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Prometheans in the Lab
"…excellent job of describing the chemical processes and their legacies-both beneficial and unintended. She never lets any of her characters be good or bad, just human. This humanity makes her stories gripping. I highly recommend this thoughtful and thought-provoking book. McGrayne successfully describes the ambiguous effects of chemical technology and the role that human strengths and frailties play on mitigating or exacerbating those effects." —Chemical & Engineering News "…a compelling read." —Nature "Sharon Bertsch McGrayne's appealing collection of biographical essays reminds us how much we owe to chemistry." —New Scientist "On your next trip to the bookstore bypass the action adventure thrillers and seek out Prometheans in the Lab by Sharon McGrayne . . . I wish that (it) were twice its length." —PopularMechanics.com "In this striking and readable collection of nine thumbnail biographies of heroic (and troubled) figures in the history of chemistry . . . McGrayne is conscientious about showing the downside of each chemical breakthrough, and the human flaws and ' features' of each Promethean." —Choice
224 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2001
31 people are currently reading
467 people want to read
About the author
Sharon Bertsch McGrayne
12 books30 followersSharon Bertsch McGrayne is the author of highly-praised books about scientific discoveries and the scientists who make them. She is interested in exploring the cutting-edge connection between social issues and scientific progress – and in making the science clear and interesting to non-specialists.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 27, 2011
I came to this book by way of Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything, and found it a bit of a letdown. The prose here is serviceable, but not nearly as inspiring as Bryson.
The chapters are a very formulaic: from historical context to a brief biographical sketch, followed up with the discovery and a look at the consequences. Almost half of the book deals with the increase in use of leaded fuels in the world, the discovery of the environmental consequences, and the subsequent push to switch to an alternative. The history is stunningly similar to some issues we face today such as potential endocrine disruption from BPEs and climate change: industry-backed scientists claiming that nothing in their research indicates an problem while independent researchers pointing to potentially catastrophic consequences from existing practices.
I found it a worthwhile meditation on the drive for technological innovation as well as the far-reaching, unexpected, and frequently hazardous consequences.
The chapters are a very formulaic: from historical context to a brief biographical sketch, followed up with the discovery and a look at the consequences. Almost half of the book deals with the increase in use of leaded fuels in the world, the discovery of the environmental consequences, and the subsequent push to switch to an alternative. The history is stunningly similar to some issues we face today such as potential endocrine disruption from BPEs and climate change: industry-backed scientists claiming that nothing in their research indicates an problem while independent researchers pointing to potentially catastrophic consequences from existing practices.
I found it a worthwhile meditation on the drive for technological innovation as well as the far-reaching, unexpected, and frequently hazardous consequences.
January 13, 2010
A well written book that looks at about 9 different chemists and their contribution to major discoveries that have greatly changed our lives.
The writing is a little dry, not at entertaining as Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything. But more in depth and informative and very readable. It amazes me how recently in our history many of these things were, and how quickly the ball of scientific knowledge grows once it gets rolling.
The writing is a little dry, not at entertaining as Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything. But more in depth and informative and very readable. It amazes me how recently in our history many of these things were, and how quickly the ball of scientific knowledge grows once it gets rolling.
May 21, 2025
Although this book may be hard to find in your local library, it is WELL WORTH the hunt. Slick, individual chapters about how chemists changed their world for both the better, and to the detriment of many. I originally heard about this book as source material for one of my all-time favorite books, A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson. Glad I was finally able to track it down because it was incredibly interesting.
August 13, 2014
This book gives great backstory for why the EPA, Silent Spring, hole in the ozone layer exist. McGrayne gives historical context for how the use of environmentally damaging industrial chemicals became so widespread. It was somewhat surprising to read how crazy the chemists went later in life from essentially poisoning themselves in their labs for years with lead, mercury, and other substances with physiological effects.
She gave just enough detail to make it interesting, but not so much to bog it down.
These profiles are all of men. I wish there was a woman featured in this book, but that is more a comment on society than it is on her research.
She gave just enough detail to make it interesting, but not so much to bog it down.
These profiles are all of men. I wish there was a woman featured in this book, but that is more a comment on society than it is on her research.
July 9, 2021
For sure, it could have benefited from some of the goofy humor of say a Mary Roach or Bill Bryson. Very good book, which I’ve had a long time and have enjoyed often!
July 8, 2024
Before I read this enlightening book on the history of chemistry, I did not know that no soap for personal use was available until about the time of the French Revolution, and people rubbed themselves with olive oils and compounds of roses, exfoliated with sand or pumice, and washed laundry in alkali-rich urine;
that until the Victorian era the common public had no access to synthetic dyes for clothing and uniformly wore beige, untreated, dull clothes and treasured their few pieces of colored clothing for special occasions;
that until the 1800s sugar was such a rare and expensive luxury that it was gifted to the Queen;
and there was no known way to perform nitrogen fixation for the soil until the 1900s, so that the world was in danger of famine from lack of harvest. Truly, the common person in the modern Western world at least, live lives of everyday splendor that would be the envy of kings just a few centuries past.
All these developments happened due to the persistent efforts of chemists, and their inventions were transformative. LaBlanc's process for making washing soda and creating soap, not only helped personal hygiene but saved people from diseases such as mite-burrowing scabies, or typhus. With William Henry Perkin's discovery of synthetic dyes, regular public had access to explosion of color, from mauve to alizerin red. Thanks to Norbert Rillieux, sugar evaporation process became so efficient that sugar products are now found not only in our pantries in the form of jams, powdered milk, cakes and extracts, his process has been repurposed to distill petroleum and recover waste from paper plants and mills. Fritz Haber's process ensured that billions of people would not starve as soil productivity was expanded from nitrogen-fixing and ammonia production.
The book is also candid about the double-edged nature of scientific developments and how they can cause harm. Fritz Haber's methods were repurposed for chemical warfare, creation of poison gas, and conduct of Zyklon B in the Holocaust whose victims numbered his own relatives. The soap production process created extreme pollution due to the byproduct of hydrochloric acid that decayed people's teeth and gums when they worked steadfastly in factories, which continued until Solvay's method changed soap production. The book points out that problems caused in science were also fixed by science.
This is a very interesting science history book to read that covers obscure but extremely signifcant events in technological history.
that until the Victorian era the common public had no access to synthetic dyes for clothing and uniformly wore beige, untreated, dull clothes and treasured their few pieces of colored clothing for special occasions;
that until the 1800s sugar was such a rare and expensive luxury that it was gifted to the Queen;
and there was no known way to perform nitrogen fixation for the soil until the 1900s, so that the world was in danger of famine from lack of harvest. Truly, the common person in the modern Western world at least, live lives of everyday splendor that would be the envy of kings just a few centuries past.
All these developments happened due to the persistent efforts of chemists, and their inventions were transformative. LaBlanc's process for making washing soda and creating soap, not only helped personal hygiene but saved people from diseases such as mite-burrowing scabies, or typhus. With William Henry Perkin's discovery of synthetic dyes, regular public had access to explosion of color, from mauve to alizerin red. Thanks to Norbert Rillieux, sugar evaporation process became so efficient that sugar products are now found not only in our pantries in the form of jams, powdered milk, cakes and extracts, his process has been repurposed to distill petroleum and recover waste from paper plants and mills. Fritz Haber's process ensured that billions of people would not starve as soil productivity was expanded from nitrogen-fixing and ammonia production.
The book is also candid about the double-edged nature of scientific developments and how they can cause harm. Fritz Haber's methods were repurposed for chemical warfare, creation of poison gas, and conduct of Zyklon B in the Holocaust whose victims numbered his own relatives. The soap production process created extreme pollution due to the byproduct of hydrochloric acid that decayed people's teeth and gums when they worked steadfastly in factories, which continued until Solvay's method changed soap production. The book points out that problems caused in science were also fixed by science.
This is a very interesting science history book to read that covers obscure but extremely signifcant events in technological history.
December 11, 2024
This was a great book. As a HS Chemistry teacher I've read a number of books on the history of Chemistry and it was a favorite topic in my class, and a welcome respite from the endless calculations and intense lectures on complex topics such as bonding and thermodynamics.
This book covered the scientists in more detail and I learned many interesting details about both the individuals and their research. The last chapter was very intersting and gave good balance to the book.
I had to buy the book used through Amazon as it was not available at the library. Print was small, but readable.
Highly recommended!!
This book covered the scientists in more detail and I learned many interesting details about both the individuals and their research. The last chapter was very intersting and gave good balance to the book.
I had to buy the book used through Amazon as it was not available at the library. Print was small, but readable.
Highly recommended!!
February 10, 2022
Fascinating to learn about the problems being solved by these chemical inventions, which I know more from the environmental degradation side (which was also discussed). Mental and personal struggles seemed to be an underlying theme to many of these scientists. I came to this book to learn more about Clair Patterson, and was interested to read about the enormous pushback he received! Recommended, but it is a bit dry.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews