Science is a force for good in the world--at least usually. But sometimes, when obsession gets the better of scientists, they twist a noble pursuit into something sinister. Under this spell, knowledge isn't everything, it's the only thing--no matter the cost. Bestselling author Sam Kean tells the true story of what happens when unfettered ambition pushes otherwise rational men and women to cross the line in the name of science, trampling ethical boundaries and often committing crimes in the process. The Icepick Surgeon ...
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Science is a force for good in the world--at least usually. But sometimes, when obsession gets the better of scientists, they twist a noble pursuit into something sinister. Under this spell, knowledge isn't everything, it's the only thing--no matter the cost. Bestselling author Sam Kean tells the true story of what happens when unfettered ambition pushes otherwise rational men and women to cross the line in the name of science, trampling ethical boundaries and often committing crimes in the process. The Icepick Surgeon masterfully guides the reader across two thousand years of history, beginning with Cleopatra's dark deeds in ancient Egypt. The book reveals the origins of much of modern science in the transatlantic slave trade of the 1700s, as well as Thomas Edison's mercenary support of the electric chair and the warped logic of the spies who infiltrated the Manhattan Project. But the sins of science aren't all safely buried in the past. Many of them, Kean reminds us, still affect us today. We can draw direct lines from the medical abuses of Tuskegee and Nazi Germany to current vaccine hesitancy, and connect icepick lobotomies from the 1950s to the contemporary failings of mental-health care. Kean even takes us into the future, when advanced computers and genetic engineering could unleash whole new sways to do one another wrong. Unflinching, and exhilarating to the last page, The Icepick Surgeon fuses the drama of scientific discovery with the illicit thrill of a true-crime tale. With his trademark wit and precision, Kean shows that, while science has done more good than harm in the world, rogue scientists do exist, and when we sacrifice morals for progress, we often end up with neither. --
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Add this copy of The Icepick Surgeon: Murder, Fraud, Sabotage, Piracy, to cart. $5.06, good condition, Sold by Goodwill Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Hillsboro, OR, UNITED STATES, published 2022 by Back Bay Books.
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Add this copy of The Icepick Surgeon: Murder, Fraud, Sabotage, Piracy, to cart. $5.89, good condition, Sold by Goodwill Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Hillsboro, OR, UNITED STATES, published 2021 by Little Brown and Company.
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Add this copy of The Icepick Surgeon: Murder, Fraud, Sabotage, Piracy, to cart. $6.49, like new condition, Sold by HPB-Blue rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2021 by Little, Brown and Company.
Add this copy of The Icepick Surgeon: Murder, Fraud, Sabotage, Piracy, to cart. $7.24, very good condition, Sold by Half Price Books Inc rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2021 by Little, Brown and Company.
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Add this copy of The Icepick Surgeon: Murder, Fraud, Sabotage, Piracy, to cart. $7.59, very good condition, Sold by HPB-Emerald rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2022 by Back Bay Books.
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Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of The Icepick Surgeon: Murder, Fraud, Sabotage, Piracy, to cart. $8.99, good condition, Sold by BookDrop rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Phoenix, AZ, UNITED STATES, published 2022 by Back Bay Books.
