Synopses & Reviews
An autobiography by the chemist best known for total steroid synthesis and biogenetic-like cyclizations.
Review
"Johnson's book reads like a Who's Who of Organic Chemistry, with descriptions, impressions, and thumbnail sketches of such luminaries as Sir Robert Robinson, Robert B. Woodward, Gilbert Stork, Carl Djerassi, Derek Barton, John D. ('Jack') Roberts, and authors of other Profiles volumes. During his long and productive career, Johnson made many contributions to contemporary organic chemistry, the genesis and course of which he describes lucidly with extensive use of 110 structural formulas, 75 reaction schemes, and occasional laboratory notebook pages. . . . Johnson's intimate and revealing autobiography will not only appeal to synthetic organic chemists but will be of interest to both present and future generations of students and instructors of chemistry courses and the history of science as well as to all persons concerned with the human aspects of science."--Journal of Chemical Education
"With great candor and flashes of humor, Johnson describes his travels, honors, and awards such as the Roger Adams (1977) and Arthur C. Cope Awards (1989), hobbies (tennis, gymnastics, and hiking), his research and that of his colleagues, controversies, and consulting, editorial, and writing activities. He also includes personal reminiscences, poems and limericks, anecdotes . . . , the state of his health (which was 'quite good into his seventies'), and opinions on education, grantsmanship, scientific ethics, creativity, excessive governmental regulations, and future trends in chemistry. He confides to us many of his philosophical observations . . . Johnson's entertaining, informative, and modestly priced volume is a gold mine of information and insights for synthetic organic chemists. A first-person saga of an individual committed both to the practice of scientific research and to his profession . . ."--The Chemical Educator
"Williams (1913-95) recounts his education and career as part of the series of autobiographies intended to document the recent history of chemistry. He periodizes himself into his introduction to chemistry, early days on his own, the 1950s, 35 years at Stanford, industrial associations, and a conclusion. Colleagues describe the research he conducted after he wrote."--SciTech Book News
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 203-214) and index.
Table of Contents
List of Photographs
Preface
Editor's Note
My Introduction to Chemistry
Early Days on my Own
Protocol for Synthesis Research in the 1940s
The Stobbe Condensation
Angular Methylation
Some Incidental Studies
The 1950s
Conformational Studies
The Hydrochrysene Approach to Steroids
A Year at Harvard
NMR Spectroscopy
Incidentals
Thirty-Five Years at Stanford
Nine-Year Involvement with Administration
The Hydrochrysene Approach to Steroids, Continued
Biomimetic Polyene Cyclization Studies
Stereoselective Olefin Syntheses
Enantio-Controlled Generation of Chiral Centers During C-C Bond Formation Mediated by Homochiral Acetals
Fluorine Atom as C-S Auxiliary in Biomimetic Cyclizations
Some Concluding Remarks About Our Research
Industrial Associations
Consulting
Other Industrial Contacts
Conclusion
Planning versus Reduction to Practice
Coping with the Fallibility Phenomenon
The Human Element
Some Pros and Cons of Academic Life
Some Final Observations
A Tribute to My Co-workers
A Perspective on the Final Chemistry from Johnson's Group: An Epilogue Paul A. Bartlett, et al.
Acknowledgements
Appendix I
References
Index