Madness and Memory

The Discovery of Prions - A New Biological Principle of Disease

De: Stanley B. Prusiner

Narrado por: Joe Barrett

In 1997, Stanley B. Prusiner received a Nobel Prize, the world's most prestigious award for achievement in physiology or medicine. That he was the sole recipient of the award for the year was entirely appropriate. His struggle to identify the agent responsible for ravaging the brains of animals suffering from scrapie and mad cow disease, and of humans with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, had been waged largely alone and, in some cases, in the face of strenuous disagreement.

In this book, Prusiner tells the remarkable story of his discovery of prions - infectious proteins that replicate and cause disease but surprisingly contain no genetic material - and reveals how superb and meticulous science is actually practiced with talented teams of researchers who persevere. He recounts the frustrations and rewards of years of research and offers fascinating portraits of his peers as they raced to discover the causes of fatal brain diseases. Prusiner's hypothesis, once considered heresy, now stands as accepted science and the basis for developing diagnoses and eventual cures. He closes with a meditation on the legacy of his discovery: What will it take to cure Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Lou Gehrig's, and other devastating diseases of the brain?

Download the accompanying reference guide.©2014 Stanley B. Prusiner, MD (P)2015 Audible, Inc.

Fantastic!

Prusiner is brilliant. He has drive, passion, fortitude. He kept going, even when other scientists denigrated his work, and absolutely refused to believe prions existed. Highly recommend this book.

Prions a ground breaking discovery

Fascinating review of a Nobel laureate’s journey to the discovery of prions.Highly recommend the book.

Spectacular

Wow. I have had an interest in prion diseases for years, and this book was absolutely superb. The writing painted an amazing picture of his process in answering the question: What is the infectious agent responsible for CJD, Kuru, and other spongiform encephalopathies? The relentless search for empirical data outlined in this book was captivating. I will absolutely listen again and also find a hard copy. I hope to add to the knowledge of prior diseases and help discover ways to mitigate the devastating effects caused by these insidious little denatured proteins in the future.

The story of an egomaniac obsessed with success

This story is hardly about prions. This story is the autobiography about a fragile, egomaniacal, scientist who longs to be taken seriously. He discovered an entirely new life form and was shocked when people didn't immediately fall to his feet with gratitude and a Nobel prize.
If you enjoy listening to the whingings of a mid-life male, this is a great book for you.

If you prefer a scientific analysis without the narcissistic personality disorder, try somewhere else.