From book flap:
Amidst the turbulence and tensions of our electronic age comes this timely story about scientists and engineers in American industry, written by a man who knows that world well. Norbert Wiener.
Set against the background of this century's growth of technology, "The Tempter" is the powerful and provocative story of a man torn by the conflict of surrendering his integrity for personal success. Gregory James was an engineer who had left his upper-class European home just before the First World War to join a Boston shipbuilding firm. He rose rapidly with the company as it expanded and eventually emerged as a major electronics manufacturer. Determined to secure a crucial patent in the industry, the company unscrupulously pre-empted an invention which had been created by an unsuspecting, dedicated scientist. Because someone was needed to expedite the fraud, James soon found himself in a pivotal position, and upon his action rested his future, the future of the industry and of all those involved. Throughout its vivid narrative, the novel reveals much about the internal workings of a large industrial corporation, the complex ways in which scientific propositions are reduced to practical mechanisms, and how careers are built and destroyed in the process.
"The Tempter" is a fascinating account of the modern conflict between the ideals of science and the competitive forces of industry. It is a story that holds vital meaning for our complex times.