Prescription for Profits : How the Pharmaceutical Industry Bankrolled the Unholy Marriage Between Science and Business Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This book is timely, well written, thoroughly researched and extremely disquieting. The usual human limitations including greed, dishonesty, arrogance and hubris are documented in a convincing fashion as they relate to scientists, government and commerce and there is little, if any reason, to be sceptical of the events which are described in considerable detail.
The importance of the book, in my opinion, is that it bears the same relationship to a vital area of molecular biology that Rachel Carson's Silent Sping did to critical issues of environmental pollution. Poisioning the environment and poisoning the manner in which we process scientific information are both extremely destructive activities. The hallmark of the scientific method has always been the free exchange of information between its practioners. This book shows quite clearly that we as a nation have embarked upon the dangerous path of treating scientific information as a commodity rather than as a freely available, continuous source of ideas for some of our best minds to consider and further develop. In the long run this is of no benefit to society. This book suggests, that in the short run, it is also of little if any benefit.
I believe, there is much benefit in reviewing the history of the development of the transistor by Bell Laboratories and the manner in which that organization made this device available to a large number of competitors. No one can argue that the process employed did not lead to benefits for society which exceeded even the most extravagant predictions. A major review of the processes by which scientific information, gathered in large part at a cost to the tax payers, and then utilized to develop commercial ventures is long overdo. It is however doubtful that such will be the case unless the importance of this issue is recognized. The author has performed an important service in this regard.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Prescription for Profits : How the Pharmaceutical Industry Bankrolled the Unholy Marriage Between Science and Business

Click here for more information about Prescription for Profits : How the Pharmaceutical Industry Bankrolled the Unholy Marriage Between Science and Business