4 out of 4 stars
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In his biographical publication, Popularizing Science: The Life and Work of JBS Haldane, Dr. Krishna Dronamraju chronicles the life of the famed British polymath who pioneered advancements in various fields of scientific study, especially in the area of population genetics. This comprehensive look at Haldane is broken into five parts with each part representing a decade of his life, beginning with the 1920s, after a brief glimpse into Haldane’s early family life. The author knew Haldane on a personal and professional level, having earned his PhD in human genetics under Haldane's supervision. Because of this, the author is able to provide insight that might otherwise be hard to come by.
John Burdon Sanderson Haldane (known widely as J.B.S.) was born in Oxford, England in 1892. The son of physiologist John Scott Haldane, Haldane obtained an interest in science at a young age, often assisting his father with experiments and accompanying him on field studies. Haldane’s inquisitive mind led to his own research and subsequent papers, essays, and books in the natural and physical sciences, including (but not limited to): genetics, astronomy, statistics, geology, biochemistry, philosophy, and evolution.
Although there are disputing accounts of Haldane's temperament, he was well-known for being outspoken, often on matters of politics; he served in both World War I and the Spanish Civil War. Haldane’s first book, entitled Daedalus; or Science and the Future, published in 1924, is a work of fiction involving the possibility of “test-tube” babies-a radical idea for the time. Later on, Haldane’s friend, Aldous Huxley, would use this theme for his book, Brave New World. Interestingly, Haldane converted to socialism and Marxism, but eventually severed all affiliation with the Communist Party following the Soviet Union's denunciation of Mendelian genetics. Haldane spent the final years of his accomplished life in India, where he adopted the ways of the people and remained heavily involved in the advancement of the biological sciences until his death in 1964.
This comprehensive book is obviously the result of extensive research on the author's part and pairs nicely with his personal knowledge of Haldane. Published by Oxford University Press, it comes as no surprise that this book is polished and structured nicely (albeit, my version was a pdf draft of the final product, which included editing notes). For everything there was to appreciate about the author’s work, I most valued the bountiful endnotes and references. The author also included an assortment of black and white photos which served as an intriguing visual accompaniment to the script.
I found only a few very minor errors in an otherwise impeccable book. The way the book was laid out, there was information that wound up being repeated, but I believe this was intentional for the sake of congruency within each defined timeline. Because this book is designed to appeal to a very specific audience, I would only recommend it to someone interested in Haldane or early innovations pertaining to genetics (or related fields of study).
I thoroughly enjoyed this biography, finding it interesting as well as informative. The details of Haldane’s personal life had me incredulous; he was astoundingly diverse and unorthodox in many regards. I have rated this book 4 out of 4 stars, as I believe it to be as competent a biography as is possible.
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Popularizing Science
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