This is the fascinating, first-hand story of the groundbreaking invention by Nobel prizewinner Karl Ziegler and the patent fights between his research team at the Max Planck Institute of Carbon Research in Germany and the "giants" of the petrochemicals industry, such as Du Pont and Esso. The author joined Ziegler's group throughout the entire period, providing an entertaining case study of an innovative chemical discovery, presenting interesting historical as well as scientific information.

An impressive example of the fights between academia and industry concerning patent rights and the economic utilization of academic research innovations.