This is a remarkable book about a remarkable man. Soderqvist describes and analyses the life of the immunologist Niels Jerne (1911–1994), who was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1984 and certainly belongs to the most prominent medical researchers and especially immunologists of the twentieth century. Jerne contributed decisively to the understanding of immunology with two theoretical approaches, namely the selection theory of antibodies and the network theory. Both theories were intended to be free of the cautious idea that the immune system would work only in response to antigens or toxins. The selection theory postulated that the organism would produce a range of different antibodies spontaneously. The network theory saw the immune system of the human body as a kind of cybernetic system where all parts worked consistently. Soderqvist's book relies on archival studies as well as over 150 hours of oral history interviews with Jerne himself and on talks with over 90 relatives, friends and colleagues. These core data sound attractive but most outstanding is the life of Jerne itself. It does not correspond to the platonic idea of a Nobel-Prize winning professor in medicine with a straightforward career, who is married to his lab and produces marvellous scientific knowledge about the world. On the contrary, Jerne first of all slipped into the shoes of his father and worked as a sort of tradesman and inventor. His favourite pasttime was reading philosophy and art books and discussing related problems and politics in cafes and bars. Although bound to the bourgeois world of his times, he was attracted by the bohemian life-style and disliked the idea of living an ordinary life. Jerne was a kind of “womaniser”, who tried to realize his erotic sado-masochistic fantasies when aiming to subordinate women to his own will. He was torn between anxious insecurity, watching and analysing himself and his environment from a distance, and a strong belief in his mastermind, which manifested itself in clear-cut and straightforward ideas and statements. Soderqvist describes Jerne as a sensible, fragile genius, who desperately tried to control his life and who found his way to medicine only after a period of successive stabilization. His Nobel Prize winning theories were moulded by and were an expression of his inner life, and they were rooted in his efforts to organize a chaotic world with the help of the arts and sciences. As interesting as Jerne himself, is Soderqvist's methodological approach. He tries to deliver an “existential biography”, which focuses on the life of the researcher and not primarily on the scientific achievements, as Jerne's work “was an inseparable part of his life”. Soderqvist contrasts his own approach with that of “most biographies of scientists, which inevitably focus on scientific work and public achievements and leave the rest of life (if treated at all) at the periphery” (p. xxiii). Although the approach is interesting, it remains problematic for three main reasons. First—as noted by Soderqvist himself—many factors influence the scientist's life. And in fact, Jerne's life is shaped not only by his inner motivations but also, for example, by social networks: relatives, friends, colleagues, and, last but not least, his wives and girlfriends. Soderqvist describes all these factors and in fact he delivers a modern biography, which considers the cultural environment of the scientist. Therefore, I have some doubts whether the “existential biography” really serves as a new methodological approach. I think the consideration of the “inner life” of a person only complements the variety of aspects which should be considered in biographical writing. Second, the analysis is sometimes rather meagre, and the explanation of why the inner life shapes Jerne's scientific theories is sometimes vague and speculative and not entirely convincing. There is no careful conclusive analysis. Third, when focusing strongly on Jerne's personal motivations and ideas, there is danger in adhering too much to his own interpretation of his life. Jerne loved the existential philosopher Soren Kierkegaard; Soderqvist loves him too, and the outcome is an “existential biography”. Soderqvist explains the danger of a strong identification with the research subject, but the reader is left feeling uneasy. Notwithstanding these criticisms, this biography is an important contribution to the history of science and medicine. It is a good read, it is very inspiring and—even if this is not its primary intention—it tells us a lot about the history of immunology. The book is above all a reminder of the need for personal aspects of a researcher's life to be considered much more than hitherto, and—using a phrase of the historian Peter Moraw—that the scientist does not leave his personality and social relations in the wardrobe when entering the lab.
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Jan 31, 2024
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