Scientists Greater than Einstein: The Biggest Lifesavers of the Twentieth Century »

Scientists Greater than Einstein tells the stories of ten scientists whose discoveries have had an amazing impact on humanity. Combined, these ten scientists have saved more than 1.6 billion lives—and yet, most remain unknown and unheralded. For instance: Do you know about the eye doctor who in the 1970s figured out how to save millions of children with a nickel’s worth of medicine? How about the man from the dusty fields of Mexico who has saved hundreds of millions of people from dying of starvation and malnutrition? Everyone knows about Jonas Salk and his polio vaccine. Do you know whose discovery made Salk’s vaccine possible and who created the measles vaccine that has saved many more lives than the polio vaccine? Much of the world’s population is alive today due to these ten scientists and no one knows their names. Scientists Greater than Einstein will correct this oversight.

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For general readers, Woodward, a businessperson and writer interested in science, describes the work of 10 scientists from around the world who have saved the most lives in the twentieth century, some of whom are still living.

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction xi

1 Over 6 Million Lives Saved: The Eye Doctor Who Discovered a Better Use for Vitamin A Al Sommer 1

2 Over 5 Million Lives Saved: Statins: Life Extension for the Baby Bommers Akira Endo 33

3 Over 122 Million Lives Saved: The Eradication of Smallpox Bill Foege 71

4 Over 50 Million Lives Saved: ORT: A Revolutionary Theory for Diarrhea David Nalin 107

5 Over 245 Million Lives Saved: A Green Revolution to Enhance Nutrition Norman Borlaug 143

6 Over 114 Mllion Lives Saved: The Father of Modern Vaccines John Enders 173

7 Over 114 Million Lives Saved: DDT and the Prevention of Malaria Paul Muller 207

8 Over 80 Million Lives Saved: Penicillin: The Miracle of Antibiotics Howard Florey 233

9 Over 16 Million Lives Saved: Insulin: The First True Miracle Durg Frederick Banting 263

10 Over 1 Billion and 38 Million Lives Saved: The Superman Scientist: Discoverer of Blood Groups Karl Landsteiner 291

11 A Choice for the Future: Our Health or Our Wealth? 325

Determining the Number of Lives Saved 339

Sources 345

Index 366