The Youngest Science

This part-autobiographical, part-historical description of what it means to do science in the field of medicine is charming, if a little out-of-date, as it was written before AIDS. Still, as a portrait of a highly successful and literate medical researcher, it stands out as one of the best books for the lay reader on how science is accomplished and why. The narrator does a very good job in bringing to life the breezy style and wit of the writer. In nonfiction the best that can be said of a reader is that he doesn't interfere with the author's words. Guidall certainly does not. His diction is clear, and the medical terminology is authoritatively spoken. A solid reading of a solid book. E.F. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine