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In "Faust in Copenhagen", Gino Segre takes the reader through the history of the development of the theory of quantum mechanics by looking at the people and their work that made the revolution possible. The book wisely focuses more on the personalities and lives of the young and brilliant minds that reshaped humanity's understanding of the world of the very small than on the specifics of the highly technical and mathematic science done by those minds.
The centerpiece of the narrative is the 1932 meeting at Neil Bohr's Copenhagen Institute in what is called by many the "Miracle Year" of science and the the touchstone of this narrative is the parody of Goethe's Faust written and performed by the junior attendees at the conference. It is through the lines of this parody that Segre introduces us to the principle players in the narrative and shows us the issues facing them as they passed from being the young, upstart visionaries they came into the story as to becoming the wisened old hands (so to speak).
The central figure in the story is Neils Bohr and I can honesty say that I've never read an account that is as good at revealing the deep character of the man who shepherded physics through a tumultuous time by nurturing and encouraging the brightest young mind around the world in peering into unknown. Additionally, much time is spent discussing the other great figures, Heisenberg and Pauli.
The final thing that sets the narrative apart is the deep sense of poignancy the story has as the events unfold in the shadow of Hilter and that Nazi party's growing power and rise within Germany. Segre's personal connections to the events and times are shared which adds a deep richness and familiarity to what is related so that I never felt like I was reading some dry, cleaned up version but instead a more personal "fireside" recollection.
The only drawback of the book is that I would love to have seen a complete copy of the Copenhagen Faust as an appendix to the book. Nevertheless, I strongly recommend this book to any student of physics, history of science or the culture of Europe in the period between the two world wars.
- Hardcover: 384 pages
- Publisher: Viking Adult (June 14, 2007)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 9780670038589
- ISBN-13: 978-0670038589
- ASIN: 067003858X
- Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 1.1 x 9.3 inches
- Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
- Average Customer Review: 18 customer reviews
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Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
#2,020,765 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #9899 in History & Philosophy of Science
- #21708 in Physics (Books)
- #5664 in New Thought
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