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James Lovelock is an iconic figure in British science, a prophet whose prophecies are coming true. This is his definitive authorised biography. Lovelock is best known as the 'father' of Gaia theory, which is now established as the most useful way of understanding the dramatic changes happening to the environment of the Earth. But few people know about his early work as a chemist and inventor – work which included inventing the detectors used to search for life on Mars, and blowing the whistle on the depletion of the ozone layer.
In his personal life, he was a Quaker and conscientious objector in World War Two (later changing his mind in view of the evils of Nazism), supported his family for a time by selling his own blood, and gave up a salary and security to become an independent scientist based in an English village – from which all his best-known work emerged. As he approaches his 90th birthday, looking forward to going into space, He Knew He Was Right truly reveals an independent, original and inspiring life.
Dr. John Gribbin trained as an astrophysicist at the University of Cambridge before becoming a full-time science writer. He has worked for the science journal Nature, and the magazine New Scientist (for which he is now physics consultant) and has contributed articles on science topics to the Times, the Guardian and the Independent. Gribbin has received awards for his writing in both Britain and the United States and is currently a visiting Fellow in astronomy at the University of Sussex.
Mary Gribbin is best known as a writer of science books for young readers. Together with her husband John Gribbin she has written several science books, including Richard Feynman: A Life in Science and Ice Age. They live in Sussex, England.
"Lovelock has never been afraid of eccentricity, as a new and highly readable biography by science writers John and Mary Gribbin amply illustrates."
– Fiona Harvey, Financial Times
