- Hardcover: 560 pages
- Publisher: Basic Books (4 Aug 2009)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0465018270
- ISBN-13: 978-0465018277
- Product Dimensions: 23.6 x 16.3 x 4.6 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (63 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 784,252 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
The Strangest Man
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Review
"Kirkus" *Starred Review*
"Paul Dirac was a giant of 20th-century physics, and this rich, satisfying biography does him justice.... [A] nuanced portrayal of an introverted eccentric who held his own in a small clique of revolutionary scientific geniuses."
"Paul Dirac was a giant of 20th-century physics, and this rich, satisfying biography does him justice.... [A] nuanced portrayal of an introverted eccentric who held his own in a small clique of revolutionary scientific geniuses."
Peter Higgs, "Times (UK)"
"Fascinating reading... Graham Farmelo has done a splendid job of portraying Dirac and his world. The biography is a major achievement."
"Telegraph"
"If Newton was the Shakespeare of British physics, Dirac was its Milton, the most fascinating and enigmatic of all our great scientists. And he now has a biography to match his talents: a wonderful book by Graham Farmelo. The story it tells is moving, sometimes comic, sometimes infinitely sad, and goes to the roots of what we mean by truth in science."
"New Statesman"
"A marvelously rich and intimate study."
"Sunday Herald"
"Farmelo's splendid biography has enough scientific exposition for the biggest science fan and enough human interest for the rest of us. It creates a picture of a man who was a great theoretical scientist but also an awkward but oddly endearing human being.... This is a fine book: a fitting tribute to a significant and intriguing scientific figure."
"The Economist"
"[A] sympathetic portrait....Of the small group of young men who developed quantum mechanics and revolutionized physics almost a century ago, he truly stands out. Paul Dirac was a strange man in a strange world. This biography, long overdue, is most welcome."
"Times Higher Education Supplement (UK)"
"A page-turner about Dirac and quantum physics seems a contradiction in terms, but Graham Farmelo's new book, "The Strangest Man," is an eminently readable account of the developments in physics throughout the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s and the life of one of the discipline's key scientists."
"New Scientist"
"Enthralling... Regardless of whether Dirac was autistic or simply unpleasant, he is an icon of modern thought and F
Review
'This is a beautifully written, remarkable biography of a remarkable man. It paints a sensitive portrait of his character, puts into words his science in a way that will capture every reader's attention and memorably conveys Dirac's achievement.'
--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.
--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
69 of 69 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Dirac was one of the founders of quantum theory and one of the most profound and original minds of the twentieth century. But, as the title of this book says, he was also a very strange man, austere in his personal relations, sometimes to the point of perversity, and unable to communicate, either emotionally or verbally, except with only a few very close friends. The origin of his behaviour may have been a form of autism, but was undoubtedly also influenced by his early family life and the relationship with his parents, particularly his father. The book thoroughly and sensitively weaves the story of the development of Dirac the theoretical physicist and his discoveries with the psychology of his personal life, and explores how the influence of his family was important in shaping his interaction with the world.
Dirac's achievements, grounded as they are in advanced mathematics, are difficult to explain to non-scientists, but the author succeeds admirably and his clear explanations enable the general reader to appreciate even the most abstract concepts. Anecdotes about Dirac are part of the folklore of physics, but this book contains a wealth of documented facts and information that I for one was unaware of. The most surprising (for me) was Dirac's experimental work on isotope separation. Above all there emerges from the book a strong impression of what drove Dirac in his endless search for perfection as he saw it. Needless to say, he was not satisfied that he had achieved this (even towards the end of his life saying to one person that his life had been a failure!), but his ideas remain as important as ever. Suggestions he made, long overlooked, are still proving to be fruitful today.
The author obviously has great admiration for his subject, but this does not prevent him honestly evaluating Dirac, both his towering scientific achievements and where he had lack of vision; as well as his deficiencies as a human being. Farmelo has produced a superb book, beautifully written and meticulously researched. It is writing of a very high order, which is surely destined to be the definitive biography of Dirac for the foreseeable future.
Dirac's achievements, grounded as they are in advanced mathematics, are difficult to explain to non-scientists, but the author succeeds admirably and his clear explanations enable the general reader to appreciate even the most abstract concepts. Anecdotes about Dirac are part of the folklore of physics, but this book contains a wealth of documented facts and information that I for one was unaware of. The most surprising (for me) was Dirac's experimental work on isotope separation. Above all there emerges from the book a strong impression of what drove Dirac in his endless search for perfection as he saw it. Needless to say, he was not satisfied that he had achieved this (even towards the end of his life saying to one person that his life had been a failure!), but his ideas remain as important as ever. Suggestions he made, long overlooked, are still proving to be fruitful today.
The author obviously has great admiration for his subject, but this does not prevent him honestly evaluating Dirac, both his towering scientific achievements and where he had lack of vision; as well as his deficiencies as a human being. Farmelo has produced a superb book, beautifully written and meticulously researched. It is writing of a very high order, which is surely destined to be the definitive biography of Dirac for the foreseeable future.
39 of 40 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I had long wanted a biography of Paul Dirac, certainly one of the most elusive figures in 20th century science. The biographies prior to this one were typically just a brief collection of anecdotes -- stories which are by now so common in the literature that they have become cliches. Worse, discussions of his scientific work are typically done in such a manner as only to be of interest to specialists. This was frustrating for anyone who has read biographies of 20th century physicists, and I confess to having read a lot of them. There has got to be more to this man than anecdotes and equations, I told myself, but over the years nothing appeared. No one it seemed wanted to come close to the reality of Dirac, to create a sustained, coherent, and objective narrative of the man and his thinking. Until Farmelo. The wait was worth it. The result in an overwhelming book, all but impossible to put down.
I highly doubt you have ever read a scientific biography like this one. The hoary old cliche of "triumph and tragedy" should be retired after this book, the phrase doesn't begin to give Dirac's life justice. This is one grim, sad tale but it is also a remarkably balanced one. It is also a fascinating, brilliantly told, history of the times when Quantum Mechanics was born in the mid-twenties until the rise of of string theory six decades later. Highlights include the best description of the Kapitza affair I have ever read (when the great Russian physicist, after doing brilliant work at Cambridge, was forbidden by Stalin to leave Russia again, a state of affairs, despite the protests of his colleagues especially Dirac, that lasted for decades). The book also has the best description on Dirac's work and thinking for a non-specialist audience I have come across. And finally, most tellingly, it offers a close indeed painfully intimate understanding of the impact of his families (i.e., of origin and of marriage) on his life. This is a highly sympathetic and thoroughly readable account of what the man went through.
The only complaint I have is that writers who discuss the McCarthy Era really need to familiarize themselves with "Blacklisted by History," a book that by by dealing with original sources throughout clarifies greatly our understanding of the era.
Other than that, this book is unreservedly recommended. An outstanding job and one I think Dirac would have admired.
I highly doubt you have ever read a scientific biography like this one. The hoary old cliche of "triumph and tragedy" should be retired after this book, the phrase doesn't begin to give Dirac's life justice. This is one grim, sad tale but it is also a remarkably balanced one. It is also a fascinating, brilliantly told, history of the times when Quantum Mechanics was born in the mid-twenties until the rise of of string theory six decades later. Highlights include the best description of the Kapitza affair I have ever read (when the great Russian physicist, after doing brilliant work at Cambridge, was forbidden by Stalin to leave Russia again, a state of affairs, despite the protests of his colleagues especially Dirac, that lasted for decades). The book also has the best description on Dirac's work and thinking for a non-specialist audience I have come across. And finally, most tellingly, it offers a close indeed painfully intimate understanding of the impact of his families (i.e., of origin and of marriage) on his life. This is a highly sympathetic and thoroughly readable account of what the man went through.
The only complaint I have is that writers who discuss the McCarthy Era really need to familiarize themselves with "Blacklisted by History," a book that by by dealing with original sources throughout clarifies greatly our understanding of the era.
Other than that, this book is unreservedly recommended. An outstanding job and one I think Dirac would have admired.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Long over looked in popular science, it has been high-time Dirac has some recognition and a serious biography. As a physics student, I often enjoy reading about the life and background of some of the pioneers in the field, and this was no exception.
Farmelo has done a brilliant job in writing this biography, and bringing to life the man who was famously reclusive and shy. The exploration of his academic life is brilliant, detailing his time in Cambridge as the Lucasian professor, and time before that as a PhD student.
I thoroughly enjoyed the read, which is completely accessible to the lay-reader with no physics knowledge. The only small problem I had with the book was there was rather too much conjecture about Dirac, with too few actual details. However, I can appreciate this is a problem with writing a book about someone like Dirac, but I couldn't help but question a few times whether I was reading about Dirac, or the picture of Dirac in the author's head.
However, a good book, and definitely worth a read if you're interested in physics, or the life of scientists.
Farmelo has done a brilliant job in writing this biography, and bringing to life the man who was famously reclusive and shy. The exploration of his academic life is brilliant, detailing his time in Cambridge as the Lucasian professor, and time before that as a PhD student.
I thoroughly enjoyed the read, which is completely accessible to the lay-reader with no physics knowledge. The only small problem I had with the book was there was rather too much conjecture about Dirac, with too few actual details. However, I can appreciate this is a problem with writing a book about someone like Dirac, but I couldn't help but question a few times whether I was reading about Dirac, or the picture of Dirac in the author's head.
However, a good book, and definitely worth a read if you're interested in physics, or the life of scientists.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
At last someone realises that Dirac deserves more fame than Cary...
Dirac was a taciturn, unsociable, solitary man, most famous for his lack of small talk. The most famous story told of him at his college was that when a student told him at dinner... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Hyough
Excellent but flawed, much like the subject
As other reviewers have said the in-depth review of Dirac's contribution to science is slightly diluted in this work by the focus on the man, which may or may not be a good thing. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Ed F
Biography of a Genius
When, by chance, I saw this book for sale, I recalled reading the eulogy by Stephen Hawking when a plaque, commemorating Dirac, was placed in Westminster Abbey. Read more
Published 5 months ago by M. A. Jones
Hidden genius
Having never heard of Paul Dirac until i read the review in the paper i was intrigued to now more,fascinating insight into this brilliant & complicated man . Read more
Published 7 months ago by D. S. Sample
On "The Strangest Man" by Graham Farmelo.
P.A.M. Dirac never wrote an autobiography. Even more, it seems he never wrote anything about the way he sees people and/or the world. Read more
Published 8 months ago by a customer
Fantastic Insight into an Intriguing Character
Until reading this book i was unaware of how influential PAM Dirac has been on the history of physical science, but the reason for this was quickly unveiled by delving into the... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Xarada
Excellent biography
This is an excellent biography of a major theoretical phycisist in the development of quantum mechanics. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Dr. H. J. Ziman
Very disappointing
At best the book provides a useful description of Dirac, his fellow scientists, and his family. However there is no science of any note whatsoever. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Dr T Quin
Strangeness and charm
Dirac was one of the most original thinkers in the loftiest realms of theoretical physics. He discovered some of the central equations in quantum mechanics and, convinced of their... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Jeremy Walton
Paul Dirac as Enigmatic as a Quark
In the light of recent intimations from CERN that the Large Hadron Collider may just have detected the elusive Higg's Boson this item may be just the ticket if you wish to follow... Read more
Published 10 months ago by J. Nichols
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