The Icepick Surgeon
| Company type | Book |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Founded | 2021 |
| Founder | Sam Kean |
| Products | Nonfiction book |
| Parent | Little, Brown and Company |
The Icepick Surgeon: Murder, Fraud, Sabotage, Piracy, and Other Dastardly Deeds Perpetrated in the Name of Science is a nonfiction work from 2021 by American author Sam Kean, released by Little, Brown and Company. This book offers a collection of historical narratives detailing unethical and criminal acts committed under the guise of scientific exploration. Drawing on a wealth of archival materials and historical records, supplemented with footnotes, it evaluates the consequences of these misdeeds and includes an appendix that considers potential future instances of scientific wrongdoing.
Content
Primarily arranged in chronological order, the volume begins and ends with a quotation from Albert Einstein: "Most people say that it is the intellect which makes a great scientist. They are wrong: it is character."
The prologue recounts a likely apocryphal tale involving Egyptian Queen Cleopatra performing poison trials on prisoners and servants. Initial chapters focus on individuals such as pirate William Dampier, whose biological investigations—though tainted by theft and murder—contributed to later scientific understanding. Another section explores Henry Smeathman’s entomological research in Sierra Leone, which was entangled with the slave trade, exposing ethical compromises in early scientific specimen collection. The narrative also addresses body snatching by surgeons John Hunter and Robert Knox to obtain cadavers for anatomical study.
Subsequent chapters delve into Thomas Edison’s aggressive efforts to discredit alternating current technology, including the execution of animals via electrocution to influence public perception. The fierce competition between paleontologists Edward Drinker Cope and Othniel Charles Marsh involved deceit and sabotage aimed at professional dominance. The horrors perpetrated by Nazi scientists during World War II provide historical context for modern ethical debates surrounding scientific misconduct. The notorious lobotomy innovator Walter Jackson Freeman II, nicknamed the "icepick surgeon," developed a highly controversial procedure responsible for numerous patient fatalities.
The book further investigates psychological torture techniques employed by Henry Murray, who subjected volunteers—including future Unabomber Theodore Kaczynski—to abusive experiments. Throughout the text, footnotes offer deeper analysis and connections to related podcast content. An appendix lists additional scientific offenses and speculates on emerging technological threats that may give rise to new forms of misconduct.
Critical reception
Lucinda Robb of The Washington Post commended the book for blending "the flair of a beach thriller and the thoughtfulness of philosophy," describing it as "delightful," "highly readable," and abundant in "information and juicy details" skillfully integrated through "virtuoso storytelling." Brandy Schillace writing for the Wall Street Journal emphasized Kean's "gems of phraseology," noting that rather than merely assembling anecdotes, the book reveals how early ethical lapses have influenced contemporary science and medicine.
Publishers Weekly praised Kean’s persuasive case that these figures stand out for their particularly egregious actions in pursuit of scientific advancement, calling The Icepick Surgeon an "engrossing look at crimes often committed by otherwise moral people" deserving widespread readership. Kate Bellody from Library Journal described it as a "witty, thought-provoking," and "compelling addition to true crime and popular science."
Deborah Blum, contributing to Science, recognized the book’s broad scope while noting omissions such as sexual misconduct within science; nevertheless, she affirmed its effectiveness in addressing topics that contribute to public skepticism about scientists. Diana Gitig of Ars Technica observed that although the text sometimes becomes overly detailed with historical documentation and raises more questions than it answers, this style mirrors the essence of strong scientific investigation and narrative craft.