Book Examines Stanford Research Misconduct and Campus Culture

Theo Baker's debut book documents his investigation into research practices at Stanford University and describes aspects of campus life during his freshman year. The book centers on Baker's reporting about a 2009 paper published in Nature on Alzheimer's disease. The paper was produced while Marc Tessier-Lavigne led research at the biotech firm Genentech.

Four senior Genentech executives, all under nondisclosure agreements, spoke with Baker about an internal review of the paper's data. Baker states that the review found issues with the data but that the findings were not made public. The book also includes Baker's observations of student social activities and events involving individuals connected to the technology sector.

It combines the investigation account with descriptions of personal experiences during the same period. Baker received a George Polk Award for the investigation that contributed to the end of Tessier-Lavigne's presidency at Stanford.