What Scientists Think

Reviews / Votes

'I don't often recommend books in the health column, but I have to make an exception this week. It's called What Scientists Think ... Why do I recommend it as a doctor? Because there are chapters on the brain and consciousness, on psychiatry and schizophrenia, on viruses and their threats, and on cancer research and animal experimentation, all of which are absolute 'must' reads for anyone who wishes to be properly informed on all of these subjects. If I were a schoolteacher I'd buy a copy for every teenager and certainly every student going to university - not just those studying science, but for all the others, too, who find science difficult or even alien ... it is straightforward and thought-provoking and if you have opinions on science be prepared to change them.' - Dr Tom Smith, Broadcasting Doctors' Association

'Highly personal yet wholly intellectual, the interviewees reflect current hotspots in research' - Victoria Neumark, TES

'What Scientists Think ... can begin, incrementally, to give non-scientists a glimpse of how scientists work, and their thoughts and worries ... Stangroom has produced a volume in which the issues are contemporary and the interviewees speak clearly and non-technically. At just 194 pages, it is a simple and pleasingly effective manual for understanding scientists and what they think.' - Mark Pagel, New Humanist 'The overall result is a very light and easy read full of engaging discussion and food for thought' - Chemistry World

'I don't often recommend books in the health column, but I have to make an exception this week. It's called What Scientists Think and is a series of interviews with twelve of the world's top scientists. Luckily, you don't need a degree to understand them - the interviews are easy to read, although they do require some thought on your part. Why do I recommend it as a doctor? Because there are chapters on the brain and consciousness, on psychiatry and schizophrenia, on viruses and their threats, and on cancer research and animal experimentation, all of which are absolute 'must' reads for anyone who wishes to be properly informed on all of these subjects. If I were a schoolteacher I'd buy a copy for every teenager and certainly every student going to university - not just those studying science, but for all the others, too, who find science difficult or even alien ... it is straightforward and thought-provoking and if you have opinions on science be prepared to change them.' - Dr Tom Smith, Broadcasting Doctors' Association

'Stem cell research: ever wondered what scientists actually think of it? Have you ever questioned what goes on in the minds of geneticists, biologists, astronomers? A new book, edited by Jeremy Stangroom, shows what matters to 12 of the world's most important scientists: not only their thoughts on their current projects but their hopes and fears for the future. What Scientists Think addresses some controversial subjects, such as GM crops and that political hot potato, hospital superbugs. This topic is discussed by Professor Dorothy Crawford, a world authority on viruses, who says that "MSRA is more worrying than something like SARS."' - Rebecca Pearson, Independent on Sunday: Review

' ... there is loads of observation and complicated explanation stored under the heading "science", much of which you need lots of maths to digest. But these 12 helpful brains can give you the gist - not of current theories but of the relationship eminent practitioners have with their areas of expertise.' - Victoria Neumark, Times Education Supplement

'Highly personal yet wholly intellectual, the interviewees reflect current hotspots in research ...' - Victoria Neumark, TES

'What Scientists Think ... can begin, incrementally, to give non-scientists a glimpse of how scientists work, and their thoughts and worries ... Stangroom has produced a volume in which the issues are contemporary and the interviewees speak clearly and non-technically. At just 194 pages, it is a simple and pleasingly effective manual for understanding scientists and what they think.' - Mark Pagel, New Humanist

'a powerful insight into scientific mind and method' Globe and Mail

'Many books contain insights by scientists - but few offer the focus of What Scientists Think...From the impact of a cure for cancer to the threat from bioterrorism, What Scientists Think provides much food for thought' The Midwest Book Review