Sam Kean tells the true story of what happens when unfettered ambition pushes otherwise rational men and women to cross the line in the name of science, trampling ethical boundaries and often committing crimes in the process.
[Kean's] delightful, highly readable indictment of scientists behaving badly is a timely reminder that no field is immune from corruption ... Kean takes his readers on an engrossing — and sometimes horrifying — historical tour ... Written with the flair of a beach thriller and the thoughtfulness of philosophy, the pages explode with a wealth of information and juicy details, all held together with virtuoso storytelling.
The Icepick Surgeon is a hodgepodge of stories about malfeasance and evil, loosely grouped under a high concept ... If you can forgive Kean’s overly broad organizing principle, you’ll find a series of gripping stories about evil scientific deeds, corrupt rivalries and skulduggery ... Kean is a gifted raconteur.
Tales of scientific criminal activities told by the outstanding science storyteller Sam Kean ... So much mischief and harm is so evocatively recorded and amply detailed with compassion and wit.
