Gene Jockeys

Rasmussen achieves admirably what he sets out to accomplish... Gene Jockeys will be the go-to source on the history of the biotech industry for some time to come, and particularly regarding the scientific and legal developments on which that industry's growth rested.

Rasmussen’s book deserves to be read by business historians, historians of science, journalists, and anyone who wants to better understand the early days of genetic engineering through the days of investor hype to the absorption of small biotech experiments by much greater entities.

Overall, Gene Jockeys is an impressive book that brings together many known, but scattered, narratives with a new frame of reference... Any scholars interested in the history of early biotechnology will find Gene Jockeys essential reading.

It should be emphasized that although Gene Jockeys productively complements other historical accounts of biotech, the book also stands on its own quite well. Rasmussen’s account owes much of its usefulness to his creativity and care in supporting his claims by drawing from the scientific literature, oral histories, and especially legal documents.

.. Any one interested in the history of modern biotech and the attitudes that shaped it will find valuable insights.

Gene Jockeys is a scholarly and fascinating account of the early days of the biotechnology industry. With lots of technical detail this should appeal to the serious molecular biologists and biotechnologists interested in the roots of their discipline.

Following the twists and turns in the experimental paths that yielded the first recombinant drugs, Rasmussen offers a clear view of the difficulties encountered in the application of the new science of recombinant DNA to bacterial synthesis for drug production. His thorough search of legal documents relating to patents enriches this account of the race to market. A tour de force.

A fascinating and highly entertaining account—essential not just for historians of business and the life sciences, but also for intellectual property scholars.

This is a remarkably original account of the first two decades of the biotechnology industry, when molecular geneticists from academia joined with venture capitalists and hungry investors to form smart and nimble companies. Rasmussen tells a rich and eye-opening story, spotlighting how the first generation of biotechnologists made their firms vital outposts of academic culture and how the firms achieved and marketed blockbuster drugs. In all, an even-handed, informative, and important book.

Gene Jockeys offers an insightful, comprehensive, and exciting story that faithfully evokes the earliest days of modern biotechnology. An outstanding read for scientists and anyone interested in biotech.

Although some would assign more societal benefit and importance to the early products of biotech than Rasmussen, the stories of the competition between teams of scientists to produce the first set of human proteins as therapeutics are both exciting and revealing of the faults of mankind.