GUINEA PIG SCIENTISTS

This account of scientists who have used their own bodies and minds as subjects of experimentation forms a satisfyingly gruesome exploration of scientific dedication. George Fordyce explored the limits of the human ability to endure extreme heat and helped to explain why “it’s not the heat; it’s the humidity”; Daniel Carrión’s self-infection with the deadly verruga peruana resulted in his death and the renaming of the disease in his honor; Marie Curie’s experimentation with radium killed her but led to radiation therapy. Although these men and women, and several others introduced in this fascinating tome, were often viewed as crackpots, the text makes clear that it was their willingness to suffer that has led to many significant medical advances. The text is often sprightly and delivers just the right factoids to keep up flagging interest. Mordan’s clean inked portraits and details supplement archival illustrations; sidebars and chapter-ending “Now We Know” segments extend the information presented in the narrative. An introduction warns readers not to try these experiments on themselves; an author’s note informs readers of their methodology and approach to source material. Solid and fascinating. (Nonfiction. 10+)