Morton A.
Meyers, MD., Prize Fight: The Race and the Rivalry to be the First in Science (Palgrave
Macmillan 2012). 262 pages
(Non-fiction)
Reviewed by
Chuck Dayton
Morton Meyers
is a Professor of Radiology at SUNY, Stony Brook in New York. That information is only important because a
large portion of this book is devoted to the competition that developed between
two men to be the first to discover the magnetic resonance image (MRI)
technique and the subsequent awarding of the Nobel Prize. In his position at
SUNY, Dr. Meyers knew both of the people involved, and was able to interview
them and render opinions about the development of this historic imaging test.
Today, MRI is used in many fields.
Probably most of you have had such a scan of a knee or other joint, looking
for a mass perhaps, and on your head after a fall. The advantage of this test
is that it requires no exposure to radiation. That is why the Nobel Prize was
awarded for this new technology.
The book is
more than that story, however. It is a fascinating look into the personalities,
egos, and chicanery that goes into the science that leads to fame, fortune, and
prizes such as the Nobel. The author looks at “stolen” credit for discoveries,
scientific fraud, how grants are funded, and the effect of all this on the
personal lives of the people involved.
If you have
every worked in health care, been a scientist of any kind, or just wondered how
prizes for science are awarded, this book is for you. It is relatively short, easy to read for a
non-scientist, and very entertaining.
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