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Summary of The Code Breaker 

4.7 . 11905 reviews

Short summary

The realm of science has long been a male majority. Never one to fit into so-called societal norms, Jennifer Doudna decided to follow her dreams and paved the way for female scientists the world over. The Code Breaker is a story of how one female scientist had a leading hand in developing the world’s most remarkable genetic engineering tool and won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2020. The CRISPR-Cas 9 system, a discovery that changes the very future of humanity, will help scientists learn more about diseases and viruses and ensure healthier outcomes for adults and children. Bestselling author, Walter Isaacson, tells Jennifer Doudna’s story in a charming and exciting manner, paving the way for profound questions and mind-boggling discoveries. Allow this proclaimed author of Leonardo Da Vinci and Steve Jobs to help you understand the complexities of DNA and the future of the human race. “I think my blunt and contrary nature helps my science because I don’t simply accept things just because other people believe it.” ~ Jennifer Doudna

Table of content

  • Summary of The Code Breaker
  • About the author
  • What is The Code Breaker about?
  • Who should read The Code Breaker
  • Topics in The Code Breaker
first key point

Asking questions leads to amazing discoveries

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Jennifer Doudna has never been a woman who understands the word “no.” Her career advisors at school all told her that science wasn’t a field for girls and regularly suggested that she try something else. But fueled by her love of discovering and experimenting, she was determined to succeed in her chosen field.

Doudna credits her love of science to her father, a man equally passionate about discovering the unknown. After a regular sixth grade school day, Doudna came home to find a copy of Double Helix sitting on her bed; her father had left the book there for her, knowing that she would find it interesting. She instantly fell into a rabbit hole of mystery and wonder, unable to put the book down. Learning about DNA and the code that helps shape our very being, this book pushed her to work towards her dreams. Of course, none of that was made easy by the male-dominated world of science at the time.
A deep interest of how the world came to be and human evolution pushed Jennifer Doudna’s curiosity to new heights.
Having grown up surrounded by nature in Hilo, Hawaii, Jennifer Doudna was always fascinated by anything the natural world could throw at her. She wanted to understand more about how inventions came to be, how the natural world could shape these means, and how she could help build her future creations.

After graduation in 1985 from Pomona College, Jennifer Doudna went on to attend prestigious Harvard Medical School, leaving with a Ph.D. She worked as a professor at Berkeley University, where she earned hero status, thanks to her work on the CRISPR-Cas 9 initiative. This success pushed her into the stratosphere and put her in the running for the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, which she won in 2020.

The CRISPR-Cas 9 initiative is a genetic modification tool that scientists use to edit and program genomes. They believe the potential of CRISPR-Cas 9 to be limitless and have used it to develop testing and vaccines for COVID-19.

In this summary, you will learn more about Jennifer Doudna’s remarkable achievements and clearly understand what CRISPR does, including how it can help us out of the COVID-19 pandemic.
second key point

Science was in Jennifer Doudna’s genes from the start

Jennifer Doudna has undoubtedly opened the doors for female scientists to move to the fore and make major, ground-breaking discoveries in the mainstream. However, it seems that science was always in her genes. Born in Washington D.C. in 1964, she moved to Hawaii when she was seven. Her father worked at the University of Hawaii as an English professor, and her mother was a teacher at the local college. However, her father’s passion for science was evident from the start, something which inspired Doudna herself.
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third key point

Jennifer Doudna paved the way for the world to take female scientists seriously

fourth key point

A ground-breaking discovery changed Jennifer Doudna’s world

fifth key point

Genetic alteration is a subject of substantial ethical importance

sixth key point

CRISPR-Cas 9 helped in the battle against COVID-19

seventh key point

Conclusion

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What is The Code Breaker about?

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Do you find yourself staring at your computer for long minutes, unaware of time slipping by? Do you enter a room and suddenly cannot remember why you stepped in the first place? Is it a herculean task for you to sit through ten pages of a book without reaching for your phone? If yes, your focus needs some work and fast.

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