Cathedrals of science; the personalities and rivalries that made modern chemistry.9780195321340 Cathedrals of science; the personalities and rivalries that made modern chemistry. Coffey, Patrick. Oxford U. Press 2008 379 pages $29.95 Hardcover Q180 The image of the ivory-tower scientist gets a thorough revision in this entertaining history of modern chemistry. Coffey (history of science and technology For chronological accounts of the development of science and technology, see history of science and history of technology. The history of science and technology (HST , U. of California, Berkeley) uses the lives of the first wave of physical chemists in Europe and America, particularly Gilbert Lewis
Gilbert Lewis is an American actor who is best known for being the first person to play The King of Cartoons on the 1986 children's show, Pee-wee's Playhouse. and Irving Langmuir, to trace the development of the field. He clearly explains the problems in science that the men (overwhelmingly, he admits) were working on and their implications for science and society today. But the thrust of the work is the turmoil within this group: the battles for credit, the arguments over results, personal likes and antipathies and, above all, the quest for Verb 1. quest for - go in search of or hunt for; "pursue a hobby" quest after, go after, pursue look for, search, seek - try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of; "The police are searching for clues"; "They are searching for the the Holy Grail of science, the Nobel Prize Nobel Prize, award given for outstanding achievement in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, peace, or literature. The awards were established by the will of Alfred Nobel, who left a fund to provide annual prizes in the five areas listed above. . Coffey makes clear that the prize was often based as much on internal politics as on accomplishment. The struggle for this acknowledgement drove the chemists on as much as scientific curiosity. The paradoxical effect of their work on the world at large is also woven into the story. The most sadly ironic example of this is Fritz Haber Noun 1. Fritz Haber - German chemist noted for the synthetic production of ammonia from the nitrogen in air (1868-1934) Haber , a patriotic German Jew, who helped develop both gas warfare and nitrogen fertilizer. Although he converted to Christianity, he was still ousted by the Nazis and interned in France as an enemy alien enemy alien: see alien. . Even if one has no knowledge of physical chemistry, this book is still a riveting read, full of the passions and twists that make the best novels. ([c]20082005 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR) |
|
||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion