Ukrainian agronomist T D Lysenko (1898-1976) was the leader of an influential Soviet agrobiological school that rejected standard genetics and instead promoted a brand of pseudoscience that held sway among Soviet biologists for over twenty-five years. Based on archival materials not previously accessible, "The Lysenko Effect" is both a valuable contribution to the history of science and an instructive case study in the ways in which ideals of social progress can skew the results of objective science in any society.
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About the Author
NILS ROLL-HANSEN is professor of history and philosophy of science at the University of Oslo, the author of THE FREEDOM AND NECESSITY OF SCIENCE: PASTEUR'S THEORIES IN GROWTH AND DECLINE, and the editor (with Gunnar Broberg) of EUGENICS AND THE WELFARE STATE.
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6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting, but very dry,
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This review is from: The Lysenko Effect: The Politics Of Science (Paperback)
The topic of this book is very interesting and portrays an important time not just in Soviet history, but in biological science. However, the style of writing in this book is very dry and technical as to dates and facts--it reads as a very well researched graduate thesis. Such a writing style will turn off the casual reader with its endless notes, repetition of statements and facts, and lack of any emotional input by thee author to the subject matter. The book is also too narrowly focused on meetings and discussions between Lysenko and other leading Soviet scientists of the time, and largely fails to address any detail of the food shortages that motivated the same scientists in their work.
Additionally, even as trained PhD in genetics, I find any sort of discussion of Lysenko's theories of biology and the experiments he actually performed somewhat confusing and poorly described. The focus of this book is on the historical and political significance of Lysenko and his interaction with the Soviet science community. Those interested in Lysenkos' biology and a deeper understanding of prevailing Soviet biological theories will be largely disappointed.
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
The more closely science is involved with politics and practical affairs, the more pervasive becomes its dependence on social goals, values, and wishes. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Soviet Union, Academy of Sciences, Central Committee, Nikolai Vavilov, World Collection, United States, Communist Party, New York, Lenin Academy of Agricultural Science, Iurii Zhdanov, American Philosophical Society Library, Hermann Muller, Nikolai Maksimov, Detskoe Tselo, Seventh International Congress of Genetics, Moscow University, Muller Archive, Nazi Germany, Nikolai Tulaikov, Sugar Trust, Under the Banner of Marxism, Vladimir Liubimenko, Andrei Zhdanov, Belaia Tserkov, Bureau of Applied Botany New!
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
The more closely science is involved with politics and practical affairs, the more pervasive becomes its dependence on social goals, values, and wishes. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Soviet Union, Academy of Sciences, Central Committee, Nikolai Vavilov, World Collection, United States, Communist Party, New York, Lenin Academy of Agricultural Science, Iurii Zhdanov, American Philosophical Society Library, Hermann Muller, Nikolai Maksimov, Detskoe Tselo, Seventh International Congress of Genetics, Moscow University, Muller Archive, Nazi Germany, Nikolai Tulaikov, Sugar Trust, Under the Banner of Marxism, Vladimir Liubimenko, Andrei Zhdanov, Belaia Tserkov, Bureau of Applied Botany New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 34
books:
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1
book
cites this book:
- On the Origin of Species (Penguin Classics) by Charles Darwin on page 23, page 24, and page 47
- The Origin Of Species: 150th Anniversary Edition by Charles Darwin on page 23, page 24, and page 47
- The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin on page 23, page 24, and page 47
- The Social Function of Science by J. D. Bernal on page 18, and Back Matter
- The Lysenko Affair by David Joravsky on page 292, and Back Matter
See all 34 books this book cites
- Times of Triumph, Times of Doubt: Science And the Battle for Public Trust by Elof Axel Carlson on page 20
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