John Henderson. A Life of Ernest Starling. Oxford, New York, Oxford University Press, 2005. 185 pp., illus. (No price given).

Abstract

John Henderson’s biography of Ernest Starling gives breadth and vitality to a subject that in the hands of a less gifted biographer could have been primarily an account of research projects and their data. A Life of Ernest Starling presents an engaging narrative that has much to recommend it. Henderson, himself a physiologist, has a firm grasp of the clinical aspects necessary to render the details of Starling’s work. Concurrently, he conveys a sense of genuine appreciation and admiration for his subject on a personal, humane level. Henderson feels that Starling was never appropriately honored for his contributions to physiology and medical science. He also feels that previous biographies of this remarkable man failed to adequately integrate the clinical, personal, and political aspects of his life. These deficiencies are addressed in this diligently researched, skillfully organized, and refreshingly readable review of Starling’s life. In addition, the appendices list Starling’s voluminous output of publications in chronological order and provide an extensive annotated bibliography.