Never Lose Your Nerve

' Never Lose Your Nerve! chronicles the ups and downs of a Nobel Laureate''s life. Professor Alan J Heeger was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2000 together with Professor Alan G MacDiarmid and Professor Hideki Shirakawa. Filled with humor, this book tells Professor Heeger''s story — his love for his family, especially how his wife''s love has always been his guiding light, his progress from a young student to an eminent scientist, his passion for the theatre and its impact on his science, his adventures as a successful entrepreneur, and his personal losses. Many think of scientists as risk-adverse individuals but Professor Heeger shows the absolute necessity of risk in research and that scientists are, in fact, risk-addicted, as taking the first, risky step into unfamiliar territory is a step in the right direction towards creativity and great discoveries. Never lose your nerve and you will be rewarded. Life is an exciting adventure and this book clearly demonstrates it, and is for those who are looking to impact others. "Perhaps the greatest pleasure of being a scientist is to have an abstract idea, then to do an experiment (more often a series of experiments is required) that demonstrates the idea was correct; that is, Nature actually behaves as conceived in the mind of the scientist. This process is the essence of creativity in science. I have been fortunate to have experienced this intense pleasure many times in my life." Alan J Heeger Contents:Perfect Days — and Some Not so PerfectThe First Indication of CreativityMiracles Actually Happen!Coming to Acceptance of My MortalityThe Wart and the Penny: The Importance of Uncorrelated Events"Whither Thou Goest, I Will Go"Passion for a Career as a PhysicistFrom Novice to ProfessorThe Pathway to Great Science"Fire and Rain"Risk, Creativity and Discovery — AgainThe Nobel Prize in ChemistryThe Creativity Continues: High Mobility Polymer Thin Film TransistorsDecision to Go West — Was it the KGB?Life and Science in Santa BarbaraThe California Entrepreneur: UNIAX CorporationThe Impact of Theatre in our LivesLow Cost "Plastic" Solar Cells — A Dream Becoming RealityThe Serial EntrepreneurThe Delicacy of the Creative MindThe Joy of Life Readership: General public; historians; scientists; educators; undergraduates and graduates; biographers. Keywords:Nobel Prize;Chemistry;Great Science;Passion;Physicist;Theatre;Entrepreneur;Creativity;Discoveries;Mentoring "A wonderful tale of a brilliant man''s journey from a small town in northwest Iowa to Stockholm and the King of Sweden. This book is also a love story covering with great joy and humor Alan and Ruth''s multifaceted life together. Never Lose Your Nerve! tells us how to appreciate good fortune and handle adversity. A must read for its insights into a scientific mind and a world view reflecting the power of intellect and optimism. This man of grace with a sense of the ridiculous teaches us how scientific genius soars and how love keeps it grounded" Ambassador Shirin Tahir-Kheli "A deeply insightful book by and about the man who created the field of conducting polymers and who won a Nobel Prize for it. But more than that it captures his way of life, his uncanny willingness to take thoughtful risks, his exquisite taste in choosing problems, his artist''s bent and his deep desire to have impact on the world. I wholeheartedly recommend this inspiring book to a wide set of readers, scientists and non-scientists alike." John Seely Brown Former Chief Scientist, Xerox Corp and former director of Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) "''Never Lose Your Nerve!'' tells the story of an unusual man''s journey from ''Nebraska-to-Nobel''. Alan is unusual amongst Nobel Laureates — he is amongst the few who drove their idea from scientific discovery to products. Idea to Nobel Prize to products — how hard could it be? It is hard enough that most reasonable people would view the process as an impossible struggle fraught with risk at every turn. But Alan sees it differently. He is a bold man who leads his life with courage and conviction. Fortune favors him. Through his book, Alan inspires readers to understand and embrace risk. He also reveals the price of risk, the emotional and personal toll it takes on the risk-taker. By telling his story with candor, grace and humor, Alan coaxes the reader to appreciate and realize how a risk-taker''s life might unfold were she or he to do things ''one at a time''." Anshuman Roy Founder & CEO, Rhombus Power Inc. '

Never Lose Your Nerve! chronicles the ups and downs of a Nobel Laureate's life. Professor Alan J Heeger was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2000 together with Professor Alan G MacDiarmid and Professor Hideki Shirakawa. Filled with humor, this book tells Professor Heeger's story -- his love for his family, especially how his wife's love has always been his guiding light, his progress from a young student to an eminent scientist, his passion for the theatre and its impact on his science, his adventures as a successful entrepreneur, and his personal losses. Many think of scientists as risk-adverse individuals but Professor Heeger shows the absolute necessity of risk in research and that scientists are, in fact, risk-addicted, as taking the first, risky step into unfamiliar territory is a step in the right direction towards creativity and great discoveries. Never lose your nerve and you will be rewarded. Life is an exciting adventure and this book clearly demonstrates it, and is for those who are looking to impact others.'Perhaps the greatest pleasure of being a scientist is to have an abstract idea, then to do an experiment (more often a series of experiments is required) that demonstrates the idea was correct; that is, Nature actually behaves as conceived in the mind of the scientist. This process is the essence of creativity in science. I have been fortunate to have experienced this intense pleasure many times in my life.' Alan J Heeger