A Life of Science: Wisdom from Conversations with 11 Distinguished Chinese American Scientists (Paperback)

by Andrew D. Hsu (Author), Patrick D. Hsu (Author)
Key Phrases: cancer stem cells, exotic atoms, United States, Bell Labs, Academia Sinica (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
A Life of Science has captured the essence of the strategies and operating principles not just of leading scientists who happen to be Chinese American, but of leaders in general. This is an inspiring book. Sage wisdom from world-renowned scientists has been fashioned for efficient and pleasureful reading by two remarkable young scientists in the making. --James B. Bassingthwaighte, Director, National Simulation Resource

This is an outstanding book of fantastic interviews of 11 Chinese scientists and role models...These wise conversations will touch the hearts of so many young students. This is a wonderful book and will be one of great influence. --Chia-Wei Li, Editor in Chief, Scientific American (Chinese edition)

Product Description
A Life of Science is a roadmap to success for high school to college students who are starting to think about their future careers. Conversations with these extraordinary people, coming from a diverse range of fields, reveal much about their lives, research, experiences, and thoughts. This book answers questions of crucial importance: why one chooses a path of science, what the life of a scientist is like, and what it takes to be great.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Ovo Press (November 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0975277804
• ISBN-13: 978-0975277805
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,562,515 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For Students...For Teachers...For Scientists...For YOU!, January 8, 2007

By	Barbara Rosen - See all my reviews

I enjoy reading general science books by authors like Matt Ridley, who wrote Genome: The Autobiography of a Species or Bryan Sykes, who wrote Adam's Curse. While searching Amazon to continue my recent glut of such gems, I came across A Life of Science.

I was instantly intrigued by the driving force behind the book. The authors delve into the lives of 11 prominent Chinese-Americans scientists (most of whom are based in the U.S.) while listing out the things that make them tick, as this book is tailored for students who are interested in getting into a science-related career.

This book is an enormously interesting and informative read and "profiles" each scientist by writing a detailed biography before each conversation, which is presented in a Q&A format.

The real soul of this book lies in the 'What We Can Learn' sections at the end of each profile, which lists out the principles/characteristics that influenced the scientists to succeed.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What is a career in science like? Read this book to find out!, February 6, 2007

By	Steven Scott - See all my reviews

James Watson once said his book, The Double Helix, was intended to instruct students what a career in science is like. This book, A Life of Science, fulfills the same ambitions in a thorough and very interesting way. This book contains "sage wisdom", as one of the reviewers on the back of the book states - it's like having an experienced scientist-advisor on your shoulder.

Oh, by the way, this book is very easy to read. The writing was taken from actual conversations from the scientists, so the language is simple and straightforward - no funky syntax like in Arrowsmith.

There's a Chinese proverb that I read somewhere and find pretty appropriate. It goes "To know the road ahead, ask those coming back." A lot of scientists "coming back" - eleven of them, to be exact, respond to many insightful questions and give great advice. If you're at all interested in science, you should read this book. Stick with this book and it may very well change your life.