The politics of excellence : behind the Nobel Prize in science / Robert Marc Friedman.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Friedman, Robert Marc, 1949-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Nobel Prizes--History.

Nobel Prizes.

History.

Physics--Awards--History.

Physics.

Physics--Awards.

Chemistry--Awards--History.

Chemistry.

Chemistry--Awards.

Physical Description:

xv, 379 pages ; 25 cm

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

New York : Times Books/Henry Holt, 2001.

Contents:

Introduction: Legendary Excellence 1

Part I Permanent Battles Will Surely be Waged for Every Prize 11

1 The Stupidest Use of a Bequest That I Can Imagine! 13

2 Coming Apart at the Seams 26

3 Sympathy for an Area Closely Connected with My Own Specialty 40

4 Each Nobel Prize Can Be Likened to a Swedish Flag 54

Part II Has the Swedish Academy of Sciences ... Seen Nothing, Heard Nothing, and Understood Nothing? 69

5 Should the Nobel Prize Be Awarded in Wartime? 71

6 While the Sores Are Still Dripping Blood! 93

Part III Small Popes in Uppsala 117

7 Einstein Must Never Get a Nobel Prize 119

8 To Sit on a Nobel Committee Is Like Sitting on Quicksand 141

9 Clamor in the Academy 163

Part IV Don't Shoot the Piano Player, He's Doing the Best He Can 177

10 It Can Happen That Pure Pettiness Enters 179

11 One Ought to Think the Matter Over Twice 190

Part V Scandalous Traffic 211

12 Dazzling Dialects 213

13 Completely Lacking an Unambiguous, Objective Standard 225

14 The Knights Templar 251.

Notes:

"A W.H. Freeman book."

Includes bibliographical references (pages [289]-360) and index.

ISBN:

0716731037

OCLC:

46793099