This Man's Pill: Reflections on the 50th Birthday of the Pill (Popular Science) [Paperback]

Carl Djerassi (Author)

Book Description

Series: Popular Science | Publication Date: January 29, 2004

On October 15, 1951, in a small laboratory in Mexico City, one of the key episodes in 20th century social history occurred: the first synthesis of a steroid oral contraceptive--an event that triggered the development of the Pill. Carl Djerassi has been honored worldwide for that accomplishment, which ultimately changed the life of women and the nature of human reproduction in ways that were not then foreseeable.
Now, on the 50th anniversary of this pivotal event, Djerassi weaves a compelling personal narrative full of self-reflection and humor, illuminating the impact this invention has had on the world at large and on him personally. This Man's Pill presents a forcefully revisionist account of the early history of the Pill, debunking many of the journalistic and romantic accounts of its scientific origin. Djerassi does not shrink from exploring why we have no Pill for men or why Japan only approved the Pill in 1999 (together with Viagra). Emphasizing that development of the Pill occurred during the post-War period of technological euphoria, he believes that it could not be repeated in today's climate. Would the sexual revolution of the 1960s or the impending separation of sex ("in bed") and fertilization ("under the microscope") still have happened?
Djerassi also credits the Pill with radically altering his life, allowing him to become one of the few American chemists to have a second career, that of a novelist and playwright. These talents are clearly evident in This Man's Pill, a superbly written and uniquely authoritative account of a discovery that changed the world.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Most scientists are lucky if they can base a career on one big discovery. Carl Djerassi, who first synthesized the birth control pill, has managed to squeeze two careers--so far--out of that feat. His memoir, This Man's Pill, published on the pill's 50th birthday, is a warm and funny reflection on his work as research chemist and man of letters; with several novels and plays under his belt, Djerassi is an insightful writer far past the journeyman stage. Exploring the pill's reception and the various battles it's faced internationally, he offers his own thoughts on the subjects of medical ethics, sexuality, and politics while sharing his complex life story. Reminiscent of Richard Feynman's playfully free spirit, Djerassi's voice will inspire readers interested in the confluence of science and art. --Rob Lightner --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

"Until 1969, I would have described myself as a `hard' scientist, the proudly macho adjective employed by chemists and other physical scientists to distinguish their work from the `soft,' fuzzy fields such as sociology or even psychology," writes Djerassi, whose historic synthesis of a steroid contraceptive in 1951 revolutionized human reproduction. In this learned memoir, he describes the turning point as the publication of his first public policy article in Science magazine, an event that he says marked the beginning of a life change attributable ultimately to the pill. The first part of this memoir is a well-reasoned apologetic on the pill's origins and its benefits to women, where Djerassi follows familiar debunkings: of fundamentalists, on the one hand, who regarded the pill as "a symbol, if not an agent, of what they perceived as a pervasive moral decline," and of feminists, on the other, who he says viewed the manmade contraceptive as the supreme gesture of patriarchy. The balance of this book, however, explores how the pill altered the rules of the author's own life, raising his awareness of "the social consequences arising from scientific and technological developments" and leading him down unexpected creative avenues; Djerassi, now in his late 70s and an emeritus professor of chemistry at Stanford, has since become a prolific playwright and author of five novels and a book of poetry. His meditations on "science-in-theater" and other aspects of the writing life (along with frequent quotations from Djerassi's favorite authors) are sprinkled through the book, giving this winning, disorganized set of reflections depth and heart. (Oct. 15)Forecast: While few readers are likely to share Djerassi's precise combination of interests, this book should draw the attention of the parents of boomers, and the countercultural boomers themselves and it could break out on reproductive interest alone. Djerassi's play, An Immaculate Misconception, dealing with current fertility issues, opens in New York this fall.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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

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Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; 1 edition (January 29, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0198606958
• ISBN-13: 978-0198606956
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,944,363 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)