George B. Kistiakowsky's career exemplifies the melding of pure and applied sciences. Trained as a chemist and working in the areas of molecular structures and mechanisms of chemical reactions, Kistiakowsky later became a key member of the Manhattan Project , which developed the world's first atomic bomb, and eventually served as President Dwight D. Eisenhower's special assistant on science and technology. In the realm of pure sciences, Kistiakowsky's contributions include both teaching and carrying out highly acclaimed research in such fields as spectroscopy, thermodynamics, and chemical kinetics. Toward the applied end of the science spectrum, Kistiakowsky developed chemical explosives and rocket propellants and contributed to the development of nuclear weapons. Moreover, he played a role in national science policy , arguing for a broader and more balanced approach to scientific research in the late 1950s and 1960s and later working on problems of nuclear arms control and disarmament.

George Bogdan...