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Cathedrals of Science: The Personalities and Rivalries That Made Modern Chemistry | 
 enlarge | Author: Patrick Coffey
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Category: Book
List Price: $29.95
Buy New: $23.96
You Save: $5.99 (20%)
New (22) Used (7) from $19.62
Rating:  4 reviews
Sales Rank: 179605
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Pages: 400
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.5
Dimensions (in): 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.2
ISBN: 0195321340
Dewey Decimal Number: 540
EAN: 9780195321340
ASIN: 0195321340
Publication Date: August 29, 2008
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Product Description
In Cathedrals of Science, Patrick Coffey describes how chemistry got its modern footing-how thirteen brilliant men and one woman struggled with the laws of the universe and with each other. They wanted to discover how the world worked, but they also wanted credit for making those discoveries, and their personalities often affected how that credit was assigned. Gilbert Lewis, for example, could be reclusive and resentful, and his enmity with Walther Nernst may have cost him the Nobel Prize; Irving Langmuir, gregarious and charming, "rediscovered" Lewis's theory of the chemical bond and received much of the credit for it. Langmuir's personality smoothed his path to the Nobel Prize over Lewis.
Coffey deals with moral and societal issues as well. These same scientists were the first to be seen by their countries as military assets. Fritz Haber, dubbed the "father of chemical warfare," pioneered the use of poison gas in World War I-vividly described-and Glenn Seaborg and Harold Urey were leaders in World War II's Manhattan Project; Urey and Linus Pauling worked for nuclear disarmament after the war. Science was not always fair, and many were excluded. The Nazis pushed Jewish scientists like Haber from their posts in the 1930s. Anti-Semitism was also a force in American chemistry, and few women were allowed in; Pauling, for example, used his influence to cut off the funding and block the publications of his rival, Dorothy Wrinch.
Cathedrals of Science paints a colorful portrait of the building of modern chemistry from the late 19th to the mid-20th century.
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| Customer Reviews:
A Fascinating Story, Eloquently Told September 30, 2008
Michael Whitt (Denver)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
A remarkable study of a genius, one who's greatest enemy was himself. Coffey's book is scrupulously detailed and brings to life a story of war, politics, deceit, passion and betrayal in the rarefied atmosphere of the scientific elite. It is a riveting account of the psychological, political and scientific struggles that consumed some of the greatest names in chemistry as they sought the Nobel Prize for themselves and as some conspired to deny it to Gilbert Lewis.
It is also a cautionary tale. As we read of the excesses and abuses of government and society in a turbulent period of our history, we are reminded of the social and political unrest of our own time. Coffey writes with wit and wisdom and his biography of Lewis does justice to an amazing man and his extraordinary accomplishments. No background in science is required to enjoy this work, just an appreciation for thorough research and fine writing by an accomplished author.
Food for thought October 5, 2008
Fibonacci (USA)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
When I finished reading this fascinating book, I found myself wondering: why have physics and physicists been the subjects of so many biographies, other nonfiction, novels, plays, and even opera - and chemistry and chemists so few? Not for lack of significance: Chemistry is Us. And not for lack of dramatic potential: as Patrick Coffey shows very skillfully, the history of modern chemistry is replete with profound moral quandaries, contentious outsize personalities, and epic quarrels. I recommend Cathedrals of Science to everyone, even if you've forgotten your chemistry (the author stirs it in gently). This is a compelling story, with much food for thought.
great book for any engineer October 8, 2008
wobs (Mountain View, CA)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
A great read! I liked the way the author describes the different work cultures and habits of both Lewis and Langmuir...academia vs. industry.
The author's plain talk about "the battles over priority of invention" and the scientific discovery methods gave me much insight into my own career in software engineering.
One other thing that I _really_ liked was the feeling that I had just taken a refresher chemistry class (except this was way more fun :-)
Captivating Narative / Detailed Research December 14, 2008
David R. Mattson (Poynette, WI USA)
I really enjoyed Cathedrals of Science. The narrative was every bit as captivating as a historical fiction, yet the detailed research gives one a rewarding insight into an extremely interesting subject and historical time period. As with many, I have read extensively on the popularly know quantum physics pioneers. Coffey's work more broadly illuminates the "age defining" discoveries and key personalities of the period. I found the author's discussions of the Pathological Science of Langmuir especially relevant to today's political - scientific discourse.
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