The Pope of Physics: Enrico Fermi and the Birth of the Atomic Age

ISBN: 1250143799

Author: Segr

Condition: New

A New York Times Book Review Editors ChoiceNamed a Best Book of the Year by Bloomberg (Chosen by Philip Tetlock), Booklists Top 10 Science Books of the Year, and Shortlisted for Physics Worlds Book of the YearA Major Biography of the Nobel Prize-Winning Physicist, Enrico Fermi, a Leading Architect of the Atomic AgeEnrico Fermi is unquestionably among the greats of the worlds physicists, the most famous Italian scientist since Galileo. Called the Pope by his peers, he was regarded as infallible in his instincts and research. His discoveries changed our world; they led to weapons of mass destruction and conversely to life-saving medical interventions. This unassuming man struggled with issues relevant today, such as the threat of nuclear annihilation and the relationship of science to politics. Fleeing Fascism and anti-Semitism, Fermi became a leading figure in Americas most secret project: building the atomic bomb. An examination of the human dramas that touched Fermis life as well as a thrilling history of scientific innovation in the twentieth century, this is the comprehensive biography that Fermi deserves.