Chandra: A Biography of S. Chandrasekhar (Centennial Publications of The University of Chicago Press) [Paperback]

Kameshwar C. Wali (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0226870553 | ISBN-13: 978-0226870557 | Publication Date: October 15, 1992

Chandra is an intimate portrait of a highly private and brilliant man, Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, a Nobel laureate in physics who has been a major contributor to the theories of white dwarfs and black holes.

"Wali has given us a magnificent portrait of Chandra, full of life and color, with a deep understanding of the three cultures—Indian, British, and American—in which Chandra was successively immersed. . . . I wish I had the job of reviewing this book for the New York Times rather than for Physics Today. If the book is only read by physicists, then Wali's devoted labors were in vain."—Freeman Dyson, Physics Today

"An enthralling human document."—William McCrea, Times Higher Education Supplement

"A dramatic, exuberant biography of one of the century's great scientists."—Publishers Weekly

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The discovery in 1935 that certain dying stars might be too massive to evolve into white dwarves should have catapulted Indian-born astrophysicist Subramanyan Chandrasekhar into worldwide fame. Instead, his mentor Sir Arthur Eddington publicly denounced and ridiculed his findings. The young protege gracefully withdrew from direct confrontation, went on to make major contributions in stellar structure, moved from England to the U.S. and took a Nobel Prize in 1983. The irony is that either Eddington or Chandrasekhar, simply by following up the implications of the latter's discovery, could have been the first to chance upon black holes and neutron stars. In a dramatic, exuberant biography of one of the century's great scientists, Syracuse University physics professor Wali shows how a modest man with a love of elegant expression overcame racial prejudice and bureaucratic stumbling blocks. Photos.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

astrophysicist whose major contributions were recognized very belatedly with the award of a recent Nobel Prize in physics. His style of work has been unusual in that he has concentrated on deep study of several topics that were not necessarily fashionable, yet his work on them is now regarded as "classic." Although this biography frequently alludes to Chandra's scientific contributions, much is also said about his personal life and struggles. Wali, like Chandra, is a physicist of Indian birth now working in the United States, and thus he is especially well-qualified to describe Chandra's origins and education in India, his years at Trinity College, Cambridge, and finally his long career at the University of Chicago. The scientific details are mostly nontechnical, thus rendering the book accessible to interested lay people as well as professional scientists. Highly recommended for academic and large public libraries.
- Jack W. Weigel, Univ. of Michigan Lib., Ann Arbor
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: University Of Chicago Press (October 15, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0226870553
• ISBN-13: 978-0226870557
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #597,171 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great book on the life of an extraordinary scientist, February 26, 1999

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This review is from: Chandra: A Biography of S. Chandrasekhar (Centennial Publications of The University of Chicago Press) (Paperback)

Here is an account of the life of one of the legendary scientific figures of the 20th century. Chandra has often been compared with Lord Rayleigh and Poincare, emphasizing not just the manner in which he conducted research but also that he was a part of the same classical tradition. However, he was a person so private that very little of his life or his work is known outside of the scientific community. The book serves to remedy this. It is also worth reading because of Chandra's connection with names that have now passed into history: Hardy, Rutherford, Dirac, Bohr, Eddington, Raman, Heisenberg, Sommerfield, and even Ramanujan. The tales and connections are a fascinating read. I specially recommend the chapter on his wife Lalitha, a remarkable woman from a remarkable family. Wali's portrayal is both sensitive and revealing. His aim is clear, namely to bring to the public eye a man noted for his reticence and extreme privacy. Don't miss reading this book.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Chandra: The Man who shed a lot of light on Black Holes, August 5, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Chandra: A Biography of S. Chandrasekhar (Centennial Publications of The University of Chicago Press) (Paperback)

The book is an excellent document of Chandra's personal and professional life. It is the only such work available on the Astrophysicist. It could have been made a very interesting read, if it included a technical exposition(At least a Layman's version) of Chandra's work on White dwarf's, Black Holes, Chandra's own analysis of Newton's Principia and more. I mean a book on the lines of Robert Kanigel's "The Man who knew Infinity" which is about the Mathematician S. Ramanujan. I thought the author(who is a physics educator himself) who took so much of pains wandering in the undergrowth of Chandra's Lifestyle did not plough enough into his scientific theories, which would have made the book a great hit. But it does reveal a lot about Chandra's interaction with heavyweights such as Paul Dirac, Eddington, Pauli, Bohr, Born, Russel, John Von Neumann, Novikov, Stromgren and a host of others. I thought the research done in these parts were first rate. On the whole I enjoyed reading the book very much

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Profoundly moving, April 20, 2005

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This review is from: Chandra: A Biography of S. Chandrasekhar (Centennial Publications of The University of Chicago Press) (Paperback)

This is a story that begs to be recounted. A brilliant and shy young scholar from a conservative S.Indian family wins a scholarship to study Physics at Cambridge. He spends the few weeks at sea en route to England working on the Physics of stellar collapse. His results puzzle even the eminent theorists of his day, Eddington among them. Undaunted by his detractors, trying to adapt to an alien culture with its cold winters and bland, non-vegetarian cuisine, the young scientist plugs on convinced that his calculations are correct. Eventually, the much older Chandrasekhar gains international renown for his work and is honored with the Nobel Prize for Physics.

The book is, overall, a chronicle of a great man's journey. He gains in stature and experience, but his fundamental character remains the same. Over and over we are given the same impression of Dr.Chandrasekhar by those who knew him as family, friend and/ or colleague. He is portrayed as dedicated to his work, dignified, disciplined in all aspects of his life, holding himself and the others around him to the utmost high standards.

The books is more about the man, than about his work. Of course, his life cannot be portrayed without referencing his work. Wali frequently alludes to it but only as a backdrop to the various stages and incidents of the scientist's life. Wali's goal is to capture the essence of the man, and he has done so admirably.