Schön's discovery of a plastic that worked as a superconductor was noted as a scientific triumph before revelations that his discoveries were fake. This book analyzes the fraud and considers pressures that force unscrupulous behaviour from science's rising stars.

'There are probably still more secrets under lock-and-key at Murray Hill and elsewhere, but for now Reich's engrossing book will be the last word on the matter.' - Peter Rodgers, Chief Editor, Nature Nanotechnology

'…Reich's journalistic persistence and technical thoroughness yield a largely complete, often dramatic account of Schön's roguery and downfall.' - Booklist
 
'Eugenie Samuel Reich unpicks the tale with meticulous care.' - Philip Ball, Sunday Times
 
'…a wonderful piece of forensic writing.' - Clive Cookson, Financial Times
 
'It is gripping stuff: a surprising page-turner that is well worth reading.' - New Scientist
 
'The book's real strength is the way it uses a journalistic approach to document what was happening on a week-by-week basis at Bell Labs...In doing so Reich uncovers a wealth of detail...that has not been published before. There are probably still more secrets under lock-and-key at Murray Hill and elsewhere, but for now Reich's engrossing book will be the last word on the matter.' - Peter Rodgers, Nature Nanotechnology
 
'A brilliant case study of research fraud.' - Clive Cookson, Financial Times

Introduction
The Crystals Vision
Faking the Data
A Slave to Publication
A Nice Christmas Present for the Lab
How to Disarm Critics
Extraordinary Claims Require Extraordinary Airtime
Scientists Astray
Plastic Fantastic
The Fraud Taboo
Getting the Word Out
A Kind of Confession
Where Are They Now?

EUGENIE REICH has worked as a science and technology reporter for many years specifically as a researcher for the BBC, on the science documentary Vanished and as a correspondent and a features editor for the New Scientist.