Wandering in the Gardens of the Mind: Peter Mitchell and the Making of Glynn [Hardcover]

John Prebble (Author), Bruce Weber (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0195142667 | ISBN-13: 978-0195142662 | Publication Date: February 27, 2003 | Edition: 1

Peter Mitchell, winner of the 1978 Nobel Prize for chemistry for his chemiosmotic theory, was a highly original scientist who revolutionized our understanding of cellular metabolism and bioenergetics. This is the only full biography of Mitchell, and it should be of considerable interest to biophysicists, biochemists, and physicians and researchers focusing on metabolism, as well as historians of medicine and biology.

Editorial Reviews

Review

John Prebble and Bruce Weber, who knew Mitchell well, bring back to life the man as I remember him; and they do with empathy, erudition and fairness. Franklin M. Harold, The History and Philosophy of the Life Sciences ... fascinating biography ... This is a totally absorbing account for anyone with an interest in bioenergetics, and the life and work of one of the most important and idiosyncratic British scientists of the last century. Biologist John Prebble and Bruce Weber's very welcome biography describes in great detail the origins of Mitchell's insights and how, after lengthy and complex controversies, his theory, with some shape changes thrown in, came to dominate the field ... a satisfying story. Times Higher Education Supplement Read this biography as a proof - if proof were needed - that all scientists don't think the same way, and that scientific progress can benefit enormously from those who stray off the garden path. Chemistry in Britain ... a thoroughly researched and documented biography. Chemistry in Britain This biography comes with a very useful feature - an executive summary at the beginning of the book. Chemistry in Britain ... rewarding to read ... a fascinating account of the development of Glynn Research Institute and its working practices. The Biochemist ... a scholarly account of the life of one of the giants of late-twentieth-century biochemistry. Nature

About the Author

John Prebble is at University College London (Emeritus). Bruce Weber is at California State University, Fullerton.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 366 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; 1 edition (February 27, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195142667
• ISBN-13: 978-0195142662
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #551,253 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars wanderings, June 16, 2003

By 

Lee (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wandering in the Gardens of the Mind: Peter Mitchell and the Making of Glynn (Hardcover)

I picked up this book because I had some familiarity with the subject matter having worked in that field of biochemistry in the late '60s. That is probably the main reason I read the whole thing and enjoyed it.
This is very much a scientific biography. It's an interesting story of the evolution a scientific idea (The Chemiosmotic Theory) and how that idea came to be accepted by the scientific community. The originator of the idea, the imaginative, ambitious, passionate Peter Mitchell, had to fight for many years to see his theory finally accepted.
I was disappointed, however, that the book did not paint a fuller picture of Mitchell who had many interests outside of science which are (frustratingly) alluded to - music, architecture, farming, family - but never explored. For example, the authors state that family life was very important to Mitchell but give no examples of how a highly motivated scientist/entrepreneur managed to fit it in. Nor is there any sense of what domestic life was like living in an isolated research institute/manor/farm. In my opinion, if these aspects of his life had been more developed, the book would appeal to a wider audience and the reader would come away with a fuller appreciation of the man.
Technically, it is rather a choppy book. Each chapter is divided into subchapters, which detracts from its cohesiveness. Repetition of some points also gives the sense that the book was pieced together.
However, I did read the whole thing and found it an interesting study of how 20th century science works - or works imperfectly.