Starred review from June 29, 2009
Paul Dirac (1902–1984) shared the Nobel Prize for physics with Erwin Schrödinger in 1933, but whereas physicists regard Dirac as one of the giants of the 20th century, he isn't as well known outside the profession. This may be due to the lack of humorous quips attributed to Dirac, as compared with an Einstein or a Feynman. If he spoke at all, it was with one-word answers that made Calvin Coolidge look loquacious . Dirac adhered to Keats's admonition that “Beauty is truth, truth beauty”: if an equation was “beautiful,” it was probably correct, and vice versa. His most famous equation predicted the positron (now used in PET scans), which is the antiparticle of the electron, and antimatter in general. In 1955, Dirac came up with a primitive version of string theory, which today is the rock star branch of physics. Physicist Farmelo (It Must Be Beautiful
) speculates that Dirac suffered from undiagnosed autism because his character quirks resembled autism's symptoms. Farmelo proves himself a wizard at explaining the arcane aspects of particle physics. His great affection for his odd but brilliant subject shows on every page, giving Dirac the biography any great scientist deserves.
October 1, 2009
To be nominated "the strangest man" amid the quirky pantheon of early to mid-20th-century physicists is perhaps an honor, because in this group, strangeness often went hand in hand with brilliance. British scientist Dirac (190284) may not have been the most eccentric, but he certainly ranked among the most private, demure, and mysterious. In his own mathematical perception of reality, he conceived the "Dirac equation," which meshed relativity theory with the motion of electrons and led to the theoretical conception of antimatter. Farmelo ("It Must Be Beautiful: Great Equations of Modern Science") did not pick the easiest biography to writeits subject lived a largely solitary life in deep thought. But Dirac was also beset with tragedy (including being the victim of child abuse), and in that respect, the author proposes some novel insights into what shaped the man. VERDICT This would be a strong addition to a bibliography of magnificent 20th-century physicist biographies, including Walter Issacson's "Einstein", Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin's "American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer", and James Gleick's "Genius: The Life and Science of Richard Feynman". What a reading list or discussion group topic these would provide!Gregg Sapp, Evergreen State Coll., Olympia, WA
Copyright 2009 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Starred review from July 1, 2009
Along with Einstein, Bohr, Heisenberg, Pauli and Schrödinger, Paul Dirac (1902–1984) was a giant of 20th-century physics, and this rich, satisfying biography does him justice.
During the 1920s, using dazzling mathematical skills, Dirac combined Einstein's theory of relativity with Schrödinger and Heisenberg's theories of quantum physics. This inspired work, which predicted the existence of antimatter, remains essential to physicists probing the frontiers of knowledge. Raised in a dysfunctional middle-class family in Bristol, England, Dirac's brilliance and oddity were apparent from adolescence. He studied engineering at a local college. Despite little mechanical ability, he quickly moved to the head of his class. He showed no interest in games, culture or socializing, made few friends and rarely spoke in class. When not in school, he preferred to study in the library. Fortunately, several teachers recognized his talents and used their influence to obtain a scholarship from Cambridge. Entering in 1923, he quickly displayed mathematical insights that laid the foundation of quantum mechanics. In 1933, he shared the Nobel Prize for physics with Schrödinger. Though he was not quite as prolific after winning the award, Dirac continued to produce original ideas and contributed modestly to atomic research during World War II.
Physics instructor Farmelo (editor: It Must Be Beautiful: Great Equations of Modern Science, 2002) works diligently and often successfully to explain Dirac's accomplishments, but readers who remain puzzled will still love the nuanced portrayal of an introverted eccentric who held his own in a small clique of revolutionary scientific geniuses.
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Starred review from September 1, 2009
In a probing portrait of Paul Dirac (190284), a founder of quantum mechanics, Farmelo combines an accessible presentation of Diracs achievements in theoretical physics with intriguing appreciations of his private life and personality. Opening with an elderly Diracs excoriation of his father to a frienda personal confidence the hyper-taciturn Dirac almost never imparted to anyoneFarmelo instantly creates utmost interest in what this scientific revolutionary was like. Apt to stare into space, to reply to routine or complex questions with one-word answers, the literal-minded Dirac struck people as exceptionally awkward. For his scientific peers, such traits generated fond stories about the bona fide genius in their midst; but within his family, they contributed to unhappiness, perhaps even within Dirac himself, to infer from his dislike of his father, whom he blamed for his withdrawn personality (Farmelo ventures autism as the explanation). Farmelo also discusses Diracs discoveries, which include two of the most renowned in theoretical physics: the equation that describes the electron and the existence of antimatter. Imparting comprehensible glimpses into Diracs quantum mechanical view of the atom and delivering empathically acute assessments of his personal relationships, Farmelo achieves a first-rate scientific biography.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)