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Title: No: A Novel by Carl Djerassi ISBN: 0-8203-2032-3 Publisher: University of Georgia Press Pub. Date: October, 1998 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.57 (7 reviews)
Rating: 1
Summary: Only because he has a Nobel Prize---
Comment: These "novels" with science in them are very poor as fiction. For those who want to know how science works, I recommend "Arrowsmith" by Sinclair Lewis or "The Search" by C. P. Snow. Djerassi is not a novelist, and would not get published as such if he were not such a distinguished scientist.
Rating: 2
Summary: No No Renu
Comment: "Welcome to the tribe." So concludes Carl Djerassi's latest novel, NO---the final work in his science-in-fiction tetralogy. His terse ending summarizes one of the novel's recurring themes---the often primal behavior of research scientists. By referring to their "Nobel lust" or to their quest for financial rewards, Djerassi compels the reader to consider scientists from a more human perspective---one where fierce competition motivates decisions in scientific activity. In previous novels Djerassi has examined this cutthroat mentality in the context of authorship, in vitro fertilization , and cancer research. This time, by picking up on the frenzy surrounding Viagra, Djerassi sets the stage when he turns his characters' attentions toward the molecule nitric oxide (NO) as a potential cure for penile dysfunction.
However, the real focus should be on a drug to cure Djerassi's fictive dysfunction. Although his science is engaging, his fiction remains uninspired. Detached dialogue fails to light any sparks on the page and leaves the reader with an array of one-dimensional characters. Renu Krishnan, the protagonist of the story, is an Indian chemist who works with a group of scientists and investors to bring a device to the market that helps male impotence. We watch her transform into a biotech executive and lose sight of pure science; her sacrifices are many, often at the expense of her family. Yet in spite of her struggle, Djerassi fails to give Renu depth and her unconvincing flawlessness precludes a connection with the reader. This is unfortunate, since her position as a female scientist in a predominantly male field is exceptional.
Djerassi struggles in other aspects of the book as well. By disclosing from the outset that nitric oxide does in fact work, he has erased the element of mystery that normally paces a book. In later sub-plots he similarly fails to create suspense. As a result, NO loses momentum early on and emerges only as a stodgy, carefully constructed tale.
Nonetheless, the book does have value. His science-in-fiction approach differs from science fiction in that the science is accurate, and his examination of the step-by-step process involved in developing a new drug---ranging from FDA requirements and clinical trials to marketing and potential lawsuits---is highly informative. Djerassi's commentary on the opportunities for research in academia versus the biotech industry is intriguing, as is his occasional reference to Indian and Israeli customs. And, if one has enjoyed Djerassi's other works, NO is replete with characters from previous novels. Just don't expect them to move you.---Vanessa J. Silberman
Rating: 2
Summary: A good how-to book
Comment: I have come across scientists who claim that reading the journal Nature is as exciting as reading a Jules Verne novel. I guess NO can be exciting, too, if one is interested in knowledge about patenting scientific findings, fundraising, and getting FDA approvals. All that information in a neat package.
However, as a novel, NO has its shortcomings. When I was reading the book, I had a hard time picturing the female protagonist, a young female Indian scientist, Indian. Apparently the author knew little about Indian culture, and Indians who came to the U.S. Other characters in the book did not fare much better, either. There is simply no character development.
The book doesn't have much of a plot, either. The author is certainly familiar with the science involved, but too much expounding on this matter bores the uninitiated. (The author does claim that he writes for the general public, not just the scientific crowd.)
To make the matters worse, the author made hundreds of sex jokes in the beginning chapters of the book, as if these jokes could be funny forever. I found this attempt to hold the readers' attention juvenile.
To sum it up, this book is not that enjoyable, if you read it as a novel. Perhaps the book should be renamed and placed in the non-fiction section, along with other how-to books.
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Title: Menachem's Seed by Carl Djerassi ISBN: 0140277943 Publisher: Penguin USA (Paper) Pub. Date: September, 1998 List Price(USD): $12.95 |
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Title: Cantor's Dilemma by Carl Djerassi ISBN: 0140143599 Publisher: Penguin USA (Paper) Pub. Date: March, 1991 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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Title: The Bourbaki Gambit: A Novel by Carl Djerassi ISBN: 0140254854 Publisher: Penguin USA (Paper) Pub. Date: October, 1996 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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Title: Oxygen by Carl Djerassi, Roald Hoffmann ISBN: 3527304134 Publisher: Wiley-VCH Pub. Date: 22 February, 2001 List Price(USD): $20.00 |
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