Scientific Feuds

Tesla vs. Edison! Huxley vs. Wilberforce! Freud vs. Jung! Salk vs. Sabin! Most science chronicles present a triumphant march through time, with revolutionary thinkers and their discoveries following in orderly progression. The truth, however, is somewhat different. Scientific Feuds: From Galileo to the Human Genome Project is a collection of the most vicious battles between the greatest minds in the history of science. It features such contests as Huxley and Wilberforce's debate on Darwin's theory of evolution, Franklin and Wilkins' fight over the discovery of DNA, and the "War of Currents" between Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison (which ended with Edison electrocuting dogs and horses in a vain attempt to discredit Tesla's work). From passionate competition to vindictive sniping, these rivalries prove that the world of science is far from cold and methodical. Author Joel Levy brings us a "meanwhile back home" look at how inventions, discoveries, and scientific progress is everything but unemotional and objective. Rather than a simple celebration of genius, the book is filled with hot-blooded passion, petty squabbling, and fierce rivalry amongst the great thinkers. With all the conniving backstabbing, fierce rivalry, and dirty tricks in this book, you might think that these were more like