Arnold O. Beckman: One Hundred Years of Excellence
Arnold Thackray and Minor Myers, Jr.
Series in Innovation and Entrepreneurship, special
2000, Chemical Heritage Foundation
397 pp, illus, index, CD-ROM video portrait
Cloth, 9 x 11, ISBN 0-941901-23-8
$65.00
Arnold O. Beckman was a legend in his time: the blacksmith's son who grew up to play a pivotal role in the instrumentation revolution that dramatically changed science, technology, and society.
From his rural boyhood world of farming and woodworking, through his service in the U.S. Marines and his appointment to the Caltech faculty, to his path-breaking creation of the pH meter, the DU spectrophotometer, and the establishment of the Beckman Instruments company, this work portrays an individual whose ingenuity and integrity made him a scientific leader and industrial pioneer. It also discusses his role in California and national politics, and his career as a major philanthropist.
Arnold Beckman’s story is inseparable from that of the 20th century—a very inspiring read.
Included with this biography is a video portrait of Arnold Beckman, in CD-ROM format for both PC and Mac. You will see and hear Dr. Beckman talk about his early life, his marriage to Mabel, and his philosophies of inventing, education, and philanthropy. The CD-ROM was produced by Jeffrey I. Seeman.
What people have said about this book:
“Reading like a novel, this carefully crafted biography is an extraordinary literary experience.” —Leonard Fine, Choice
“This is a thoughtfully written, beautifully crafted, and expertly presented volume . . . peppered with many interesting vignettes on people, places, scientific principles, and events that inform and impact upon the story.” —Paul Board, The Alchemist (online)
“Arnold Thackray and Minor Myers, jr., have chronicled in fantastic detail the fascinating story of Beckman's life. . . . Considering its length, content and range, [the book's] relatively modest price makes it a real bargain. . . . We highly recommend it to chemists and chemical engineers, historians of chemistry, chemical educators, entrepreneurs and anyone concerned with the US and international chemical, scientific and technological community.”—George B. and Laurie M. Kauffman, Chemistry & Industry
Profusely illustrated, special folio volume in the Chemical Heritage Foundation Series in Innovation and Entrepreneurship.