These are the reflections of a nonagenarian polymath describing the shift from a fifty-year-long career as a world-famous chemist to a subsequent twenty-five-year immersion in “science-in-fiction” and “science-in-theater,” which is virtually unique among contemporary scientists. Sharply self-critical, yet full of humor, this autobiographical account covers themes such as the future of sex in an age of technological reproduction, the history of the Pill seen through the eyes of one of its inventors, innovative — even unique — pedagogic experiments, the insoluble homelessness of a refugee, suicide, and art collecting. This book is also heavily illustrated with 94 individual pictures.
Contents:
- Caveat Lector
- Suicide
- The Bitter-Sweet Pill
- Heimat(losigkeit)
- “Jew”
- “Professor of Professional Deformation”
- “Writer”
- “Collector”
- What If?
- Caveat Emptor
- By the Same Author
- Index
Readership: Readers interested in the biography of Carl Djerassi, a famous chemist and playwright.
“In an age of creative and intellectual specialisation Carl Djerassi stands out for his virtuosity in both science and the arts. His transition, at a time of life when many men are thinking about retirement, from being a star organic chemist to being a writer of fiction, poetry, novels and plays which have been published and translated and performed all round the world, is surely unique. This final installment of autobiography is deeply expressive of the man: feisty, witty, candid, totally committed to the life of the mind yet susceptible to powerful emotions triggered by love and death, and humorously, but unapologetically, aware of his own driven nature.”
David Lodge
Novelist, critic and Emeritus Professor of English Literature, University of Birmingham
“Carl Djerassi is a great scientist who has rare skill as a creative writer as well as a deep interest in the arts, in education and in global issues. This wide-ranging book, written reflectively and with great eloquence, would fascinate scientists and non-scientists alike and deserves a very broad readership.”
Lord Martin Rees
Astronomer Royal and former President of the Royal Society
“Carl Djerassi, novelist, playwright, poet and memoirist, is a writer of exceptional versatility who brings his scientific, historical and literary knowledge to a dazzling range of themes. He is not afraid of big ideas or of personal issues and animates them with wit and invention.”
Dame Margaret Drabble
Novelist, biographer and critic
“What when an extraordinary author takes account of an extraordinary life? It is highly probable that a masterpiece emerges, and this is what Djerassi's In Retrospect is I recommend Djerassi's probably last autobiography for the broadest circle of chemists, scientists, laypersons alike. They will feel enriched, informed, and entertained.”
Structural Chemistry
“Djerassi's multifaceted life has been intense, high-octane and successful. The vigour of his prose suggests how much he has enjoyed it.”
Nature
“Djerassi clearly sees this book as his last chance to set the record straight — to have his final say — and what he says is always interesting. Ultimately, this is the story of a man proud that his invention should, he asserts, ensure that every child is a wanted child. Few other scientists can claim to have made such a major contribution to human welfare.”
Chemistry World
“This is a book rich in content and worthy of deep reflection. Djerassi has accumulated an astounding combination of life's affairs. To follow Djerassi as he searches to understand himself and to be revered is far more than entertainment. Finally, this work focuses almost entirely on the past 25 years of Djerassi's life, which are not recorded in his earlier autobiographies.”
Chemical & Engineering News
“It would deserve wide attention merely for being intensely self-critical and raw in ways that scientists almost never permit themselves, and for its accessible conversational style.”
The New York Review of Books
