The Strangest Man

The Hidden Life of Paul Dirac, Mystic of the Atom

De: Graham Farmelo

Narrado por: B. J. Harrison

Paul Dirac was among the great scientific geniuses of the modern age. One of the discoverers of quantum mechanics, the most revolutionary theory of the past century, his contributions had a unique insight, eloquence, clarity, and mathematical power. His prediction of antimatter was one of the greatest triumphs in the history of physics.

One of Einstein's most admired colleagues, Dirac was in 1933 the youngest theoretician ever to win the Nobel Prize in physics. Dirac's personality is legendary. He was an extraordinarily reserved loner, relentlessly literal-minded, and appeared to have no empathy with most people. Yet he was a family man and was intensely loyal to his friends. His tastes in the arts ranged from Beethoven to Cher, from Rembrandt to Mickey Mouse.

Based on previously undiscovered archives, The Strangest Man reveals the many facets of Dirac's brilliantly original mind. A compelling human story, The Strangest Man also depicts a spectacularly exciting era in scientific history.

©2009 Graham Farmello (P)2009 Audible, Inc.

Reseñas de la Crítica

• 2009 Costa Book Award (Biography)
• 100 Notable Books of 2009 (New York Times)
• Books of the Year 2009 (The Economist)
• Los Angeles Times Book Prize, Science & Technology, 2010

"Farmelo proves himself a wizard at explaining the arcane aspects of particle physics. His great affection for his odd but brilliant subject shows on every page, giving Dirac the biography any great scientist deserves." ( Publishers Weekly)

"A must-read for anyone interested in the extraordinary power of pure thought. With this revelatory, moving and definitive biography, Graham Farmelo provides the first real glimpse inside the bizarre mind of Paul Dirac." (Roger Highfield, Editor, New Scientist)

Insanely good

What a masterful writer Mr. Farmelo is! Enough said.

Listen to it. It is very long but you will laugh, you will get upset, you will not believe how removed from his environment he could become and you will miss him once he is gone. Good-bye Mr. Dirac.

Wonderful

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This is a comprehensive discussion of the life and works of the great man, Paul Dirac. The author does an excellent job at painting a picture, and I could see, in my mind's eye, every scene.
The narrator is engaging, and I was hooked on every word. I only wish I could find another biography on a physicist of this era, done this well.
Bravo, I only depressed its over.

What did you like best about this story?

I felt like I was there as these events took place. Very engaging.

Any additional comments?

If you're looking to learn field theory, or relativistic quantum mechanics, well then this is not for you. If you want to spend some time learning about one of physics most interesting characters, and empathize with him...then enjoy.

Full of Interesting Facts, Presented Well

Dirac was a very brilliant physicist and a unique individual, and his life’s story is presented in an engaging and entertaining manner. The history and early development of quantum mechanics, and the lives and personalities of Dirac and his cohort who founded it, are described in great detail. Highly recommended to those interested in Dirac, his contributions to physics, and to the formalization of quantum mechanics following Werner Heisenberg’s groundbreaking paper of 1925.

Great book

1st rate book. Historically interesting and significant.
Great narration, production, everything was perfect.
Highly recommended!

amazing

It is always sad to hear about how some people who make some of the greatest contributions to science are forgotten. What a wonderful story about a brilliant man who had to live in a world he probably didn't fully understand.