An enthralling history of the remarkable life of Solly Zuckerman. Born in South Africa in 1904, Zuckerman qualified in medicine in England and spent the rest of his life climbing to the top of the Establishment.

He became an authority in anthropological research and the physiology of sexual cycles, before becoming involved in the study if blast injury and explosive damage at the start of the 2nd World War.

His varied interests lead him to carry out research in anthropology, palaeontology, anatomy, animal behaviour and endocrinology and his findings, allied to his curiosity, intelligence and drive, led to appointments such as Prosector at the Zoological Society of London, Professor of Anatomy in Birmingham University, Scientific Advisor to the Royal Air Force, and Chief Scientific Advisor to H M Government.

The author describes him as a rare creature, for few scientists played such a central role in national affairs over such a long period. He was known as a man of sanity in developing policies for the control of nuclear weapons. He had ready access to policy makers and was able to foster the application of new ideas and improvements in the management of scientific affairs. The book questions his influence – Did he use or abuse his power? Should he have done more to encourage the input of scientific advances to British industry? Was he frustrated by an unreceptive establishment? How could such a keen intellect manage to deny a fundamental scientific concept (the portal vessel theory, Chapter 13) that his peers found persuasive, but grew beyond the original aim? There are clues in this book, offering a partial explanation but the question remains unresolved.

Incredibly successful in his professional life he also loved the social life, and his friends and contacts ranged through the artistic and social worlds to the military, diplomatic and royal spheres; from George and Ira Gershwin, A J Ayer, and many others, to Lord Mountbatten, with whom he was very close.

This extraordinary tale of one of the foremost scientists and influencers of the 20 th Century is told with enthusiasm and insight.

BioScientifica is pleased to offer this book at a special discounted price of £18.50 for members of the following societies: Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers, Society for Endocrinology, Physiological Society, Anatomical Society and the Zoological Society

About the author: Bernard Donovan (PhD, DSc, CBiol, FIBiol) is a well-known author, co-author, and editor of scientific, medical and history of science texts, ranging from the Physiology of Puberty to Humors, Hormones and The Mind. Born in England in 1927, he spent most of his career at the Institute of Psychiatry in London. In addition to research interests in neuroendocrinology, he has served on the editorial boards of a number of scientific journals, and has been Editor of the Journal of Endocrinology and Biomedical Science. He has done much to foster academic publishing through his involvement in the Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers, where he was Secretary for ten years and is currently the President.