John Gribbin and Mary Gribbin

He Knew He Was Right

You probably know about the Gaia concept, thinking of the Earth of a living system. He Knew He Was Right: The Irrepressible Life of James Lovelock and Gaia John Gribbin and Mary Gribbin tells the fascinating story of the inventor of this idea.

We learn about Lovelock's early life - he was something of a rebel, but willing to work hard. He also had a fair amount of luck , landing jobs where he could make the most of his inventiveness, devising gas detectors and many other devices. This culminated in him working for NASA in the 1960's on devices to find life on other planets. His method of looking for an atmosphere in a non-equilibrium state led on to the Gaia concept, that it is life which maintains such a state for it's own benefit. This idea was ridiculed at first, but over the following decades has gained in acceptance. The later parts of the book tell of Lovelock's involvement of the environmental movement. He finds global warming very worrying, and is scathing of the Green's belief that technology such as nuclear power shouldn't be used to combat it.

The book is very readable, and will be of interest to those wanting to know more about the what is happening to our biosphere, as well as those wanting to hear about life of this iconic character.

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Hardcover 272 pages
ISBN: 0691137501
Salesrank: 417568
Weight:1.1 lbs

Published: 2009 Princeton University Press

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Hardcover 239 pages
ISBN: 1846140161
Salesrank: 354795
Weight:1.1 lbs

Published: 2009 Allen Lane

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Hardcover 239 pages
ISBN: 1846140161
Salesrank: 326921
Weight:1.1 lbs

Published: 2009 Allen Lane

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Product Description
In 1972, when James Lovelock first proposed the Gaia hypothesis--the idea that the Earth is a living organism that maintains conditions suitable for life--he was ridiculed by the scientific establishment. Today Lovelock's revolutionary insight, though still extremely controversial, is recognized as one of the most creative, provocative, and captivating scientific ideas of our time. James Lovelock tells for the first time the whole story of this maverick scientist's life and how it served as a unique preparation for the idea of Gaia. Drawing on in-depth interviews with Lovelock himself and unprecedented access to his private papers, John and Mary Gribbin paint an intimate and fascinating portrait of a restless, uniquely gifted freethinker. In a lifetime spanning almost a century, Lovelock has followed a career path that led him from chemistry, to medicine, to engineering, to space science. He worked for the British secret service and contributed to the success of the D-Day landings in World War II. He was a medical experimenter and an accomplished inventor. And he was working with NASA on methods for finding possible life on Mars when he struck upon the idea of Gaia, conceiving of the Earth as a vast, living, self-regulating system. Deftly framed within the context of today's mounting global-warming crisis, James Lovelock traces the intertwining trajectories of Lovelock's life and the famous idea it brought forth, which continues to provoke passionate debate about the nature and future of life on our planet.

Product Description

In 1972, when James Lovelock first proposed the Gaia hypothesis--the idea that the Earth is a living organism that maintains conditions suitable for life--he was ridiculed by the scientific establishment. Today Lovelock's revolutionary insight, though still extremely controversial, is recognized as one of the most creative, provocative, and captivating scientific ideas of our time. James Lovelock tells for the first time the whole story of this maverick scientist's life and how it served as a unique preparation for the idea of Gaia.

Drawing on in-depth interviews with Lovelock himself and unprecedented access to his private papers, John and Mary Gribbin paint an intimate and fascinating portrait of a restless, uniquely gifted freethinker. In a lifetime spanning almost a century, Lovelock has followed a career path that led him from chemistry, to medicine, to engineering, to space science. He worked for the British secret service and contributed to the success of the D-Day landings in World War II. He was a medical experimenter and an accomplished inventor. And he was working with NASA on methods for finding possible life on Mars when he struck upon the idea of Gaia, conceiving of the Earth as a vast, living, self-regulating system.

Deftly framed within the context of today's mounting global-warming crisis, James Lovelock traces the intertwining trajectories of Lovelock's life and the famous idea it brought forth, which continues to provoke passionate debate about the nature and future of life on our planet.

prophet honoured *****
From Buddy Holly to James Lovelock in one easy bound! John Gribbin's versatility shines through in this book, suitably matching the versatility of his subject -- the some time chemist, physician, space scientist, inventor, Earth scientist and now would be astronaut (at the age of 90!) whose vision of Gaia has changed thinking about the planet we live on. This is the best explanation of Gaia theory around, as well as being an intriguing biography of one of the great figures of twentieth century science. Lovelock, it seems, has always questioned authority and never accepted received wisdom without checking it for himself. Independent-minded and working independently of any academic system, he is more like an eighteenth century scientist than a modern one, and his iconoclastic attitude has led him to his most powerful insights. This reader, at least, can only conclude that the academic system has made a wrong turning somewhere along the line.

prophet honoured *****

From Buddy Holly to James Lovelock in one easy bound! John Gribbin's versatility shines through in this book, suitably matching the versatility of his subject -- the some time chemist, physician, space scientist, inventor, Earth scientist and now would be astronaut (at the age of 90!) whose vision of Gaia has changed thinking about the planet we live on. This is the best explanation of Gaia theory around, as well as being an intriguing biography of one of the great figures of twentieth century science. Lovelock, it seems, has always questioned authority and never accepted received wisdom without checking it for himself. Independent-minded and working independently of any academic system, he is more like an eighteenth century scientist than a modern one, and his iconoclastic attitude has led him to his most powerful insights. This reader, at least, can only conclude that the academic system has made a wrong turning somewhere along the line.

Review of 'He Knew He Was Right' ****
I am still reading this and it is very interesting stuff. Quite intense in the scientific detail it backs up what a lot of people denied for too long and what the world is finally accepting as true.

Review of 'He Knew He Was Right' ****

I am still reading this and it is very interesting stuff. Quite intense in the scientific detail it backs up what a lot of people denied for too long and what the world is finally accepting as true.

He Knew He was Right: The Irrepressible Life of James Lovelock and Gaia **
"HE KNEW HE WAS RIGHT: The Irrespressible Life of James Lovelock and Gaia" was a much anticipated book by all those interested and scientifically concerned with 'climate change' and the many related ecological problems. Jack Lovelock has been an equally interesting and successful scientist for some 50 years in many different scientific disciplines. UNFORTUNATELY, John and Mary Gribbin seem to have missed a great opportunity in this biography. Reading with anticipation provided many disappointments. Expectation of a related exposition on Jack Lovelock the "visionary, inventor, radical, free thinker and soon-to-be space traveller" was much more a routine reporting - accurately - of Lovelock's life, which does not lift the reader's appreciation of this "icon figure in British science" much above the norm. Lovelock has a very wide ranging, extremely interesting and very successful career, which has contributed significantly to modern science and will continue to impact for years to come. These roles appear to be mostly routinely reported in this book. Although Lovelock's life is accurately reviewed, with comments by the authors, any passion or personal feelings - although mentioned - of Lovelock's thinking, reasoning and application never quite portray to the reader any excitment and passion that surely must have been present throughout Lovelock's scientific life and career. The authors mention meeting and knowing Lovelock in their prepartion of this biography, but somehow reading the book gives the impression that they "do not really know him". This has resulted in a somewhat impersonal reporting of a very significant scientist. This is a pity. New readers interested in an introduction and guide to thinking on 'Gaia' may find the book interesting and helpful. But those who are expecting an interesting and enlightening biography on the "irrepressible life of James Lovelock" may be disappointed.

He Knew He was Right: The Irrepressible Life of James Lovelock and Gaia **

"HE KNEW HE WAS RIGHT: The Irrespressible Life of James Lovelock and Gaia" was a much anticipated book by all those interested and scientifically concerned with 'climate change' and the many related ecological problems. Jack Lovelock has been an equally interesting and successful scientist for some 50 years in many different scientific disciplines. UNFORTUNATELY, John and Mary Gribbin seem to have missed a great opportunity in this biography.

Reading with anticipation provided many disappointments. Expectation of a related exposition on Jack Lovelock the "visionary, inventor, radical, free thinker and soon-to-be space traveller" was much more a routine reporting - accurately - of Lovelock's life, which does not lift the reader's appreciation of this "icon figure in British science" much above the norm.

Lovelock has a very wide ranging, extremely interesting and very successful career, which has contributed significantly to modern science and will continue to impact for years to come. These roles appear to be mostly routinely reported in this book. Although Lovelock's life is accurately reviewed, with comments by the authors, any passion or personal feelings - although mentioned - of Lovelock's thinking, reasoning and application never quite portray to the reader any excitment and passion that surely must have been present throughout Lovelock's scientific life and career.

The authors mention meeting and knowing Lovelock in their prepartion of this biography, but somehow reading the book gives the impression that they "do not really know him". This has resulted in a somewhat impersonal reporting of a very significant scientist. This is a pity.

New readers interested in an introduction and guide to thinking on 'Gaia' may find the book interesting and helpful. But those who are expecting an interesting and enlightening biography on the "irrepressible life of James Lovelock" may be disappointed.

A book fit for its subject *****
From Buddy Holly to James Lovelock in one easy bound! John Gribbin's versatility shines through in this book, suitably matching the versatility of his subject -- the some time chemist, physician, space scientist, inventor, Earth scientist and now would be astronaut (at the age of 90!) whose vision of Gaia has changed thinking about the planet we live on. This is the best explanation of Gaia theory around, as well as being an intriguing biography of one of the great figures of twentieth century science. Lovelock, it seems, has always questioned authority and never accepted received wisdom without checking it for himself. Independent-minded and working independently of any academic system, he is more like an eighteenth century scientist than a modern one, and his iconoclastic attitude has led him to his most powerful insights. This reader, at least, can only conclude that the academic system has made a wrong turning somewhere along the line.

A book fit for its subject *****

An Unexpected Surprise *****
I bought this book as a good candidate for something to read on the beach in Cancun. What an unexpected surprise. Not only does this book include a biography of James Lovelock along with a description of his Gaia Hypothesis, it also includes a general history of the physics and chemistry of atmospheric and geological sciences which starts in the 1700s with the work of Jean Fourier (heat) and Joesph Black (discoverer if Carbon Dioxide which was then known as "fixed air"). Maybe it is only because I am a science fan but I couldn't put this book down. It is highly recommended to the general reader wishing to learn more about climate change.

An Unexpected Surprise *****

I bought this book as a good candidate for something to read on the beach in Cancun. What an unexpected surprise. Not only does this book include a biography of James Lovelock along with a description of his Gaia Hypothesis, it also includes a general history of the physics and chemistry of atmospheric and geological sciences which starts in the 1700s with the work of Jean Fourier (heat) and Joesph Black (discoverer if Carbon Dioxide which was then known as "fixed air"). Maybe it is only because I am a science fan but I couldn't put this book down. It is highly recommended to the general reader wishing to learn more about climate change.