Nobel Dreams: Power, Deceit, and the Ultimate Experiment [Hardcover]

Gary Taubes (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 12, 1987

A modern-day adventure story demonstrating the chaotic and chancy nature of science that will change perceptions of scientific research. Several colorful personalities are introduced--the Italian physicist Carlo Rubbia chief among them.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Carlo Rubbia recently won a Nobel Prize for his work in experimental particle physics. This book recounts the tale of how the Prize was won. It also describes some of the subsequent work done by Rubbia and his group during the middle 1980s. From Taubes's description we come to see this scientist as a thoroughly unpleasant person, obsessed by the need to be best. He terrorizes his subordinates and co-workers and lies to his peers. Most disheartening is that he is interested only in publishing first and exhibits little patience for the kind of meticulous attention to detail that guarantees the accuracy of his results. If Taubes's account is true, then the quest for the Nobel Prize may be doing more harm than good to the cause of scientific progress.Harold D. Shane, Mathematics Dept., Baruch Coll., CUNY
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 261 pages
• Publisher: Random House; 1st edition (January 12, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0394545036
• ISBN-13: 978-0394545035
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,036,680 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great read, January 3, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Nobel Dreams: Power, Deceit and the Ultimate Experiment (Paperback)

This book hooked me so completely that when I came across it in the library I read it from cover to cover standing (then sitting) in the aisle. Anyone with an interest in high-energy physics or academic politics with enjoy it immensely.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Academic Reality, August 6, 2002

By 

Mark C. Jones (Irving, Texas United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nobel Dreams: Power, Deceit and the Ultimate Experiment (Paperback)

Contains a good combination of hard science and the politics of actually getting stuff done. I appreciated the details of experimental particle physics, but the best part of the book is the insider perspective on getting grant money, timing the delivery of experimental results and positioning oneself for recognition from the Nobel committee. The interplay between the theorists and experimentalists was also illuminating. The only negative factor's were the needless comments on what people were wearing at a meeting or how handsome/pretty they were that day and I believe (not positive since the only account I have is the book) a few remarks that were quite obviously taken out of context and the author failed to acknowledge this.

3 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Trashing Nobelist Rubbia, October 29, 2003

By 

Edward Saint-Ivan author of The Black Knights God (Tampa, Fl. USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nobel Dreams: Power, Deceit, and the Ultimate Experiment (Hardcover)

The author trashed a well known physicist for reasons totally beyond me. Most super-stars of science have huge egos and many detracters.
Kerry Mullis, Robert Good, and David Baltimore have all three been accused of arrogance so its nothing new.
Incidently,the author trashed Nobelist Prusiner too so Rubbia is in good company!!!!!!!!!!!!
Aside from The Patchwork Mouse and False Prophets, very few journalists do justice to the subject of scientific fraud!!!!