Science's Mentoring Process

I well remember the sudden about-face of the science establishment's view of acupuncture—from adamant disbelief to cautious acceptance. What caused the change? It was not new facts about acupuncture, but instead the discovery of the enkephalins, the body's own opiates. Perhaps the needle stimulated their production. Scientists seem to be unimpressed by facts unless they can be connected to the established network of ideas. How then does science progress? And how did the enkephalin discover

Theodor Benfey

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Scientists seem to be unimpressed by facts unless they can be connected to the established network of ideas. How then does science progress? And how did the enkephalin discovery come about?

Kanigel's book addresses both of these questions in a style intended for the non-specialist scientist and also for the general public. It presents the human context of a revolution in our understanding of drug action and the brain. Yet this story is merely the framework for exploring the mentoring process in science, how great scientists beget great scientists while pursuing the secrets of nature.

For those aspiring to scientific eminence, Apprentice to Genius is comforting—there is more than one pattern. There are workaholics and there are those with reasonable, regular hours. Some flunked their chemistry courses, some are clumsy at the bench. Some achieve greatness by painstaking devotion to one goal, others take great leaps ("fliers" the author calls ...

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