Progress in science is more complex than just the science itself. Nobel Laureates, all the scientists in this book were acknowledged geniuses, but controversial in different ways, beset by cross-currents of war and nationalism, passion and jealousy, competition and ambition, perseverance and luck. All these factors are illustrated by the personalities discussed in the book and the discoveries that they made. Given the complex nature of scientific progress and the continual advance of discovery, how and to what extent can we trust the “facts” they have learned? And given the megaphone bestowed on them by the Nobel Prize, what should be the role of scientists outside their areas of expertise, as politicians and “influencers?” What is the influence of the Nobel Prizes on science? Are they good or bad for science?