Customer Reviews

The Discovery of Anti-Matter: The Autobiography of Carl David Anderson, the Youngest Man to Win the Nobel Prize (Series in Popular Science , Vol 2)

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I'm a bit biased because my grandfather was Carl Anderson's first cousin and never knew about him. I was pleased to find this book and learn more about one of my more famous relatives.

For what would be called a geek today, Carl Anderson's life was quite interesting. The discussion of physics is minimal so the title shouldn't scare the casual reader away. But this is a simple autobiography of a man who just happened to be a great scientist. He faced all the basic problems we all face. For example, what do you do when you get the telegram that you've won the Nobel Prize but you don't have enough cash to get to Stockholm to pick it up?

It's a fast and enjoyable read. I'm sure my 85 year old mother will enjoy it as much as I did. Then it's into the hands of my high school junior son who wants to be a physicist. It's a good peek into what a physicist actually does.

I am the daughter-in-law of Carl Anderson. Per my request, Carl wrote his memoirs for our children. He wrote it in a way that everyone of all ages will be able to understand the meaning of physics. It is a personal story of his life from childhood to his discovery and beyond. The book is inspiring to young and old alike. It is a story of determination and perservance in a era when young scientists had to develop and create experiments using very primitive means. This book allows the reader to better understand the world and mind of a famous scientist.