PERHAPS A GIFT VOUCHER FOR MUM?: MOTHER'S DAY
We are familiar with the image of scientists as dispassionate, aloof, noble figures working coldly and rather calculatingly to advance human knowledge, but White's exciting book abruptly blows this impression apart. His thesis is that the most dramatic and revolutionary advances in science arise out of intense rivalry and conflict between individuals driven by hatred, jealousy, fear, greed and self-aggrandisement. He documents his argument in this thrilling book with meticulous research into several crucial incidents in the history of science. Examples such as the race to the moon and the atom bomb, in White's deft hands demonstrate how the passions of scientists pitted against each other is what really ignites the giant leaps forward that we have tended to previously attribute to just sober genius at work. It is refreshing to see the gritty real world of academia with all its petty and deadly competition brought so vividly to life and to a wider audience. Anyone wanting a simple good read who has studied science to secondary school level would enjoy this, but the book would make an ideal gift to a young person thinking of a career in science but worried that this world is too boring. White clearly shows that beneath every white coat beats a heart just as full of passion and frailty as any artist. Review by DR RAJ PERSAUD (Kirkus UK)
