The Molecular Vision of Life. - Caltech, the Rockefeller Foundation, and the Rise of the new Biology

"I think that it is a marvellous book. I have learned a good bit from it. I am always happy to read a book written by a person who has a mastery of the English language. Also, in addition to the other good qualities of the book, it has the best index I have ever seen." -Dr. Linus Pauling "As a contribution to the history of the American involvement in molecular biology, Kay's book is a work of considerable value, and it is written with clarity and intelligence." -Science "With grace and unerring intelligence, Lily Kay has written a history of molecular biology that all of us who work in the area have been waiting for. It will stand as a model for years to come." -Evelyn Fox Keller, University of California, Berkeley "The organizational history of Caltech is the loom on which Kay has woven an intricate fabric of the molecular vision of life. Among the threads are biographies of personal ambition; ideals and ideologies of social reform; and the intricacies of molecular biological science. Kay is one of a tiny handful of contemporary historians who combine mastery of archival materials and their narrative exposition with an informed grasp of modern science, and all bonded by sociological sensitivity. These textures refract, but do not obscure, how scientific advance is still impelled by the itch of curiosity, the thrill of discovery, and the pride of cognitive dominion-the contradictory rhetoric and complex motivations of academic entrepreneurs, foundation directors and wealthy donors notwithstanding. (The same surely holds for historical scholarship.)" -Joshua Lederberg, Rockefeller University