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The Strangest Man: The Life of Paul Dirac [Paperback]

Dr Graham Farmelo (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (69 customer reviews)
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Book Description

Publication Date: 7 Jan 2010

Paul Dirac was one of the leading pioneers of the greatest revolution in 20th-century science: quantum mechanics. The youngest theoretician ever to win the Nobel Prize for Physics, he was also pathologically reticent, strangely literal-minded and legendarily unable to communicate or empathize. Through his greatest period of productivity, his postcards home contained only remarks about the weather.

Based on a previously undiscovered archive of family papers, Graham Farmelo celebrates Dirac's massive scientific achievement while drawing a compassionate portrait of his life and work. Farmelo shows a man who, while hopelessly socially inept, could manage to love and sustain close friendship.

The Strangest Man is an extraordinary and moving human story, as well as a study of one of the most exciting times in scientific history.

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Product details

  • Paperback: 560 pages
  • Publisher: Faber and Faber (7 Jan 2010)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0571222862
  • ISBN-13: 978-0571222865
  • Product Dimensions: 3.5 x 12.9 x 19.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (69 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 35,630 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Review

`Superb biography.' --Observer

`A sensitive study of a complicated genius.' --Sunday Times

`[Dirac] is fortunate to have Farmelo as his biographer.' --Guardian

`Dirac should be more widely recognised. Luckily for the reader, he is interesting enough in his own right that doing so is a pleasure.' --The Times Paperback of the Week

`Masterful biography ... a deeply humane portrait.' --Irish Times

`Sympathetic biography ... makes one warm to this complicated man of deep feeling but limited expression.' --Independent on Sunday

`Deserves plaudits for balancing a technical account of Paul Dirac's work with a sensitive story of a peculiar person ... commendable portrait.' --Daily Telegraph

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 out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Inside This Book (Learn More)
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
71 of 72 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Dirac, the definitive biography 19 Mar 2009
By Brian R. Martin TOP 1000 REVIEWER VINE™ VOICE
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.
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42 of 44 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A great biography of a great physicist 1 Mar 2009
By J. Kel
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.
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47 of 51 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A Gem Of A Book... 29 Jan 2009
By Ms. J. Collier
Format:Hardcover
I'm a Physics student, and love to read things not directly related to my course; this book fits the bill perfectly, and, although not a big fan of biographies, this book unfolds like a well written story, where all the characters that come and go just happen to be Nobel Prize winners, or, more likely, have things that we use every day named after them.

I could not reccomend this book more for people with even a passing interest in Physics, there's not too much hardcore maths here at all, but the story and the way he is portrayed is magical.
Farmelo, I salute you.
And everyone, but this!

Jess
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting
The author manages to make an interesting study of one of the most boring men in history. One is touched with sympathy for the bitter childhood which made Dirac such and introvert. Read more
Published 2 months ago by G E Turner
5.0 out of 5 stars strange indeed
I remember attending his (post-grad) lectures (Cambridge) 1963-64: a lot of BRAs and KETs

The Institute of Physics gave it a good review!
Published 5 months ago by philipB
4.0 out of 5 stars Strangeness and spin.
The development of quantum physics, and the personal interactions of those most involved, can hardly fail to make fascinating reading, and sure enough, on this level this book does... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Michael Farman
4.0 out of 5 stars This book radiates class!
It is a modern day 'Curie-o' to read speculation about whether autism was the foundation stone for one or other of the Towering intellects of Yore. Read more
Published 7 months ago by December Hare
4.0 out of 5 stars Quantum physics without tears
An absorbing biography of Paul Dirac, feted as Britain's finest physicist of the twentieth century. Dirac represented the epitome of the stereotypical dysfunctional scientist,... Read more
Published 10 months ago by James Brydon
5.0 out of 5 stars THOUGHTS FROM A LAYMAN
I read this book more to discover the man than to educate myself on Quantum Theory. I found the story of the life of Paul Dirac {how should you pronounce his name, a typically... Read more
Published 10 months ago by MissAnnThrop
4.0 out of 5 stars 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 15 months ago by Hyough
4.0 out of 5 stars 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 16 months ago by Ed F
5.0 out of 5 stars 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 17 months ago by M. A. Jones
4.0 out of 5 stars 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 19 months ago by D. S. Sample
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