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The Private Science of Louis Pasteur
In The Private Science of Louis Pasteur , Gerald Geison has written a controversial biography that finally penetrates the secrecy that has surrounded much of this legendary scientist's laboratory work. Geison uses Pasteur's laboratory notebooks, made available only recently, and his published papers to present a rich and full account of some of the most famous episodes in the history of science and their darker sides--for example, Pasteur's rush to develop the rabies vaccine and the human risks his haste entailed. The discrepancies between the public record and the "private science" of Louis Pasteur tell us as much about the man as they do about the highly competitive and political world he learned to master.
Although experimental ingenuity served Pasteur well, he also owed much of his success to the polemical virtuosity and political savvy that won him unprecedented financial support from the French state during the late nineteenth century. But a close look at his greatest achievements raises ethical issues. In the case of Pasteur's widely publicized anthrax vaccine, Geison reveals its initial defects and how Pasteur, in order to avoid embarrassment, secretly incorporated a rival colleague's findings to make his version of the vaccine work. Pasteur's premature decision to apply his rabies treatment to his first animal-bite victims raises even deeper questions and must be understood not only in terms of the ethics of human experimentation and scientific method, but also in light of Pasteur's shift from a biological theory of immunity to a chemical theory--similar to ones he had often disparaged when advanced by his competitors.
Through his vivid reconstruction of the professional rivalries as well as the national adulation that surrounded Pasteur, Geison places him in his wider cultural context. In giving Pasteur the close scrutiny his fame and achievements deserve, Geison's book offers compelling reading for anyone interested in the social and ethical dimensions of science.
Originally published in 1995.
The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.
Although experimental ingenuity served Pasteur well, he also owed much of his success to the polemical virtuosity and political savvy that won him unprecedented financial support from the French state during the late nineteenth century. But a close look at his greatest achievements raises ethical issues. In the case of Pasteur's widely publicized anthrax vaccine, Geison reveals its initial defects and how Pasteur, in order to avoid embarrassment, secretly incorporated a rival colleague's findings to make his version of the vaccine work. Pasteur's premature decision to apply his rabies treatment to his first animal-bite victims raises even deeper questions and must be understood not only in terms of the ethics of human experimentation and scientific method, but also in light of Pasteur's shift from a biological theory of immunity to a chemical theory--similar to ones he had often disparaged when advanced by his competitors.
Through his vivid reconstruction of the professional rivalries as well as the national adulation that surrounded Pasteur, Geison places him in his wider cultural context. In giving Pasteur the close scrutiny his fame and achievements deserve, Geison's book offers compelling reading for anyone interested in the social and ethical dimensions of science.
Originally published in 1995.
The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.
392 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 1995
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 24, 2013
If you want to find out all about the laboratory experiments that Louis Pasteur undertook, this is the ideal book to read.
I highly recommend it.
I highly recommend it.
October 26, 2018
Pasteur is bastard!
July 10, 2011
This book was interesting, yet I was hoping it would be more about Pasteur behind the scenes rather than a dissection of his laboratory notebooks. Still interesting, but not very revealing of Pasteur himself.
May 24, 2020
Both Cadeddu in the 1980s and later Geison dug up some juicy stuff about Pasteur in his laboratory notebooks, but I ultimately found that Geison got carried away with the idea of taking Pasteur down, and seemed to want to take the scientific method down with him.
November 8, 2013
I read half of this book for a class. This is a book about a scientist that reads almost like a whodunnit. It starts slow and Geison's enthusiasm for recounting all the details of Pasteur's notebooks can be at times wearisome; but there are some exciting twists and turns in the narrative. I was particularly intrigued by the questions of Pasteru's bioethics.
The book would have benefited from a comparative approach that would have shown Pasteur as competing with a host of other scientists racing to answer similar questions around Europe (e.g., Koch). By focusing his narrative primarily on Pasteur, Geison presents him as less a scientific genius who rigorously followed 'the scientific method' than a diligent worker and master showman who had a nose for where the publicity and money were, and was skilled at producing convincing spectacles.
The overall effect of "The Private Science..." is that while Geison's Pasteur may no longer appear morally 'great' or his science above politics, he nonetheless remains an exceptional figure of history—one who knew how to mobilize his allies to ensure 'his' science won the day. It's an odd historiographical result for an author who seems intent on taking Pasteur 'down a peg.'
The book would have benefited from a comparative approach that would have shown Pasteur as competing with a host of other scientists racing to answer similar questions around Europe (e.g., Koch). By focusing his narrative primarily on Pasteur, Geison presents him as less a scientific genius who rigorously followed 'the scientific method' than a diligent worker and master showman who had a nose for where the publicity and money were, and was skilled at producing convincing spectacles.
The overall effect of "The Private Science..." is that while Geison's Pasteur may no longer appear morally 'great' or his science above politics, he nonetheless remains an exceptional figure of history—one who knew how to mobilize his allies to ensure 'his' science won the day. It's an odd historiographical result for an author who seems intent on taking Pasteur 'down a peg.'
November 23, 2012
Fascinating read, if a bit dry at times. Definitely a great source for my RCR paper on why Louis Pasteur isn't quite as awesome as everyone thinks he is. ;-)
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February 8, 2019easy reading but many interesting information
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews