True Genius: The Life and Science of John Bardeen [Hardcover]

Lillian Hoddeson (Author), Vicki Daitch (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 15, 2002

What is genius? Define it. Now, think of scientists who embody the concept of genius. Does the name John Bardeen spring to mind? Indeed, have you ever heard of him? Like so much in modern life, immediate name recognition often rests on a cult of personality. We know Einstein, for example, not just for his tremendous contributions to science, but also because he was a character, who loved to mug for the camera. And, our continuing fascination with Richard Feynman is not exclusively based on his body of work; it is in large measure tied to his flamboyant nature and offbeat sense of humor. These men, and their outsize personalities, have come to erroneously symbolize the true nature of genius and creativity. We picture them born brilliant, instantly larger than life. But, is that an accurate picture of genius? What of others who are equal in stature to these icons of science, but whom history has awarded only a nod because they did not readily engage the public? Could a person qualify as a bona fide genius if he was a regular Joe? The answer may rest in the story of John Bardeen. John Bardeen was the first person to have been awarded two Nobel Prizes in the same field. He shared one with William Shockley and Walter Brattain for the invention of the transistor. But, it was the charismatic Shockley who garnered all the attention, primarily for his Hollywood ways and notorious views on race and intelligence. Bardeen's second Nobel Prize was awarded for the development of a theory of superconductivity, a feat that had eluded the best efforts of leading theorists, including Albert Einstein, Neils Bohr, Werner Heisenberg, and Richard Feynman. Arguably, Bardeen's work changed the world in more ways than that of any other scientific genius of his time. Yet, while every school child knows of Einstein, few people have heard of John Bardeen. Why is this the case? Perhaps because Bardeen differs radically from the popular stereotype of genius. He was a modest, mumbling Midwesterner, an ordinary person who worked hard and had a knack for physics and mathematics. He liked to picnic with his family, collaborate quietly with colleagues, or play a round of golf. None of that was newsworthy, so the media, and consequently the public, ignored him. John Bardeen simply fits a new profile of genius. Through an exploration of his science, as well as his life, a fresh and thoroughly engaging portrait of genius and the nature of creativity emerges. This perspective will have readers looking anew at what it truly means to be a genius.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The fact that he won an unprecedented two Nobel prizes in physics (in 1956 and 1972) may be the only extraordinary thing about John Bardeen. He grew up in a middle-class home in Wisconsin with his doctor father, interior designer mother and four siblings. He apparently worked hard, cared deeply about his family, loved sports, was, by all accounts, a gracious and likable colleague and devoted himself to his graduate students. He was also tenacious in pursuit of answers to complex problems in his discipline. Working with William Shockley and Walter Brattain, Bardeen developed the world's first transistor in 1947 and, ten years later, with J. Robert Schrieffer and Leon Cooper, he created a theory of superconductivity. Hoddeson (Crystal Fire) and Daitch attempt a portrait of this unassuming Midwesterner, but offer little more than a rough sketch. As they write in their preface, "We are painfully aware that this book merely scratches the surface of its subject." Little insight is offered beyond descriptions of Bardeen's friends, co-workers and activities. The authors attempt to provide a conceptual framework by examining "the meaning of true scientific genius," but this is largely done in a superficial, 17-page epilogue. Bardeen deserves more public recognition than he received during his life; this book may help in some measure, but it won't bring readers any closer to the man himself.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review

"...a meticulously researched recreation of the life and scientific career of John Bardeen... fascinating and informative reading..." -- Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics, March 2004

"...accounts with empathy and enthusiasm... a work of thorough scholarship..." -- American Scientist, March-April 2003

"...an inspiring and exciting read that can be recommended to layman and scientist alike. ...a model scientific biography." -- The Times Higher Education Supplement, March 7, 2003

"...full of alluring mystery, high-stakes competition, turbulent rivalry and inspiring teamwork. ... skillfully narrated..." -- Cityview, October 18-24, 2002

"...the authors' admiration and affection for their subject illuminates the biography." -- Nature, December 5, 2002

"...their account is enlivened by many anecdotes. ...a detailed and animated rendering of Bardeen's life and science." -- Science, March 21, 2003

"I strongly recommend this biography..." -- New Scientist, September 21, 2002

"It accomplishes what it set out to do -- explore the thinking of one man." -- Current Science, December 2003

"The authors share a number of golden nuggets as regards Bardeen..." -- History of Physics Newsletter, February 2003

"With this very readable biography, the authors lay out an excellent case for remembering John Bardeen as a True Genius." -- QST Magazine, November 2004

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: National Academies Press; 1st edition (October 15, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0309084083
• ISBN-13: 978-0309084086
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,255,000 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

51 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Diamond of many facets, November 12, 2002

By 

Nick Holonyak, Jr. - See all my reviews

This review is from: True Genius: The Life and Science of John Bardeen (Hardcover)

I read the brief "Publishers Weekly" review for True Genius, as well as the more cryptic but more positive comments of others. From the very first sentence I knew that the "Publishers Weekly" review would be superficial, and maybe even wrong, which then is of what help to a reader and potential book customer? Living in the U.S. democracy, how can we not be curious and not read about the Founders? Similarly, how can we be immersed in all the new electronics (computers, cell phones, DVD and CD machines, MRI's, digital machinery---in fact, Si here, Si there, Si everywhere) and not be curious about how all this happened, what sort of ingenious mind, or minds, might be at the beginning of it all? Imagine the calamity on the planet if the transistor vanished for a day. Does that help in understanding the scale of a Bardeen, of "True Genius"! I knew John Bardeen for 40 years (as my teacher, friend, colleague) and still I learned something further from Hoddeson and Daitch and the material they unearthed for "True Genius", a fascinating biography (a different kind of story). Hoddeson and Daitch do not disappoint in their biography of Bardeen and in elucidating over many chapters his kind of genius, which "Publishers Weekly" doesn't seem to appreciate. Genius is a diamond of many facets, and Hoddeson and Daitch reveal a Bardeen facet. It isn't the last chapter of "True Genius" that matters. It's the whole book, all the chapters, that reveal an American hero---if you will, a genius.

Nick Holonyak, Jr.
John Bardeen Chair Professor of
Electrical and Computer
Engineering and Physics, and
Center for Advanced Study
Professor of Electrical and
Computer Engineering
University of Illinois
Urbana, IL

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Overall, a Fine Portrait, February 3, 2003

By 

K. Luey (Culver City, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: True Genius: The Life and Science of John Bardeen (Hardcover)

I should really write two reviews. One with a rating of four stars, and one with five. Then the average will be 4.5, which I feel is the right rating. I have only two complaints. First, the discussion of minority carrier injection was not clear to me. I went back to the April 1992 issue of "Physics Today." There, the discussion is done just right,the importance of holes is clear. Second, the issue of "genius" and it's identification and cultivation in chapter 17 did not appeal to me. In my opinion, if we were to conclude with a jumping off point from Bardeen's life, it would be to address the question "why is he so unknown today?" That would have been a good epilogue. It's a good question. In W. H. Cropper's book "Great Physicists: etc." Bardeen is not mentioned. A real shame. Bardeen easily ranks with the physicists in that book.

But there really is so much to enjoy in this book. Although born in Wisconsin, and not Minnesota, Bardeen would have been so comfortable in Garrison Keillor's world. Bardeen seems straight out of Lake Wobegone and names like Clarence Bunsen and Florian Krebsbach kept coming to mind. Here was a loyal, moral, dedicated man, focused on his life and work, but needing few words to talk about it. Together with Brattain and Schockley (sort of), Bardeen invents the transistor, comes home to his wife, who is cooking dinner, and says to her, "we discovered something today." Wife Jane says, "that's great." After unraveling one of the greatest puzzles in all of physics, Bardeen says to Charles Slichter, "well, I think we've figured out superconductivity." Wonderful, News from Lake Wobegone stuff. (Hoddeson and Daitch's discussion of superconductivity is quite good, by the way.)

But that's the fun part. In the physics world, there are so few Bardeens. Not just in terms of intellect, but also in terms of generosity, humility, broad and inclusive vision, and overall respect and like for colleagues. I particularly liked the relationship between Bardeen and Brattain. Some physicists can only work alone, but for those who prefer collaboration, finding a partner like Brattain makes every workday fun and exciting.

Chapter 15 on Bardeen's work with charge density waves was also interesting, if dark. This chapter is an important lesson to those who believe science is the absolute collection of truths and facts. In reality, science is filled with that we do not understand and, as a result, consists of differing opinions and views, just like any other field. It was disheartening, but realistic, I feel, to read that disagreement can also include hurtful disrespect from colleagues/competitors, but Bardeen always maintained the highest levels of professionalism.

It was also disheartening to read in the acknowledgements that Betsy Bardeen Greytak had passed away. ...P>Other than physicsits, I'm not sure what audience will appreciate this book. But it will be interesting for all those, like myself, who have read, enjoyed, and mostly understood the "popular" Richard Feynman books and biographies.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Bardeen: The Gentle Giant, September 1, 2009

By 

Youssef Ragab - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: True Genius: The Life and Science of John Bardeen (Paperback)

John Bardeen was certainly a remarkable man on both the intellectual and human levels. Despite having to his credit such groundbreaking achievements as the invention of the transistor and the explanation of superconductivity, certainly more than most scientists can claim, he is scarcely known. The aim of this book is to shed light on the life, environment, work and persona of this gentle giant. The book starts at the root of Bardeen's ancestry, a bit of US history involved, and moves chronologically with his life. The book succeeds in drawing a portrait of Bardeen as a successful family man, athlete, colleague and of course scientist. A remarkable thing to take home from reading this book is the authors' description of Bardeen's method of tackling problems i.e. thorough investigation of previous work, breaking the problem into smaller pieces and struggling through till the end. An impressive trait of Bardeen's that is made very clear is his kind, helpful and encouraging attitude towards his students and younger colleagues. The first few chapters of the book are very engrossing, e.g. problems with Shockley, but the later chapters discussing Bardeen's industrial and government contribution were a bit boring. I found myself skipping through them. Being nonscientisits, the authors explanation of Bardeen's scientific work is not as good as it should be but it still gives the reader a feeling of the problems. All said, this is one book I definitely enjoyed and would recommend to anyone. Physicists and electronics engineers will love this book.