Finished

Ken Bird is an influential, world-famous professor of biochemistry who is celebrated by all. Then, out of the blue, he is accused of work bullying and of causing an unsafe working climate. He is baffled: Where did it go wrong, and how is this possible? Ken is convinced he is right, and the rest of the world has no idea…or do they?

Ken's story illustrates some uncomfortable dilemmas in nowadays world of science. The situations are entirely imaginary, but many people working in the academic world will readily recognize them.

The book doesn't provide any concrete answers. It is only meant to raise awareness—how we deal with frequently occurring situations in the academic world may not always be the best or the only option.

A gripping novel about the world of science, written with compassion and wit.

Marianne Joëls is an emeritus professor of neuroscience and based in the Netherlands. She supports a new system of recognition and reward in the academic world.