Goldsmith, Barbara (Curie, Marie)

Obsessive Genius: The Inner World of Marie Curie

ISBN: 0393051374
New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2005. First Edition. Hardcover. "The myth of Marie Curie- the penniless Polish immigrant who through genius and obsessive persistence endured years of toil and deprivation to produce radium, a luminous panacea for all the world's ills, including cancer- has obscured the remarkable truth behind her discoveries. Marie Curie's shrewd though controversial insight was that radioactivity was an atomic property that could be used to discover new elements. While her work won her two Nobel prizes and transformed our world, it did not liberate her from the prejudices of either the male-dominated scientific community or society. In Obsessive Genius, the acclaimed author and historian Barbara Goldsmith has discovered the woman behind the icon we have come to believe in- an all-too-human woman trying to balance a spectacular scientific career with the obligations of family, the prejudice of society, the constant search for adequate funding, and the battle for recognition." (from front flap) A concise, illuminating study of the life & work of Marie Curie (1867-1934), the great Polish-French scientist who pioneered research on the phenomenon of radioactivity. Author Barbara Goldsmith (1931-2016) was a most popular & prolific prize-winning American biographer & journalist, as well as a noted philanthropist. As Gay Talese, the great American Journalist, writes in his laudatory remarks quoted on back cover of dust jacket: "Barbara Goldsmith has written a superb study of a fascinating and historically important woman whose life is a great deal more interesting than the myth it inspired. Obsessive Genius is an obsessive read." Hardcover in unclipped dust jacket, first edition as stated on copyright page, first printing as indicated by number sequence thereon. An earlier volume in publisher's Great Discoveries series. An insightful & rewarding Goldsmith collectible in its rarest original form. Book in very fine condition with only a few tiny bumps, creases at edges & corners of front, back covers & spine; tiny bumps at lower corners of a few page leaves; otherwise substantially mint inside & out. Dust jacket very fine with only very light rubbing to front, back covers & spine; some tiny bumps & creases at edges & corners of same & flaps incl. miniscule loss of surface paper to upper left spine-corner; one very small, light spot-stain inside bright white starburst image on front cover. Very Fine / Very Fine. [Item #4909]

Price: $40.00