EASTON PRESS SIGNED 1ST EDITION

This beautiful leather-bound book is numbered and had a limited printing run. It is a true first edition/first printing signed by the author . Easton Press partners with publishers to present books to Collectors before the usual trade hardcover is available to the public. If the spine states Signed First Edition, this is an indication of a true first edition. The book in this print run is out-of-print and only available for purchase from third parties. It is bound in burgundy leather with 22K gold designs and lettering on the front, back, and hubbed spine; pages are gilt-edged and a satin ribbon book mark is attached. Also included is a Certificate of Authenticity signed by the author. Pages are smyth sewn-in with concealed muslin joints. End papers are silk moire fabric. Printed on archival quality paper especially milled for this edition, it is acid-neutral and conforms to all guidelines established for permanence and durability by the Council of Library Resources and the American National Standards Institute. Gift quality, sealed in publisher's shrink wrap and from a smoke-free home; no warehousing.Synopsis From a living legend, James D. Watson, who shared the Nobel Prize for having revealed the structure of DNA, comes a personal account of the making of a scientist. In "Avoid Boring People", the man who discovered the secret of life shares the less revolutionary secrets he has found to getting along and getting ahead in a competitive world. Recounting the years of his own formation, from his father's birding lessons to the political cat's cradle of professorship at Harvard, Watson illuminates the progress of an exemplary scientific life, both his own pursuit of knowledge and how he learns to nurture fledgling scientists. Each phase of his experience yields a wealth of age-specific practical advice. For instance, when young, never be the brightest person in the room or bring more than one date on a ski trip; later in life, always accept with grace when your request for funding is denied and, for goodness' sake, don't dye your hair. There are precepts that few others would find occasion to heed (expect to gain weight after you win your Nobel Prize, as everyone will invite you to dinner) and many more with broader application (do not succumb to the seductions of golf if you intend to stay young professionally). And whatever the season or the occasion: avoid boring people. A true believer in the intellectual promise of youth, Watson offers specific pointers to beginning scientists about choosing the projects that will shape their careers, the supreme importance of collegiality, and dealing with competitors within the same institution, even one who is a former mentor. Finally he addresses himself to the role and needs of science at large universities in the context of discussing the unceremonious departure of Harvard's president Larry Summers and the search for his successor. Scorning political correctness, this irreverent romp through Watson's life and learning is an indispensable guide to anyone plotting a career in science (or most anything else), a primer addressed both to the next generation and those who are entrusted with their minds.