This is a great book for the general reader as well as people specifically interested in scientific subject matter. The chapters build well on each other and have an interesting take in that they are more focused on the scientist rather than the underlying discovery. It does a good job of making it all come alive and setting a context for the discoveries.

Dan Levitt's What's Gotten Into You is chock full of information both interesting and mind-blowing. Even though he runs wildly off course at times to deeply illustrate a point, the detour is well worth the trip. This exploration of atomic processes and the journey taken by ferociously determined scientists to uncover the secrets of life reads like a science history/mystery. Levitt is careful to critique the past prejudices and bias formerly held by the scientific community, and when appropriate, critiques the current ones as well. Written with sympathy to the limited knowledge available at the time, his account of the flawed but determined mission by scientists of the past to answer impossible questions is both enlightening and fascinating. Highly recommended!