June 15, 2005 (Vol. 25, No. 12)
URL:
http://www.discoveryofinsulin.com/Home.htm
Rating:
Strong Points: Interesting reading
Weak Points: Wrong focus
Summary:
Here’s a site with a cause. Designed mostly with the aim of preserving the birthplace in Alliston, Ontario, of Frederick Grant Banting (the discoverer of insulin and Nobel Laureate in 1925), Banting and the Discovery of Insulin is a history site whose cause unfortunatley overshadows its main story. Well written (and interesting reading), with everything from an accounting of how the discovery came about in the early 1920s to old scrap photos, the site provides informative insights about an important topic. Unfortunately it spends too much time focusing on preserving the house of Banting’s birth and not enough time telling the insulin story. Yes, preserving historical houses is important, but so too is telling the story that makes them have historical significance.
