Louis Pasteur (Da Capo Series in Science) (Paperback)

by Rene Dubos (Author) "LOUIS PASTEUR was born on December 27, 1822, at Dole in the eastern part of France, where his father owned and managed a small tannery..." (more)
Key Phrases: chicken cholera bacillus, vibrion septique, true anthrax, Ecole Normale, Academy of Medicine, Academy of Sciences (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

In the words of one of his English contemporaries, Louis Pasteur was ”the most perfect man who ever entered the kingdom of science.” His contributions to the development of microbiology and medicine were profound, both practically (Pasteurization and vaccination) and theoretically (the germ model of disease). He spoke out forcefully on issues of the day, especially when they concerned public health, and his research included studies on rabies, anaerobic life, childbirth fever, silkworms, and beer. René Dubos’s outstanding biography examines Pasteur’s manifold genius in the context of the era—Pasteur was an exemplary nineteenth-century bourgeois—and in light of recent environmental thought. His view of Pasteur as ecologist, the first to formulate in concrete terms a biological and chemical theory of global ecosystems, is only one of the many surprising insights into a man whose emblematic fame has obscured a complex and rich life.

About the Author

René Dubos (1901-1982) was an eminent microbiologist and experimental pathologist. For many years professor emeritus at Rockefeller University, he wrote numerous books, including So Human an Animal, winner of the 1969 Pulitzer Prize.

Product Details

• Paperback: 462 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press; 2nd edition (March 21, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0306802627
• ISBN-13: 978-0306802621
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #817,252 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An intricate but readable protrait, May 16, 2000

By	Lucia (Michigan, USA) - See all my reviews

This a rounded portrait of a scientific career and of nineteenth century science. Dubos traces the threads of Pasteur's research, shows his inspiration & practical skill, & shows the limitations imposed by time & place. The whole is readable & well oranized.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dubos on Pasteur, February 1, 2007

By	Michael Brown (USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

An insightful view of both the human qualities and the brilliant experiments that made Pasteur one of the greatest scientists of all time.

7 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars This book is not an autobiography, April 21, 1999

By	O'Malley's cat "richtxn" (Ft Worth, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This is a book that praises Pasteur, but has no order to the presentation of either his life or his work. One word can sum it up: disorganized. There are many better bios available of Pasteur.