Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #508178 in Books
• Published on: 2000-01-21
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 240 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Kary Mullis won the Nobel Prize for his invention of the polymerase chain reaction, a chemical procedure that allows scientists to "see" the structures of the molecules of genes. Mullis is no shy, socially inept bench chemist, though; on the contrary, he has led as big and full a life as possible, opening himself to experiences like hallucinogenic drugs, surfing, casually handling dangerous chemicals, and taking shots at the sacred cows of science. Dancing Naked in the Mind Field is Mullis's own chronicle of his adventures, from wooing countless women to possibly being abducted by aliens, and it's a funny, shocking tale indeed. This man certainly doesn't suffer from lack of self-esteem, and yet you might want him along on a trip to the astral plane, say, or a tour of the human genome. Mullis is a fascinating character and his autobiography will put to rest forever the stereotype of scientist as skeptical nerd. --Therese Littleton

Synopsis
Mullis writes with passion and humour about a wide range of subjects: from science to parapsychology, cloning to HIV and AIDS, global warming to astrology and religion, from the O.J.Simpson trial to a method for turning on a light bulb with one's mind - challenging the authority of scientific dogma.

Customer Reviews

Better living through chemistry...
The cover of this book describes Dr. Mullis as "Hunter S. Thompson meets Stephen Hawking". And that's about as good a description of the book as you're likely to find. Like Hawking, Mullis is not interested in giving esoteric descriptions of the finer points of biochemistry; instead he rambles from one humerous anecdote to the next, dealing with everthing from winning the Nobel prize to OJ Simpson. In fact, the book is more a collection of essays than a single progression of ideas. Also, his style bears many resemblances to that of Hunter S. Thompson. This is obviously no coincidence, seeing as one of the chapters in the book is entitled "Fear and Lawyers in Los Angeles"... All in all, this book is a very entertaining insight into a very eccentric mind.

Exceptionally entertaining and interesting
If you like to have your assumptions challenged, be massively entertained, meet a mind that is quirky and original, be taken in unexpected directions, and possibly be occasionally shocked or outraged, then read this book. If you think the world is endlessly fascinating, Kary Mullis will extend that, and if you think it is dull, he may change your mind.

There seems to be no subject which is taboo, and there is stuff here about poisonous spiders, about psychic possibilities and astral travel, about the ozone layer and the scientific myths that pass through the mass media as knowledge.

Kary Mullis has a remarkable mind, and his Nobel prize represents not just an ability to do stuff with chemistry, but knack for cutting through to the core of any subject. He shines light from unusual angles, and sees a different picture.

This is intellectual entertainment of the highest order. And even the chemistry is interesting. You don't have to be a scientist to enjoy this book - just alive. But it will certainly appeal to those who buy scientific books, and if you like Feynemann, you'll love this. Enjoy.

Funny and profound
Throw all your popular science books in the bin and buy this one. Kary Mullis has the intellect and the confidence to think and write as we all would like to. This book is a gem. One word of warning - the publishers obviously thought a chapter on Mullis's Nobel Prize winning polymerase chain reaction should go first. Unfortunately, this is by far the weakest chapter. So keep going. The book just gets better and better.