A glimpse of the charismatic personality of Jacques Monod.• Enriches modern biologists, and nonscientists as well, with an understanding of defining events of the past.• Incorporates the complete text of Monod’s Nobel Prize lecture and the complete bibliography of his scientific papers. • Includes dozens of personal photographs of Monod and his colleagues, with thumbnail biographies of the contributors, eminent scientists in their own right.• Features essays from eminent scientists past and present—the pioneers of molecular biology.