Scientific Elite: Nobel Laureates in the United States

By Harriet Zuckerman

Book Overview

Scientific Elite is about Nobel prize winners and the well-defined stratification system in twentieth-century science. It tracks the careers of all American laureates who won prizes from 1907 until... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0029357608
• ISBN13: 9780029357606
• Release Date: January 1977
• Publisher: Free Press
• Length: 335 Pages
• Weight: 1.50 lbs.

Customer Reviews

the best analysis of Nobel Laureates in book form

Written in 1979, this book is still perhaps the most comprehensive and readable analysis of American Nobel Laureates. Zuckerman conducted an extensive survey, with numerous interviews of living Laureates. The book gives a fascinating look at the highest strata of science. There are many nuggets of interesting facts tucked away in the book. You probably won't be surprised that the Nobel has the highest name recognition amongst laymen. But did you know that even amongst scientists, this is true? The book notes how scientists in a particular field like chemistry know about the top prizes in it. But rarely about their analogs in other fields. The only exceptions are the Nobels. And how much is a Nobel really worth? Not just the cash award, but the extra income afterwards. From such activities as chairing conferences, writing introductions to texts, and winning other awards. She found that the total value is a function of how long the winner lives after winning. The younger you are, the more you eventually make. Somewhat hilariously and ironically, Zuckerman also found that the winner's productivity tends to decline after winning the Nobel, as measured by the output of scientific papers. The increased demands on the winner's time from the new ancillary activities often makes it harder to be as productive. Though this can be counterbalanced by the now far greater ease of obtaining research grants. Other books that survey Laureates tend to be about the science, naturally. This book is about the sociology of what tends to happen after winning, and that is independent of the particular research issues.