Gianfranco Pacchioni is Vice-Rector for Research at the University of Milano Bicocca. He received his Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry at the Free University of Berlin. He has worked at the IBM Almaden Research Center in California and at the Technical University of Munich. His main interests are theory and electronic structure of oxides (bulk, surface, thin films, nanostructures), supported metal clusters, materials for catalysis, photocatalysis and energy production. Pacchioni has received various awards, including the Nasini Medal and the Pisani Medal of the Italian Chemical Society, the National Prize ""Federchimica,"" the Alexander von Humboldt Award, and the Blaise Pascal Medal of the European Academy of Sciences. He is Fellow of the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, the Academia Europaea, and the European Academy of Sciences.
This is an excellent book exploring the growth and impact of science, scientific research, and scientists. Are there too many journals? Too many scientists? Is there too much pressure on scientists to publish, and can scientists be trusted? Pacchioni's book is timely as truth is increasingly viewed as subjective rather than objective. * R. E. Buntrock, Choice Connect * Gianfranco Pacchioni has produced a sharp book that touches upon a very hot subject which has caused broad concern among committed scientists: the exponential increase in the number of journals and published papers, and the ever increasing use (or abuse) of bibliometric numerical indices. One could hardly put together a better lineup of timely topics. I imagine there could be as many interested readers in this book as there are scientists around the world. * Angelo Gavezzotti, Professor (Ret.), Department of Chemistry, University of Milano * Pacchionis eminently readable description of the structure and practice of modern science, including many of its foibles, will be added to my recommended reading list for scientific neophytes, veteran practitioners and those seeking to understand how modern science works. In an easy and elegant style he covers the full range of scientific activity including graduate training to the exigencies of employment, the execution of experiments, the culture of publishing, the ramifications of explosion of the scientific population and the unfortunate examples of fraud. Highly recommended. * Joel Bernstein, Global Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, New York University Abu Dhabi *