This book is an enthusiastic account of Pierre Laszlos life and pioneering work on catalysis of organic reactions by modified clays, and his reflections on doing science from the 1960s to 1990s. In this autobiography, readers will discover a first-hand testimony of the chemical revolution in the second half of the 20th century, and the authors perspective on finding a calling in science and chemistry, as well as his own experience on doing science, teaching science and managing a scientific career.

During this period, Pierre Laszlo led an academic laboratory and worked also in three different countries: the US, Belgium and France, where he had the opportunity to meet remarkable colleagues. In this book, he recalls his encounters and collaborations with important scientists, who shaped the nature of chemistry at times of increased pace of change, and collates a portrait of the worldwide scientific community at that time. In addition, the author tells us about the turns and twists of his own life, and how he ended up focusing his research on clay based chemistry, where clay minerals were turned in his lab to catalysis of key chemical transformations. Given its breath, the book offers a genuine information on the life and career of a chemist, and it will appeal not only to scientists and students, but also to historians of science and to the general reader.

 

 

Pierre Laszlo is a French science writer and Professor of Chemistry Emeritus at the University of Liège (Belgium) as well as the École Polytechnique (Palaiseau, France) with earlier positions at Princeton University and the Université dOrsay, and visiting professorships at the Universities of Connecticut, Kansas, California (Berkeley), Chicago, Colorado, Johns Hopkins, Lausanne, Hamburg, Toulouse and Cornell. He is especially known for his extensive work on nuclear magnetic resonance methodologies and catalysis of organic reactions by modified clays. As a writer, in addition to 10 scientific monographs and textbooks, his books to communicate science to the general public were awarded in 1999 the Maurice Pérouse Prize from the Fondation de France, and in 2004 the Paul Doistau- Emile Blutet Prize from the French Academy of Sciences. Among Pierre Laszlos latest published books, the reader can find Communicating Science. A Practical Guide which was published by Springer in 2006.

Chapter 1: Family and Upbringing.- Chapter 2 : A series of great teachers.- Chapter 3: Premises from childhood and adolescence.- Chapter 4: Becoming a chemist.- Chapter 5: Learning the ropes at Princeton.- Chapter 6: Life in Princeton.- Chapter 7: Chemistry in the Sixties.- Chapter 8: Coworkers Of Note.- Chapter 9: Remarkable Scientists.- Chapter 10: Seminars and conferences.- Chapter 11: Personal impact of philosophy of science.- Chapter 12: Joy and Pride of Writing.- Chapter 13: Teaching = to raise.- Chapter 14: Examining students: opportunity or chore?.- Chapter 15: Roving and Foraging Widely or Wildly?.- Chapter 16: Visiting professorships.- Chapter 17: Skipping the Norms.- Chapter 18: Meaningless Fads, Meaningful Changes.- Chapter 19: Me-too chemistry.- Chapter 20: What Have I Achieved?.-  Chapter 21: Personal papers and public archives.- Chapter 22: Lecturing Trips.-Chapter 23: Books that were influential.- Chapter 24: This Was Then.- Chapter 25: Now and Later.