Madness and Memory

August 1, 2014

Nobel Prize winner Prusiner's rollicking and engaging science memoir illuminates the discovery of prions, the infectious proteins that cause Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (commonly referred to as mad cow disease), Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, fatal insomnia, and other strange and rare neurological, and ultimately fatal, conditions related to madness and memory. Prusiner can, as noted by a colleague, be "prickly," and his tone comes across as somewhat arrogant at times. However, the author's well-written romp through academia and scientific discovery is unusual in style and in its focus on the very particular controversies around prions and prion diseases. He interrupts the memoir with "Interludes" that define and illuminate his findings and the science behind his work. Prusiner peppers this book with details about his insider experiences of academic politics, the controversies around his research from the early days through winning the Nobel, and the ways in which funding partners for scientific research impact the research process. He also charts the progress that has been made in researching prion diseases and the impacts his own studies have had on research related to Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's and other dementias, as well as other neurodegenerative conditions. Prusiner fills these pages with striking anecdotes about colleagues, journalists, and the science itself. VERDICT Highly recommended for academic and public libraries alike. Science and virology/infectious disease buffs, lifetime academics, and the memoir obsessed will all find this title intriguing.--Candice Kail, Columbia Univ. Libs., New York

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