FLEMING: Discoverer of Penicillin

The first biography to appear on Fleming comes after hundreds of articles and four undistinguished books on penicillin and is an interesting, detailed and smoothly written life story. From Fleming's childhood to medical school is quickly covered as early influences and education are traced; his decision to follow medical research is discussed. Then the life of the selfless, pure scientist, as he works on obscure projects in biochemistry and bacteriology, and the discovery, at last, of the first ""miracle"" drug. There's thin material in the author's attempts to justify Fleming's failure to purify the drug for use and to minimize the work of Florey and other scientists who finally made the discovery available to the world. For all those interested in medicine and particularly valuable as a handy and readable reference for the physician, student and inquisitive layman.