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The Doc and the Duchess: The Life and Legacy of George H. A. Clowes (Philanthropic and Nonprofit Studies) Kindle Edition

by Alexander W. Clowes (Author), John Lechleiter (Foreword), A. Ian Fraser (Contributor) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 8 ratings
See all formats and editions
An “informative and enlightening” biography of a scientist who helped bring insulin to the world, and went on to become a prominent philanthropist (The Franklin Daily Journal).

George Henry Alexander Clowes was a pivotal figure in the development of the insulin program at the Eli Lilly Company. Through his leadership, scientists and clinicians at Lilly and the University of Toronto created a unique international team to develop and purify insulin and take the production of this life-saving agent to an industrial scale.

This biography, written by his grandson, presents his scientific achievements, and also takes note of his social and philanthropic contributions, which he shared with his wife, Edith. It tells the story of Clowes from his childhood in late Victorian England to his death at Woods Hole on Cape Cod in 1958. Educated in England and Germany, Clowes came to America to join a startup laboratory in Buffalo, where he conducted basic research on cancer and applied research on other disease-related problems. Assuming the position of head of research at Lilly, Clowes was at the center of one of the great discoveries that changed the course of medical history and offered new life to millions of individuals with diabetes and other metabolic disorders. Clowes was also instrumental in the development of other commercial pharmaceutical advances. Devoted to a number of philanthropic causes, Clowes and Edith contributed greatly to the cultural life of his adopted country, a contribution that continues to this day.
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  1. Part of series
    Philanthropic and Nonprofit Studies
  2. Print length
    316 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publisher
    Indiana University Press
  6. Publication date
    February 2, 2016
  7. File size
    2179 KB
  8. Page Flip
    Enabled
  9. Word Wise
    Enabled
  10. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  11. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"The book is written in a clear but engaging manner, neither fawning nor clinical. Readers should find it informative and enlightening, showing the personal lives behind some very public endeavors."―The Franklin Daily Journal

"The Doc and the Duchess is . . . a labor of love and yet another treasure that the Clowes family has bequeathed to the Indianapolis community."―Indiana Magazine of History

"The Doc and the Duchess is a must-read for anyone interested in drug development, medical history, and diabetes. Clowes gives us a thorough, compelling, and important book, offering unprecedented insight into his grandfather, whose extraordinary gift for inspiring scientists to work together long predated modern concepts of networking and teambuilding. The letters, interviews, and family lore illuminate an original thinker with a personality as irresistible on the page as it must have been in person."―Thea Cooper, author of Breakthrough: Elizabeth Hughes, the Discovery of Insulin, and the Making of a Medical Mira

"This well-researched book celebrates the lives of George H. A. and Edith Clowes. GHA Clowes' advanced research made Eli Lilly and Company a world leader in the development of insulin and played a critical role in Lilly's development into a global pharmaceutical company."―Michael Bliss, author of The Discovery of Insulin

"Vividly told, the book captures the personalities of the protagonists, contains scientifically sophisticated explanations about the development of marketable insulin, and invokes the evolving environment―economic, medical, social, and familial―in which the story takes place."―Strobe Talbott, author of The Great Experiment

"This is a fascinating story about an incredible man, his wife, and his family. Everyone interested in the early days after the discovery of insulin will want to read this book."―Irl B. Hirsch, M.D., Professor of Medicine and Diabetes Treatment and Teaching Chair, University of Washington Scho

"A delight to read―well written and authoritative. This is an insider's story, lovingly told."―Leonard Warren, author of Maclure of New Harmony

Review

A delight to read―well written and authoritative. This is an insider's story, lovingly told.

-- Leonard Warren

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01AND1U8E
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Indiana University Press (February 2, 2016)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 2, 2016
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2179 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 316 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 8 ratings

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
8 global ratings

Top review from the United States

Susan F. Witzell
4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting but uneven.
Reviewed in the United States on March 6, 2016
Verified Purchase
As Archivist at the Woods Hole Historical Museum, I helped Dr. Alexander Clowes do research on his grandfather, George H.A. Clowes, and his early years in Woods Hole during the summers when he did research at the Marine Biological Laboratory. I was looking forward to the biography. When the book was published in February 2016 I immediately ordered it and read it.

The biography is very interesting but uneven. Sections on the Clowes family and the early years of George’s residence in Buffalo were the most interesting. I am not a scientist and the complexities of the development of insulin and its manufacturing rights were not easy to follow. This was not well-balanced with the personal life of the subject and his family. It is admittedly difficult to weave such pieces together. An over-all editor from outside the family who had the distance to see the entire story, both the science and the personal, perhaps could have given the book a more balanced arrangement and flow.

Nevertheless, if one is interested in the miraculous development of insulin, this book will be of great relevance.
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