Robert Lefkowitz - A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Stockholm: The Adrenaline Fueled Adventures of an Accidental Scientist

Advance Praise for A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Stockholm

Lefkowitz unveils the teamwork, persistence, and labors of love that go into living a life of significance. By turns funny and moving, this book has the power to inspire.

Mike Krzyzewski, Head Coach, Mens Basketball, Duke University

An engaging Nobel Prize-winning journey of a life in medicine and science. Joyous, insightful, and irreverent, Lefkowitz describes the enormous impediments to challenging established dogma and legendary elders as well as the art and satisfaction of mentoring young scientists. For both lay readers and professional scientists this book presents a narrative that will delight and that offers a goldmine of wisdom.

Robert Horvitz, Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute; Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (2002)

A tribute to teamwork that aims to inspire the young generation of scientists to take a similar journey. This book shows that making a breakthrough discovery, changing a paradigm, and using science as a tool to change peoples lives is possible, while also emphasizing that such achievements are not made by angels but by human beings like all of us.

Aaron Ciechanover, M.D., D.Sc., Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2004)

Lefkowitzs life is testament to the joy of science. The book is a page-turner, a riveting account of a life well-lived. It is a story of stories, a tale of greatness.

Roger D. Kornberg, Ph.D., Stanford University, Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2006)

Lefkowitz appreciates the power of storytelling, both at the bedside in making diagnoses and at the bench in generating hypotheses. Full of vignettes that are sometimes embarrassingly honest, at other times laugh-out-loud humorous, but always infused with his own special brew of humility and hubris. An informative and entertaining read.

Helen H. Hobbs, Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

In this engaging and often rollicking tale, Bob Lefkowitz recounts how the Vietnam War transformed him from a dedicated young physician into an enthusiastic, ambitious, and highly successful scientist whose discoveries have altered our understanding of cell function and approaches to drug development. Arriving at a time when the need to convert physicians into scientists is greater than ever, this book can do more than just entertain and instruct: it can inspire young doctors to remake their careers.

Harold Varmus, M.D., Lewis Thomas University Professor, Weill Cornell Medicine; Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (1989); Author of The Art and Politics of Science

A master story-teller, Bob Lefkowitz shares his journey as one of our preeminent biomedical scientists. For any aspiring clinical or biomedical scholar, and their anxious parents, you will see how one of our countrys most distinguished medical scholars navigated his life to the top.

Randy Schekman, University of California, Berkeley, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (2013)

In this entertaining book, Nobelist Bob Lefkowitz recounts how he became a passionate and renowned physician-scientist. He unveils the secret to his scientific stardom in a series of engrossing stories spanning his fifty-year career. No tale is left untoldmany are amusing, some might raise a few eyebrows.

Joseph L. Goldstein, M.D., and Michael S. Brown, M.D., U.T. Southwestern Medical Center, Nobel Prizes in Physiology or Medicine (1985)

Lighthearted, yet profoundly personal and moving, Lefkowitzs memoir shares the secret recipe for winning a Nobel prizetwo parts genius, one part audacity in challenging authority, one part insightful and supportive mentoring, a splash of good luck, and ten parts resilience and persistence. Bob Lefkowitz is at the top of the list of the extraordinary cadre of physicians turned scientists who ushered in the modern biotechnology revolution.

Barry S. Coller, M.D., David Rockefeller Professor of Medicine, Rockefeller University, Physician-in Chief, Rockefeller University Hospital

The odds of a scrappy kid growing up in the Bronx winning a Nobel Prize are overwhelmingly small. How Bob Lefkowitz managed to do this is revealed in this delightfully rich and moving book allowing the reader to understand Bobs intelligence, warmth, and complexity. If you read one book this year, choose this one. It will fill you with joy, hope, and give you a new friend.

Ralph Snyderman, M.D., Professor of Medicine, Chancellor Emeritus, Duke University

More than just a heartwarming and thrilling chronicle of a great physician-scientist, Lefkowitz has written a story-based leadership guide for any aspiring mentor. A testament to the power of building enduring excellence by believing in, championing, and developing others.

Sanyin Siang, Leadership Coach and author of The Launch Book

How does a brilliant young physician accidentally get hooked on research? Bob Lefkowitzs life-altering shift changed not only his life but the lives of hundreds of his trainees. From the dazzling way adrenaline controls critical body functions to the thrill of his Nobel Prize win, this engaging book will help you better understand how physician-scientists dedicate their careers to understanding human biology and enhancing human health.

P. Roy Vagelos, M.D., Retired Chairman and CEO, Merck & Co.; Chairman of the Board, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals

A blend of comedy, history, and tragedy, this book is much more than a delightfully amusing tale of a bright kid from the Bronx who ultimately wins a Nobel Prize. Bob Lefkowitzs message is of the utmost importance. U.S. taxpayer dollars funded a unique cadre of young physiciansthe Yellow Beretswhose discoveries have led to revolutionary therapies for heart disease, cancer, diabetes, impotence, neurodegeneration, HIV, and coronavirus, all while training the next generation of medical scientists. Reading this book shows that investments in science will continue to save the world.

Peter Agre, M.D., Professor and Director, Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Bloomberg School of Public Health; Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2003)

A spell-binding memoir, packed with deep insights and charged with the thrill of discovery. This is a tale told from the pinnacle of human achievement, that also serves as a master-class in humility and overcoming tragedyall interwoven with laugh-out-loud anecdotes. Lefkowitz is a brilliant and charming storyteller, with an indomitable passion for living, and wisdom for the ages.

Karl Deisseroth, M.D., Ph.D., Stanford University, Winner of the Kyoto Prize and the Heineken Prize; Author of Projections

Robert Lefkowitzs memoir is a rollicking, absorbing read. It turns out many funny things happened on his way to Stockholm. Beautifully written, this book demonstrates the importance of humor, humility, and humanity in the pursuit of scientific discovery.

Jerry Speyer, Chairman, Tishman-Speyer

An incredible story from one of the nations finest scientists. Bob Lefkowitz is a true national treasure (and a real mensch), and this book is for anyone who wants to see how the extraordinary mind of a Nobel Laureate works.

David Rubenstein, Chairman Emeritus, Duke University Board of Trustees; Co-Founder, The Carlyle Group

A deeply personal perspective of events, people, thoughts, and actions that have created an era of major scientific breakthroughs. Full of insights and revelations about the milieu that underlies todays biomedical revolution, from a key participant. Written with a candor and style that make Bob Lefkowitzs life adventures as a physician-scientist a delight to read.