Prizes are Good but Discoveries are Better

Overview | TOC | Preface | Links

Albert Eschenmoser
Prizes are Good but Discoveries are Better
(Lives in Chemistry – Lebenswerke in der Chemie)
348 pp, 338 fig., hardcover, in slipcase, 39.80 €
ISBN 978-3-86225-136-0
_{(To be released in June 2025)}
Autobiography of Albert Eschenmoser (1925–2023), the Swiss chemist who united landmark syntheses like vitamin B₁₂ with profound insights into life’s molecular origins.

Preface

1 From Primary School to ETH (1932 – 1951)

1.1  Undergraduate studies
1.2  Military service
1.3  Student life
1.4  Diploma thesis and diploma
1.5  Zingiberene structure
1.6  Farnesene Rule
1.7  Jakob Schreiber, my first student
1.8  Hans Schinz, my doctoral thesis supervisor

2 From Postdoc to Privatdozent at ETH (1951 – 1960)

2.1  Founding the Eschenmoser group
2.2  Steroid syntheses
2.3  Base-induced fragmentation of C,C bonds
2.4  Biogenetic Isoprene Rule
2.5  Stereochemistry of acid-catalyzed polyene cyclizations
2.6  Stereochemical interpretation of the Biogenetic Isoprene Rule in triterpenes
2.7  First trip to the USA (1954)
2.8  Edgar Heilbronner and the benzotropylium cation
2.9  Determination of the relative configuration of secondary alicyclic alcohols
2.10  Total synthesis of colchicineDesacetylamino-colchicine
2.11  Laboratory of Organic Chemistry: from Ruzicka to Prelog

3 Professor at ETH — Reaction Mechanisms and Syntheses (1960 – 1992)

3.1  Courses and lectures at home and abroad
3.2  Visiting professor at MIT (1961)
3.3  Visiting professor at University of Wisconsin (1965)
3.4  Turbulent times at ETH
3.5  The corrin saga and the synthesis of vitamin B₁₂ (1960 – 1972)
3.6  Post-B₁₂ psychological and publication issues (1973 – 1992)
3.7  Research topics also running I (1960 – 1972)

4 Professor at ETH — Etiologies and Prebiotics (1973 – 2008)

4.1  Chemical etiology of the vitamin B₁₂ structure (1973 – 1988)
4.2  Research topics also running II (1973 – 1988)
4.3  Prebiotics (1976 – 2008)
4.4  Etiology of the structural type of natural nucleic acids (1987 – 2008)

5 Emeritus

5.1 University of Frankfurt (1993 – 1996)
5.2 The Scripps Research Institute (1996 – 2009)

6 Other Activities and Honors

6.1  Consulting
6.2  Lecture tours and symposia
6.3  Visiting professorships
6.4  Membership in academies
6.5  Awards

Concluding Remarks

How this autobiography came about: the backstory
Post — La Jolla activities
Acknowledgements

Appendix

Biographical notes
Vita
Chemistree
Holographs
References
Table of contents
Links and literature
Image sources
Index

Overview | TOC | Preface | Links

Prizes are Good but Discoveries are Better

Table of Contents