"This is the kind of book that any historian of medicine, geneticist, or researcher should have on his/her shelf, as should any reader interested in understanding the current trends in medicine… a book to consult as an inspiration, particularly for young scientists, but also for seasoned researchers coping with unexpected problems, crafting a new project, or exploring uncharted waters." - Alain Touwaide, PhD (The Huntington)
"In the fields of history, philosophy, and sociology of science there is a reasonable amount of information for the curriculum vitae of each of these geneticists and about half of them have had a biography written about them. What is less frequently found in these biographies and brief lives are analyses of their papers and the way they were received at the time of their initial publication. Dronamraju does this with sensitivity and insight into their personalities." - Elof Axel Carlson, Institute for Advanced Study,
Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana and Biochemistry &
Cell Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony
Brook, New York
"This is the kind of book that any historian of medicine, geneticist, or
researcher should have on his/her shelf, as should any reader interested in
understanding the current trends in medicine… a book to consult as an inspiration, particularly
for young scientists, but also for seasoned researchers coping with unexpected
problems, crafting a new project, or exploring uncharted waters."
Alain Touwaide, PhD(The Huntington)
Reviewer: Alain Touwaide, PhD (Ronin Institute)
Description: Genetics is a recent science, no more than a century old. To cover its history, this book goes through the lives of the scientists who made genetics, with the objective to narrate science in the making in a very appropriate way. This is the scientific biobibliography of 19 researchers with their scientific itinerary, their achievements, and their hesitations and sometimes failures. This is almost oral history.
Purpose: Dealing with such a recent history, the author has deliberately chosen to show scientists at work with the objective of showing how the account of their achievements might be enlightening and stimulating for further research. Each of the chapters is devoted to a scientist and highlights his/her achievement. They are almost visits to their laboratory or a side-by-side journey with them. Readers are introduced to the lives and labs of these scientists with whom they share a moment. This is almost scientific journalism, because it gives readers the impression they are meeting the scientists in person while at work.
Audience: This might not be a book to read cover to cover. It is rather an inspirational work that would probably be best experienced one chapter at a time and, possibly, in an ongoing research program. In a moment of hesitation, in a setback, or before embarking on a research program, it might be a guide and a source of inspiration.
Features: Each chapter is devoted to a scientist whose biography is reconstructed step by step from infancy to "the last paper." In most cases, this is accompanied by a black-and-white photo. This biographical section is followed by an analytical presentation of the contribution of the scientist to genetics. This section is followed by a bibliography of variable length (from three titles to three pages) that includes both the work(s) by the scientist and analytical works. When necessary, the chapter is completed by a chronological table that summarizes the multiple data provided in the text. Chapters are presented in chronological order and each has a title that expresses the contribution of the scientist. The sequence of chapters is divided into seven sections marking the development, transformation and, more recently, applications of genetics.
Assessment: This is the kind of book that any historian of medicine, geneticist, or researcher should have on his/her shelf, as should any reader interested in understanding the current trends in medicine. It might not be a book to read straight through, but rather a book to consult as an inspiration, particularly for young scientists, but also for seasoned researchers coping with unexpected problems, crafting a new project, or exploring uncharted waters. Curiously, there is only one woman among the 19 scientists profiled here.