More Than a Reference

Science education today focuses upon dates, names, and facts needed to answer questions on college entry exams. Forgotten in the effort to memorize the information are the stories about the people behind those dates and facts.

The greatest of our scientists were also people with their strengths and weaknesses. Presented in More Than a Reference are short essays in the style of Paul Harvey’s Rest of the Story. These essays are about the people involved in world-changing discoveries. How did seasickness play a role in Darwin’s theory of natural selection? Why did Joseph Meister, the young man who was the first person to survive rabies, commit suicide? Why did Mendeleev go up in a hot air balloon without knowing how to control it? Who was Clara Louise Maass?

These stories capture the interest of the reader by showing the human side of science not usually presented in textbooks or classrooms. These are the stories in More Than a Reference, a series of essays on the people who played a integral role in discoveries that have changed the world.