How did a child born into a nominally Jewish family of Spanish-speaking textile importers in Caracas, Venezuela, struggle with a learning disability to become educated at the famed Lycee in Paris and eventually reach the pinnacle of world recognition in medical research? Read how the young Benacerraf, his education cut short by Nazi terror in Europe, anxiously sought opportunities elsewhere. Feigning interest in the family business on the pretext of securing technical training in the U. S., Benacerraf's intellectual curiosity was captured by studies in science and medicine
In this delightful and often humorous memoir, Dr. Benacerraf discusses the colorful history of his family and how they shaped his values and goals, his marriage to life-partner Annette, and his life in medical research. He reflects on his decision to specialize in immunology, the training of scientists at Harvard, recent advances in medicine, the research of his colleagues, his move to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and his struggles as its chief administrator, and the extraordinary experience of winning the Nobel Prize in medicine (with G. D. Snell) in 1980. Dr. Benacerraf offers valuable insights into the future of education in general and medical education in particular, both tempered with great compassion and hope for humanity
Baruj Benacerraf (Boston, MA) is Fabyan Professor Emeritus of Comparative Pathology at Harvard Medical School, and President Emeritus of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston
Est. 308 pages ISBN 1-57392-227-7 Cloth
Return to Health List