Egg and Ego: An Almost True Story of Life in the Biology Lab
Egg and Ego: An Nearly Right Tale of Life in the Biology Lab Books
Product Description
Egg and Ego is a lighthearted look at the nature of academic science. It is proposed for anyone interested in biology but particularly for biology students who want to find out what is in store for them in the future. It starts with an account of one particular experiment, which is later opened out to initiate the excitement arising from recent progress in associated areas of biology. It then describes the everyday aspects of scientific work, ignored by philosophers of science. These range from cleaning up radioactive contamination, to how to fill in biohazard forms, to how newly appointed professors bargain for money. The “Egg” of the title refers to the science of developmental biology, which is the specialty of the author, and which provides the material for many of the anecdotes. The “Ego” relates to the vanity of the scientists themselves. Academic scientists have to struggle to maintain their research funding. To do this they must persuade other scientists that they are very excellent, and that means work at a excellent institution, publishing papers in the most fashionable journals and giving lectures at the most prestigious meetings. Success often goes to those with the largest egos and their style of operation is described in this book. The final chapter is about relations between science and the outside world in the shape of the media, illustrated by the remarkable “case of the headless frog”.
The author is a well-known scientist who has worked at both universities and research institutes. He has published over 100 scientific papers and an influential book about embryonic development: From Egg to Embryo.
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Very fascinating description of science development and the science of development as it unfolded. Also fantastic insight into the ups and downs of being a graduate student and scientist. Witty and fascinating. A fantastic read.
Rating: 5 / 5
As an undergraduate studying biology and hoping to pursue a career in research I found this book both informative and shocking. J.M.W Slack openly reveals all the ins and outs of “Life in the Biology lab.” I strongly urge this book to anyone curious to what’s truly in store for them if they choose to enter a field of science.
Rating: 4 / 5
Slack does a grand job of telling his tale…life and living as a researcher working on problems of development. Slack has the ability to get you to smile as he discussion about cow brains, growth factors, and other scientific adventures…”Where are the brains, Dad?” (You’ll have to read the book to know what that means.) He also ably tells what it’s like to be a scientist, as well as how one negotiates the politics and requirements of apt successful as a research scientist.
The format of the book is fascinating. It includes several chapters that address what it’s like (“Ego”) to be a research scientist, i.e., chapters 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10. He defines what he calls “excellent places,” as well as who “excellent people” are in the scientific community. If you are a budding scientist, these chapters control nugget after nugget of wisdom and insight. This book is worth the price for them lonely.
The remaining chapters, 3, 5, 8 control the essence of the research that Slack and his group do, thus the “Egg” part of the book’s title. There is excellent in rank about the role of growth factors in development, and a broad brush review of the essentials of some of the processes of development and their molecular bases.
If you are up for a excellent read about life as a biologist, then come on by the side of. The only reason I didn’t award this book 5-stars is that there would be a strong tendency for those not trained in the sciences to get lost in the technical aspects of the chapters on developmental processes. For most biologists, but, especially for upper division undergraduate and graduate students, this book is a gem!
4 stars for the non-scientist, and 5 stars for the science crowd.
Kudos to Slack for this fantastic small book (though he seems to take a rather dim view of places other than research universities — we part ways there). There is, I judge, too strong a sentiment among researchers (represented by some of Slack’s opinions) that what non-researcher biologists do, i.e., teach, is not just different, it is “less than.” It all comes down to what you choose to do for your own career, and how you define success for yourself.
I hope this review was helpful!
Alan Holyoak, Dept of Biology, Manchester College, IN
Rating: 4 / 5
Slack interweaves real science (Cell, Molecular and Developmental Biology; frog and glide biology) with job descriptions of biologists and events in the laboratory to described the fragile existence of academic scientists.
As a career university biologist myself, I repeatedly found myself asking the question as I navigated through the book “Why did I get into this business in the first place?” Slack’s work will certainly prompt the budding young scientist to confront their own destiny.
To those interested in what professors do (since they are not in the classroom 8 hours per day), this is the book for you. Though clearly written, the science is still not for everyone; occasionally, Slack lapses into jargon without definition. But, the lighthearted and right picture of life in the laboratory will certainly provide enough entertainment for any reader, especially if you are undecided if you want to spend the rest of your life cohabitating with an academic.
Rating: 3 / 5
This is an brilliant book for anyone who might have some thought that they might want to be a professional scientist, working in biomedical research or as a professor in a university. Slack writes very well and he can tell an amusing anecdote. There is a some excellent science in it too. He is slightly curmidgeonly, perhaps, but I reckon this is part of his fascinate. He tells it like it is. Read this book to find out that being a research scientist, perhaps unfortunately, is like being in the corporate world, and scientists have egos just like anyone else. There is a wealth of guidance for a new ’starry eyed’ student. Slack is a excellent scientist and he describes with a light touch some of the characters he knows, journals, government set of laws and career structures. In addition he clarifies how he got into science and why. Anyone who is already a biological scientist will find much to chuckle at and I reckon that all biology students should read it – particularly if contemplating going on to take a higher degree. This book is an antidote to the ridiculous thought that scientists are ‘higher beings’ concerned only with ‘truth’.
Rating: 4 / 5