The Icepick Surgeon

Murder, Fraud, Sabotage, Piracy, and Other Dastardly Deeds Perpetrated in the Name of Science

By: Sam Kean

Narrated by: Ben Sullivan

From a New York Times bestselling author comes the gripping, untold history of science's darkest secrets, "a fascinating book [that] deserves a wide audience" (Publishers Weekly, starred review).

Science is a force for good in the world—at least usually. But sometimes, when obsession gets the better of scientists, they twist a noble pursuit into something sinister. Under this spell, knowledge isn’t everything, it’s the only thing—no matter the cost. Bestselling author Sam Kean tells the true story of what happens when unfettered ambition pushes otherwise rational men and women to cross the line in the name of science, trampling ethical boundaries and often committing crimes in the process.

The Icepick Surgeon masterfully guides the reader across two thousand years of history, beginning with Cleopatra’s dark deeds in ancient Egypt. The book reveals the origins of much of modern science in the transatlantic slave trade of the 1700s, as well as Thomas Edison’s mercenary support of the electric chair and the warped logic of the spies who infiltrated the Manhattan Project. But the sins of science aren’t all safely buried in the past. Many of them, Kean reminds us, still affect us today. We can draw direct lines from the medical abuses of Tuskegee and Nazi Germany to current vaccine hesitancy, and connect icepick lobotomies from the 1950s to the contemporary failings of mental-health care. Kean even takes us into the future, when advanced computers and genetic engineering could unleash whole new ways to do one another wrong.

Unflinching, and exhilarating to the last page, The Icepick Surgeon fuses the drama of scientific discovery with the illicit thrill of a true-crime tale. With his trademark wit and precision, Kean shows that, while science has done more good than harm in the world, rogue scientists do exist, and when we sacrifice morals for progress, we often end up with neither.

Critic reviews

"Kean is a gifted raconteur… [in The Icepick Surgeon] you’ll find a series of gripping stories about evil scientific deeds, corrupt rivalries and skulduggery—with real skulls."—John Schwartz, New York Times Book Review

“Delightful, highly readable… Kean takes his readers on an engrossing — and sometimes horrifying — historical tour of the many ways the search for knowledge can go wrong… Written with the flair of a beach thriller and the thoughtfulness of philosophy, the pages explode with a wealth of information and juicy details, all held together with virtuoso storytelling.”—Lucinda Robb, Washington Post

“The Icepick Surgeon has its gems of phraseology… We cringe at the ghastly work of grave robbers and surgeons in blood-stiff aprons, and laugh at the comical fights among paleontologists bent on destroying one another’s careers… As each chapter compounds, it becomes more difficult to condemn and smirk without seeing the systemic ways that early sins have crept into the heart of science and medicine today… It takes honesty and integrity to make good science; we ignore this at our peril.”—Brandy Schillace, Wall Street Journal

“Fascinating… Imagine a novel full of true crime thrillers with just one twist—every crime in it was committed in the name of science. This is the premise of the new book, The Icepick Surgeon… From Cleopatra to Thomas Edison, scientists have been responsible for some dastardly crimes throughout history.”—Ira Flatow, NPR Science Friday

“Vivid… [The Icepick Surgeon] serves as an important reminder that science is ever a human enterprise… Kean’s talent for spinning a delightful tale shines.”—Deborah Blum, Science

“Catalogs some of the greatest ethical lapses done in the name of science… The Icepick Surgeon probably raises more questions than it answers. But that’s a hallmark of good experiments—as well as good books about science and scientists.”—Diana Gitig, Ars Technica

“Entertaining and chilling... Expert at spinning historical science yarns… Kean excels at conveying each scientist’s slide into corruption—one so gradual that, like the fabled boiling frog, they scarcely noticed they were in hot water.”—Elizabeth Svoboda, Undark

“Fascinating… Kean argues convincingly that what makes his subjects unique in the annals of crime is that they did wrong ‘for data—to augment our understanding of the world.’ This engrossing look at crimes often committed by otherwise moral people deserves a wide readership."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“[A] witty, thought-provoking book... Kean is a powerful, exciting storyteller who deftly considers ethical questions within an engaging narrative.”—Library Journal (starred review)

Very interesting

Though many of the case studies detailed I had heard of before, the author presented in a way which was fresh and nuanced. I will save this book and listen to parts of it again. In addition, the end of the book, suggesting future scientific crimes was fascinating and troubling. I am glad I purchased this audio.

Great

A fascinating book about atrocities committed by scientists to satisfy their intellectual curiosity. The uncomfortable truth is their misdeeds moved the world forward. Not an easy read, quite terrifying in places, but worth attention.

Interesting.

Even though it was not what I thought it would be, it was still interesting.

Fantastic production and great book

I’ve never read Sam Kearns before and am now an instant fan. Great collection of stories with thoughtful commentary. I was throughly entertained from start to finish!

LOVE IT

Sam Kean is an amazing storyteller!! Narration is perfect as well!! WELL DONE!! Can't wait for the next one!!

highly recommend

very intriguing book but the nods to his other works and podcast took me out of the book a little and seemed like too in your face advertising that I wouldn't have gotten by physically reading which was the only downside in my opinion. loved the book though!

Entertaining and Gross

Sam Kean is always entertaining and informative, even when the stories he's telling makes me cringe.

Glad I didn’t believe the whiner reviews!

Good grief people. Sometimes we whine just to make ourselves feel good. This book was intelligent, compelling, entertaining, and outrageous! Thank you to the author for providing me perspective I didn’t have before! The only time he referred us to his website or podcast was simply to provide more background on the story, not trying to sell me anything. Keep it up!

Very interesting book, great listen

Unfortunately there's not many popular science writers who are intelligent (i.e. actually understand the topic they are writing about, understand scientific principles, and understand logic) and can write captivating texts as well. Sam Kean is one of those writers who has both qualities. This is a great book and is well performed, highly advisable to any listener. Obviously it's very "American" and unfortunately feels the need to cover some of the current fashion topics in a very biased, American way, but that's in any case hard to avoid today and a small price to pay for an otherwise fantastic book.

Informative

Great look into historical and ethically challenging innovations that have helped our current way of of life and practices.