Carmen J. Giunta: “Lives in Chemistry”, History of Chemistry Division, Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker (GDCh)

“Chemists writing about their lives is not a new phenomenon. […] And many readers will recall the Profiles, Pathways and Dreams series of autobiographies published by the American Chemical Society in the 1990s […]. Lives in Chemistry continues this tradition of chemists writing about their lives and work.”

Rita S. Majerle: Review of Designing Synthetic Methods and Natural Product Synthesis, by Larry E. Overman

“This book serves as a wonderful overview of Professor Overman’s professional work and his philosophy in teaching and mentoring. The chronological reporting of his endeavors are well documented and edited and the reader feels more compelled to dive into the literature to read the original presentations than obligated to read through them.”

“My Life with Science is a fascinating autobiography that not only chronicles Prof. Gerhard Ertl’s remarkable career but also provides a quite deep scientific explanation of the work that he has done on heterogeneous catalysis and surface science. Moreover, it contains lots of personal photographs and information, which would be difficult to obtain without access to this book.”

“Kent’s outstanding scientific accomplishments, his path from New Zealand to the University of Chicago, his life with his family, and interactions with colleagues and friends, which he describes in his autobiography, are interesting and compelling to read. His innate pleasure of finding things out (cf. Richard Feynman) is a quintessential driving force for him to tackle the nature of enzyme catalysis.”

Christian Griesinger: Horst Kessler—NMR was my Compass in Organic and Medicinal Chemistry.

“In this highly engaging memoir, Horst Kessler presents not only the story of an exceptionally successful scientific career but also offers a guiding compass for anyone interested in the world of science. For him, that compass was NMR spectroscopy, a field dominated by people who were not only deeply interested in scientific innovation but also genuinely kind and supportive. However, as Horst Kessler shifted his focus toward biology and medicine, he found that not all doors were as open, nor were all people as welcoming, as they had been in the world of NMR spectroscopy. Nevertheless, Kessler’s insatiable curiosity, combined with his conscientiousness, honesty, and diligence, proves infectious to readers, even as they learn of the high tolerance for frustration and the occasional personal disappointment he had to endure and still faces as a scientist.”

Peter Gölitz: “Lives in Chemistry”—A New Series of Chemical Autobiographies

“As more and more LiC books appear in English and more come from authors outside of Germany, the international visibility of Lives in Chemistry is the next challenge. The autobiographies that have appeared received favorable reviews [...]. A significant number of LiC copies could be presented to early-career researchers thanks to additional sponsorship from various donors. The GDCh uses the books as presents for special lecturers and other awardees. Through all this and through ordinary sales the LiC books find their way to readers.The vision of the sponsor Karl Reuter has come true, and the mission of the GDCh is well served.”

“Thank you again for your support. Everyone at the symposium very much likes the book.”

“A great biography that is a real pleasure to read and can be highly recommended to all aspiring female—but not only female—scientists.”

“The Kent book design and its content are so nice! Love it so much. Indeed, I start regretting the number we ordered … Let me ask if we could have more.”

“The personal journey of a trail-blazing female scientist. Engrossing, thought-­provoking, informed. Highly recommended.”

“I think Katharina truly sets a role model not only for women in STEM but also for all of us as teachers and mentors. I am so proud, honored, and privileged for having opportunities to learn from her in person.”

“From a student’s perspective, it is very motivating to read how important we are to experienced researchers. This book can do a lot to help female students see themselves in scientific careers. My favorite quote is: ‘if they can do it, I can probably do it, too.’”

“While reading this book, I started dreaming about experiments in the lab, scientific discussions, networking and talks at conferences — Katharina took me on an exceptional journey through time and science.”

“Absolutely sincere and profoundly esteemed. In China, there is a saying: “Women can hold up half the sky.” Katharina’s story will encourage students, especially females, to break free from the confines of traditional norms, courageously pursue their dreams, and achieve success on their own terms.”

ChemistryViews Summer Reading 2024

“A must-read for its timeless insights on building and leading a research group … This book is both inspiring and highly relevant for contemporary professionals.”

Thorsten Berg: With the Potential to Inspire

“Conveying specialized knowledge to non-specialists is a balancing act between precision and comprehensibility, which the author has executed excellently. …
The work is a recommended reading for anyone interested in chemical research in the broader sense. It has great potential to inspire the current and future generation of scientists to pursue bold and independent research.”

MedChemBioWatch: What do you consider your greatest achievement in your scientific career?

“I contributed to the whole field of peptides as drugs (synthesis, conformational based design, applications for Molecular Imaging) which is described in my autobiography.”

Reading Suggestion: Organic Chemistry

“Special reading material for members interested in organic chemistry.”

“I very much like the idea behind this series, I wish there were more of these written by eminent scientists/chemists. … I suspect this will not be the last volume to buy for me.”

“Last night, I delved into the chapter about Horst Kessler’s time in Frankfurt; it was new to me that he also lived for a while in the Limes city of Schwalbach, which in the early 1970s was almost like a large communal living arrangement for employees of Goethe University. It was a wonderful five years for me and my family.
    The Frankfurt chapter stirred many positive memories for which I am very grateful to you once again. It’s a great book with engaging text and an excellent layout.
    I hope this series of Lifes in Chemistry attracts a broad audience, and I’m eager to see what your previews will look like. I am particularly interested in the LiC work of Albert Eschenmoser and hope to learn more about his journey to Vitamin B₁₂. Sadly, he never received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, but he seems to take it very calmly, as I gather from the book title.”

Martin Engelhard: NMR was my Compass in Organic and Medicinal Chemistry by Horst Kessler

“This remarkable autobiography serves as a prime example that progress in the chemical and biochemical sciences can only be advanced if you are open to new methodological developments, enabling them to address relevant inquiries. Horst Kessler’s autobiography is recommended for doctoral candidates [...] as well as early-career organic and biochemical chemists. For the established chemical science community, it is a book filled with a wealth of information from the period when chemistry and biochemistry converged.”

“Returning from a ski vacation, I found Gerhard Ertl’s book. A brief (and entertaining) read showed how differently authors describe their lives. For me, the essay of the 16-year-old, assessed by a German teacher (!), was particularly interesting and instructive.”

“It is exciting to see how the final version will look.”

“An impressive collection that one can certainly congratulate you on!”

“Two beautiful volumes from the LiC series (Dieter Oesterhelt, Gerhard Ertl) … are actually lying in front of me on the table. The paper, graphics, and presentation: pure delight!”

Eva E. Wille: Lives in Chemistry—Inspirational Autobiographies

“At present, seven LiC autobiographies exist in print and online, two of them in English (by Stephen Kent and Gerhard Ertl): altogether ca. 2,000 pages with ca. 1,000 figures and very interesting appendices. Manuscripts by Ryōji Noyori and Larry Overman have been accepted and will appear next spring. 10 further authors from all over the world are working to give deep insight in different cultures in the chemical sciences. Supporting material, videos, reviews as well as tweets about diverse chemical lives are found at l-i-c.org/twitter.com/livesinchem.”

Dieter Jahn: Autobiography of special charm

“The series ‘Lives in Chemistry’ impresses with its clear structure, attractive design, and reader-friendly approach. [...] Practical relevance runs like a common theme through the research, as well as through Effenberger’s activities outside the laboratory. His research is marked by the dualism between the pleasure of chemical synthesis and a keen interest in fundamental structures and mechanisms.”

Lives in Chemistry: Autobiographical book series on outstanding researchers continues

“In chemistry, the research process often involves multiple steps. The autobiographical ‘Lives in Chemistry’ book series delves into how this culminates in a lifetime of scientific work, offering insights into the lives and thoughts of exceptional researchers through the lens of time.”

Alexander Pawlak: My Life with Science

“However, it is not only the personal perspective that sets this volume, along with the others in the series, apart, but also the remarkably original and elegant design, which earned the gold medal for ‘The Best German Book Designs 2022’. It’s truly impressive to see the possibilities that a second printing color can offer. With layout and typesetting by Berlin-based graphic designer Andreas Toepfer, and the special finishing touches, the book becomes a genuine gem, and reading it becomes an aesthetic pleasure.”

Klaus Roth: Dieter Oesterhelt and His Bacteriorhodopsin—A Retrospective

“It’s not an autobiography, but rather a compilation of several conversations between the science historian Mathias Grote (*1978) and Dieter Oesterhelt. The choice of this format must be considered a stroke of luck, as these conversations bring the reader particularly close to Dieter Oesterhelt’s personality. [...] The entire book is a true delight! Bravo!”

“The lives of scientists are so interesting, and it’s inspiring to see where folks have come from and what led them to their successes.”

Ralf Neumann: Shining Figure

“Therefore, it is worthwhile to familiarize oneself with this nerdy individual posthumously through the book. Furthermore, or more precisely because of it, the impression is strengthened that the current scientific system would present significantly greater challenges for Oesterhelt to attain the level of success he achieved in his era, given his unique approach.”

Hans-Joachim Freund: Gerhard Ertl Autobiography

“Personally, I have found the work to be highly appealing, deeply impressive, and captivating. I am convinced that this book, particularly due to its detailed personal accounts and depiction of the challenges along a life’s journey, as well as the portrayal of a trusting relationship with a mentor and the accompanying support, offers a valuable introductory read, especially for young scientists who are contemplating whether to pursue a career in academia.”

“I am delighted, with many thanks. The autobiographies are impressive. I’ve spend a bit of time with Ertl and his discussion of relativity. Wonderful. I love the color scheme and the use of so many original documents though I wish either that I were fluent in German (mostly) or that they were in English (of course, they aren’t, but I could have been fluent in Germany in an alternative world with alternative capabilities). Many thanks! Cheers to a wonderful achievement (and it brings back so many memories for me).”

Elke Maier: Enlightening Research

“The design of the book, which was awarded by the Stiftung Buchkunst, is highly appealing: Housed in a slipcase and accompanied by a bookmark, it features graphics, personal photographs, and excerpts from Oesterhelt’s laboratory notebook. In doing so, it presents a portrait of an exceptional researcher while also bringing to life an exhilarating era in biochemistry.”

Eva E. Wille: Creativity for a lifetime

“The autobiographies of Franz Effenberger and the extended English edition of Gerhard Ertl’s book will be published this spring. Chemists from Germany, Japan, the UK, the USA, and India have committed to providing documents and manuscripts in 2023. This entails a significant amount of new work for the volunteer Advisory Board ... However, it has yielded inspiring success: the unconventional concept of book designer Andreas Toepfer has not only energized authors and readers of all generations, but it has also convinced the Stiftung Buchkunst to award the Lives in Chemistry series a gold medal.”

“I see with great enthusiasm your ongoing support of science and chemistry in general and that of young people in particular. I am incredibly impressed by the autobiography published by LiC, not only the text but also the way it is made.”

“Today I came home and with great pleasure I opened your Autobiography. I directly started to read and go through this incredibly achievement. The many photos and the combinations of personal history and beautiful science makes it the most beautiful book of a scientist who I admire. I like to thank you very much for writing it and obviously I highly appreciate receiving the book. … Autobiographies are always nice, but in the way it is done in this way, makes it the best I ever have seen.”

Autobiographical book series on outstanding researchers expanded

“The series creates historical documents that are engaging, educational, and entertaining. Just like chemistry, the series itself is international, broadly defining chemistry to include many related disciplines.”

Ferdinand Hucho: Inventing Synthetic Methods to Discover how Enzymes work, Stephen Kent

“Kent’s motivation was to contribute to the understanding of enzymatic catalysis. He used HIV-1 protease as a model and his own method, the ‘native protein ligation.’ Reading the relevant chapters of his autobiography is a treat for every chemist!”

Two new Lives in Chemistry

“The opulently designed biographies—awarded the title ‘Best German Book Design 2022’ by Stiftung Buchkunst—are suitable for everyone who believes that chemical publishing should be more than the usual rat race of ‘Publish or Perish.’”

“The ‘Lives in Chemistry’ project is fantastic!”

“Absolute beauty of a book …”

“The ‘Lives in Chemistry’ series is very well-executed, and the recognition by the Stiftung Buchkunst is a significant acknowledgment. We have many friends who are involved with book art … I will continue to follow the series with interest.”

Ferdinand Hucho: Life with Light and Colour—A Biochemical Conversation, Dieter Oesterhelt and Mathias Grote

“Oesterhelt’s autobiography recounts his life’s journey, covering both his scientific and personal experiences. Readers can sense the enthusiasm and human warmth of an exemplary scientist and person throughout.”

Silvia Werfel: Haptic pleasure

“The result is striking! From the simple, formulaic logo featuring a sideways ‘i’ crosswise between the L and C, to the materiality (half-bound with thick greyboard and textured paper) and the color code (earthy tones, Pantone), to the typographic details—printed in two colors, with marginal columns, ample white space, and ‘Akzidenz Grotesk Next’ for the main text and ‘New Century Schoolbook’ for the marginalia, not to mention the bookmark—these volumes exude a scholarly charm. They have become reading books that will undoubtedly appeal to more than just the professional audience.”

Silvia Werfel: Not just “beautiful”, but also relevant

“The series aims to combine beauty with the natural sciences and to emotionally engage its readers.”

“The book will definitely move with me to my room in Karlsruhe, not only because its modern cover is a real eye-catcher, but also because it serves as a small motivation for what one might achieve in the future.”

“Yesterday, I held the book for the first time. It has turned out to be a very successful presentation, and I am sure it will find many readers.”

“Thanks to reading the Brunner book, I have gained more understanding of chemistry in Regensburg than through my years there so far. Thank you for the existence of this book.”

“Yesterday, the book package arrived, and I am absolutely thrilled with the fantastic book!”

Doris Kunz: Looking Glass Chemistry: Small Differences—Gigantic Effects

“Whether adventurous teaching and lecture tours (with red phosphorus in his luggage) or new collaborations, Henri Brunner is still full of energy at over 85 years old. His reflection on his life shows readers how fragile, multifaceted, demanding, and fulfilling a successful research career is. The book is an exciting treasure trove for students, researchers, and the young at heart.”

Wolfram Sander: Done—Memories of a PhD Supervisor

“I would recommend the book to any chemistry student and anyone interested in chemistry who wants to look behind the scenes of our science. You can’t get more authentic than this.”

German Book Design Award “The Most Beautiful German Books”

“These three volumes achieve a synthesis in book design: linking a scientific career with the respective personal biography—following Lichtenberg’s idea: He who understands nothing but chemistry doesn’t truly understand that either.”

Ferdinand Hucho: My Life with Science, Gerhard Ertl

“The book is recommended not only to fellow professionals but to anyone who wants to learn how science is “done” and how scientists create knowledge.”

“I’m currently reading the Brunner biography: it’s truly a pleasure to read! I only met him briefly, but this book makes the whole story come alive. As someone who was in Munich for a short time, I find the historical details about LMU Chemistry very intriguing.”

Melanie Schnell: My Life with Science

“This book is a pageturner. … Therefore, from my perspective, this autobiography of Gerhard Ertl from the ‘Lives in Chemistry’ series is an excellent, entertaining read not only for those interested in the history of science in general and Gerhard in particular.”

Bernhard Breit: A thriller from the lab

“Particularly thrilling is the first synthesis of Tetra-tert-butyl-tetrahedrane, written from a personal perspective, which reads like a thriller from the laboratory. Many other personal accounts, including the description of the independence of research enabled by a traditional professorship, are enlightening memories. I highly recommend this book as a stimulating read.”

Ulrich Schubert: Success Formula PML—Patience, Money, Luck

“The book also serves as an introduction to surface chemistry by one of its pioneers. Without requiring specific expertise, it provides insights into the fundamentals and milestones of this field and impressively demonstrates the mutual enrichment of intelligent questions and new physical investigative methods.”

Peter Hergersberg: A cookie from the Ertl-ator

“Ertl also candidly admits that he did not pursue his studies with full intensity because he devoted so much time to music: as a pianist, he performed with his band up to four times a week. Such wry side notes make Ertl’s autobiography particularly entertaining.”

“Simply, WOW! Very positive first impressions. I like it very much. The layout by Andreas Toepfer is excellent.”

Lives in Chemistry

“The autobiographical series "Lives in Chemistry" provides authentic insights into the lives and thoughts of outstanding researchers, including related disciplines. … Like all books in the series, Ertl’s autobiography is elegantly and originally designed by Berlin-based graphic artist and designer Andreas Töpfer.”

“It is a nice little spring of knowledge.”

“The book has arrived, and I am thrilled: it is a design masterpiece, unlike anything I’ve seen in monographic works before. Fantastic! I really hope the readers will appreciate it and that perhaps the aesthetics alone will attract a few additional buyers.”

“The @livesinchem project looks really excellent—congrats!”

“The book series has gotten off to a wonderful start, which fills me with joy and anticipation for the next ‘Life’s Works’.”

Collective review: Lebenswerke – „Ich würde mir gerne eine Scheibe abschneiden“

“The Nachrichten aus der Chemie spoke with young chemists Maria, Charlotte, Felicitas, Philipp, and Philippe (one with, one without an “e”) about the first three volumes of the "Lives in Chemistry" series—all five are either doctoral candidates or master’s students in chemistry.”

Autobiographical book series portrays outstanding researchers.

“Life and work are often closely intertwined in science. With the series, which is being continued, important contemporary documents are being created that are stimulating, educational, and entertaining—yet as diverse as people can be. Just like chemistry, the series itself is international, and chemistry is defined broadly, thus including many related disciplines. All three volumes are available in both print and eBook formats.”

Lives in Chemistry

“The German Chemical Society (GDCh) acknowledges its history. For some time, a dedicated ‘History of Chemistry’ division has been focused on tasks such as highlighting ‘Historic Sites of Chemistry’ to draw attention to the immense importance of chemistry in our lives. Now, it is also making a public impression through a remarkable book series.”

“These are true assets for the chemistry community worldwide.”

“The Maier book came. It feels good in the hand, and falls open to read, The typography, color, and space are beautifully done, and the coordination of the elements visible on every point. Chemical formulas are very legible and appropriate in contrast. Congratulations to Andreas Toepfer for a beautiful design job.”

Bastian Schmidt: Research Paths Reflected Through Time

“‘We needed a different kind of chemistry.’ This unsettling thought led Henri Brunner in 1966 to the then-unknown optically active transition metal complexes—and to his life’s theme of image/mirror image. Today, it is textbook knowledge that tiny amounts of these catalysts transfer image/mirror image information into large quantities of organic and pharmaceutical products. In 1971, his creative and sustainable chemistry led to his appointment as the youngest chair holder in Germany and the founder of inorganic chemistry in Regensburg.”