The Double Helix
by Watson, James
- Used
- Fine
- Hardcover
- first
- Condition
- Fine/very good
- Seller
-
Century City, California, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
New York: Atheneum, 1968. First Edition. Hardcover. fine/very good. 1st edition of Watson's autobiographical account of his 1953 co-discovery of DNA with Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins that won all 3 a Nobel Prize. Contemporary, signed presentation copy, and a fine association, inscribed in black ink, on the red endpaper, from Watson to George Wald, a 1967 Nobel laureate in Medicine, and Ruth Wald, an emeritus biology professor at Harvard, "For George and Ruth, from J-" (Watson and George Wald were colleagues and friends at Harvard). A thin line of fading to the base of the spine but near fine in a dustjacket with a short tear to the top of the spine and slight wear to the corners, else near fine. For a long time, the only signed 1st editions of The Double Helix were presentation copies (gifts from the author), almost all of them inscribed at the time of publication because Watson soon ran out of 1st editions and was loath to buy more during the short time they were available. After that he refused requests to sign the book Then he wrote other books, and did some book signings for them, and at those signings he relented, and also signed The Double Helix (vows are made in a state of mind that is going to change). So, real presentation copies are 20 times scarcer, and understandably more substantial and valuable than those that are just autographed, especially when they are, as here, both a close social and professional association.
And by the way, straight signatures are much easier to fake than longer inscriptions that have more handwriting and often have a recipient's name to trace them to, and the most accomplished counterfeiters can forge a simple signature beyond detection by experts because both the best forgers and authenticators know the same tells, habits, details, and subtleties and, for that reason, thousands of autographs done by the most skillful villains (not those by incompetent fabricators or innocent secretaries) have been authenticated as genuine, while fewer long inscriptions have slipped past any half serious examination.
And by the way, straight signatures are much easier to fake than longer inscriptions that have more handwriting and often have a recipient's name to trace them to, and the most accomplished counterfeiters can forge a simple signature beyond detection by experts because both the best forgers and authenticators know the same tells, habits, details, and subtleties and, for that reason, thousands of autographs done by the most skillful villains (not those by incompetent fabricators or innocent secretaries) have been authenticated as genuine, while fewer long inscriptions have slipped past any half serious examination.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Biblioctopus (US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 736
- Title
- The Double Helix
- Author
- Watson, James
- Format/Binding
- Hardcover
- Book Condition
- Used - Fine
- Jacket Condition
- very good
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- First Edition
- Publisher
- Atheneum
- Place of Publication
- New York
- Date Published
- 1968
- Weight
- 0.00 lbs
- Keywords
- 64, inscribed/signed
Terms of Sale
Biblioctopus
*Every item is guaranteed to be genuine, as described, and way cool, regardless of vintage, but all manuscripts fashioned by the living are particularly burdened with, and isolated by, specific and uneditable disclaimers of warranty.
*Everything is deemed to be sold on approval, and may be returned, with notice, within 8 days, for any reason, or no reason, for a full refund. Everything continues to be the lawful property of Biblioctopus until it is wholly paid.
About the Seller
Biblioctopus
Biblio member since 2017
Century City, California
About Biblioctopus
Biblioctopus sells first editions of the classics of fiction, high spots in history, science, and historical ephemera
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
- Inscribed
- When a book is described as being inscribed, it indicates that a short note written by the author or a previous owner has been...
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
- Fine
- A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...