France R.B. Woodward Visiting Professorship, Harvard University Alan T. Waterman Award, National Science Foundation National Academy of Sciences Award for Initiatives in Research Johnson Foundation Prize for Innovative Research

“A Crack in Creation is a powerful testament to the role of curiosity and tenacity in scientific research, and also an urgent plea from the celebrated biologist whose discovery enabled us to rewrite the code of life.  The future is in our hands as never before, and this book explains the stakes like no other.” —George Lucas, filmmaker “Urgent, riveting, and endlessly fascinating, A Crack in Creation is a journey through the past, present, and future of one of biology’s most significant discoveries. Combining deep historical perspectives, personal narrative, and scientific data, Doudna and Sternberg bring the story of CRISPR and ‘gene editing’ alive with pointed honesty and clarity. This book is destined to become an instant classic. Read it and understand its implications if you want to understand our biological future.” —Siddhartha Mukherjee, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Gene and The Emperor of All Maladies “The technology of gene editing will be the most important advance of our era, one that will create astonishing opportunities combined with frightening moral challenges. In the tradition of The Double Helix, one of the pioneers of the field describes the exciting collaborative and competitive hunt for the key breakthrough and what it portends for our future.” —Walter Isaacson, bestselling author of Steve Jobs, Einstein, and The Innovators “A Crack in Creation, by one of the most pioneering women in science, is both exhilarating and frightening. Jennifer Doudna and her co-author Samuel Sternberg challenge us to confront the possible dangers of gene editing, even as we embrace its incredible potential. This book is a roadmap to our future.” —Arianna Huffington, bestselling author of Thrive and The Sleep Revolution   “Jennifer Doudna is the true pioneer who built the bridge between the basic science of CRISPR and its diverse applications in agriculture and medicine.  Writing with Samuel Sternberg, she has crafted a beautifully written book with A Crack in Creation—a pure pleasure for both neophyte and expert. Now is the time to read about the revolution that could change our world.” ?—George Church, Professor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School and author of Regenesis “We are developing ever more powerful tools that allow us to change the genetic makeup not only of life around us but also of ourselves. Describing the potential benefits of these tools as well as some of the risks and ethical issues they present to society, A Crack inCreation is a scientific thriller and a gripping read, framed as a personal voyage by a brilliant scientist who played a major role in developing what is currently one of the most promising and powerful ways of editing our genomes.” —Venki Ramakrishnan, president of the Royal Society and winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry “An enthusiastic and definitely not dumbed-down account of gene manipulation that, unlike earlier methods, is precise and easy...an important book about a major scientific advance.” —irkus Reviews, STARRED “The authors describe the biological mechanisms in a way that nonspecialists can appreciate...excellent book.” —Publishers Weekly

"A Crack in Creation is a powerful testament to the role of curiosity and tenacity in scientific research, and also an urgent plea from the celebrated biologist whose discovery enabled us to rewrite the code of life.  The future is in our hands as never before, and this book explains the stakes like no other." —George Lucas, filmmaker “Urgent, riveting, and endlessly fascinating, A Crack in Creation is a journey through the past, present, and future of one of biology’s most significant discoveries. Combining deep historical perspectives, personal narrative, and scientific data, Doudna and Sternberg bring the story of CRISPR and ‘gene editing’ alive with pointed honesty and clarity. This book is destined to become an instant classic. Read it and understand its implications if you want to understand our biological future.” —Siddhartha Mukherjee, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Gene and The Emperor of All Maladies "The technology of gene editing will be the most important advance of our era, one that will create astonishing opportunities combined with frightening moral challenges. In the tradition of The Double Helix, one of the pioneers of the field describes the exciting collaborative and competitive hunt for the key breakthrough and what it portends for our future." —Walter Isaacson, bestselling author of Steve Jobs, Einstein, and The Innovators “A Crack in Creation, by one of the most pioneering women in science, is both exhilarating and frightening. Jennifer Doudna and her co-author Samuel Sternberg challenge us to confront the possible dangers of gene editing, even as we embrace its incredible potential. This book is a roadmap to our future.” —Arianna Huffington, bestselling author of Thrive and The Sleep Revolution   “Jennifer Doudna is the true pioneer who built the bridge between the basic science of CRISPR and its diverse applications in agriculture and medicine.  Writing with Samuel Sternberg, she has crafted a beautifully written book with A Crack in Creation—a pure pleasure for both neophyte and expert. Now is the time to read about the revolution that could change our world.” ?—George Church, Professor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School and author of Regenesis “We are developing ever more powerful tools that allow us to change the genetic makeup not only of life around us but also of ourselves. Describing the potential benefits of these tools as well as some of the risks and ethical issues they present to society, A Crack inCreation is a scientific thriller and a gripping read, framed as a personal voyage by a brilliant scientist who played a major role in developing what is currently one of the most promising and powerful ways of editing our genomes.” —Venki Ramakrishnan, president of the Royal Society and winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry "An enthusiastic and definitely not dumbed-down account of gene manipulation that, unlike earlier methods, is precise and easy...an important book about a major scientific advance." —Kirkus Reviews, STARRED "The authors describe the biological mechanisms in a way that nonspecialists can appreciate...excellent book." —Publishers Weekly

“A Crack in Creation is a powerful testament to the role of curiosity and tenacity in scientific research, and also an urgent plea from the celebrated biologist whose discovery enabled us to rewrite the code of life.  The future is in our hands as never before, and this book explains the stakes like no other.” —George L...