Description

Endless Ceiling is a personal exploration of the history, philosophy, politics and practice of natural science, infused with real-life anecdotes. If you like chemistry or want to learn more about it, this is the book for you!

Author Ralph A. Magnotti, Jr. is a PhD clinical chemist, teacher and entrepreneur. His inventions include the first multisource photometric device, the first FDA-approved kit for diagnosis of pesticide exposure and the first rapid test for the milk poison melamine—identified by the WHO as one of the most serious food safety issues in recent memory.

The book begins with an explosive contradiction between rival experimental results, settled by a famous authority. It ends with a more hypothetical contradiction that is left for the reader to decide—the origin of life.

The author’s story begins with a small boy’s wishful encounter in Japan with a magical wizard. Afterwards he learns many valuable lessons that carry him through the development of the American democratic socialist movement and stints in medical biochemistry, pharmaceuticals, and electrochemistry. When he switches to clinical chemistry, his first invention launches a successful startup, eventually leading to scientific management of a leading tech company. A personal renewal begins an ultimately successful resolution of an old curiosity: the origin of life question.

Each episode builds knowledge for the next, weaving together the struggles for scientific understanding and moral truth.

Graphic artist Leah Silverman introduces each chapter with her gorgeously insightful renderings, perfectly setting the mood for the words that follow. Her Endless Ceiling (Chapter 18) drawing won a Top 100 award in the 2021 Mobile Digital Art & Creativity (MDAC) Summit, Palo Alto, California.