Mukherjee is a gifted writer, apart from being a real doctor. This fluent understanding of the subject matter combined with a superb story-telling ability has enabled him to write a book that’s almost un-put-downable, despite being so technical and potentially dry.
It’s a chronological story of the discovery of genes, genetics to gene-therapies, interwoven with some of the author’s personal family history. Like any good story teller, the author zooms in to human details in each anecdote he narrates, even ones about something as mundane as a scientific conference. Some of his personal commentary and insights are sprinkled gently throughout the narrative, enough to give it a personal touch, but not so much as to make it an opinion piece.
I always find the history of a science compelling, even necessary for me to appreciate the science itself, and this book fulfilled that in spades for me.
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