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Buy True Genius: The Life and Science of John Bardeen by Lillian Hoddeson and Vicki Daitch available and for sale on Brightsurf
| View Larger Image | True Genius: The Life and Science of John Bardeen
by Lillian Hoddeson and Vicki Daitch
| | List Price: | $18.95 | | Price: | $12.89 | | You Save: | $6.06 (32%) |  | | Available: | Usually ships in 24 hours | | | | | Sales Rank: | 647117 | | Studio: | Joseph Henry Press | | | Binding: | Paperback | | Number Of Pages: | 482 | | Publication Date: | October 28, 2002 | | Publisher: | Joseph Henry Press |
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EDITORIAL REVIEWS |
Book Description
John Bardeen was an unassuming man, a humble, soft-spoken Midwesterner whose life was filled with simple pastimes like a Sunday picnic with the family or a good game of golf. He was also a giant of modern physics, an extraordinary hero of twentieth century science. His seminal work earned him the distinction of being the only person ever to win two Nobel Prizes in physics -- both awarded for discoveries that were breathtaking in scope and responsible for advancing the course of human history. Bardeen ranks among the most imaginative and inspired scientists of our time. But his genius was quiet and unobtrusive, hidden behind the façade of an average man, which perhaps why we know so little about him. As exuberantly talented as Albert Einstein, Bardeen had no desire to mug for the cameras or prove himself eccentric. Easily equal to the intellect of Richard Feynman, Bardeen was simply not irreverent and offbeat. As eccentricity and outsize personalities have come to symbolize the true nature of genius and creativity, Bardeen remains cloaked in obscurity. Without Bardeen's first Nobel Prize-winning discovery -- the transistor -- the electronics revolution, which brought us desktop computers, supercomputers, and microelectronics, would still be the stuff of science fiction. His second great breakthrough -- the prevailing theory of electrical superconductivity which for years had stumped Einstein, Feynman, and many others -- promises to revolutionize twenty-first century technology with super-fast "mag-lev trains," supercolliding atom smashers, and other fantastic technological wonders. Yet despite these achievements, this astonishing, though decidedly modest, Midwesterner was often overlooked by both the media as well as the public, simply because he differed radically from the popular stereotype 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 fascinating biography provides a whole new perspective on what it truly means to be a genius. |
CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.0 based on 4 reviews)
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a brilliant and extremely interesting scientist; a disappointing book 
John Bardeen was one of nature's prodigies. After an academic career at the University of Wisconsin - Madison, Princeton and Harvard he wound up at Bell Labs where he co-invented the transistor, for which he eventually received a Nobel Prize. Having to deal with a notorious egomaniac of a boss at Bell Labs, who was intent on keeping him from making further discoveries, he fled to the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, where he found a life-long sinecure, and explained superconductivity, and eventually earned another Nobel Prize. Incidentally, the authors of this book both were or are affiliated with UIUC.
The authors do a good job of describing a taciturn scientist and golfer who was much-loved and greatly respected as a person. Unfortunately, as with all biographies of prodigies, it generally is a foregone conclusion that the authors are not equal to the accomplishments of their subject. Even bearing this caveat in mind, I found the book to be a disappointment.
I understood as much of Bardeen's seminal work explaining superconductivity after reading the book as I had before, and this was not for lack of attentive reading. This cannot have been because it is inordinately complicated; Bardeen had been wary of publishing his explanation of superconductivity because it was so simple that he felt he must be missing something.
Similarly, the relevance of the transistor - the other discovery for which Dr. Bardeen won a Nobel Prize - is explained as the invention of a smaller vacuum tube which is of use in consumer electronics and hearing aids. That transistors could be, were and are, connected in such a way as to allow logical circuits, microchips and the internet to exist, doesn't get the mention it merits. On the other hand, there are ample references to the sociology of Nobel Laureates, Thomas Kuhn's theories about scientific advances, and even a 17 page epilogue or bonus material concerning theories about how prodigies come to be. On top all this, the dye used to color the hardcover version of this book rubbed off onto my fingertips.
I enjoyed reading parts of this book, and hope that eventually other authors will write a more complete and informative book about a most interesting scientist.
August 11, 2006 | |
Overall, a Fine Portrait 
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.
February 04, 2003 | |
The truth about genius 
John Bardeen was one of the most important and prolific physicists of the twentieth century, on par with the likes of Niels Bohr and Richard Feynman, but the general public hardly knows his name. In this eloquent and entertaining biography, Lillian Hoddeson and Vicki Daitch capture the true essence of this quiet, gentle genius. They bring forth aspects of the warm, genuiune man behind the science that gave humanity the transistor and solved the almost intractable problem of superconductivity. Bardeen was a giant of 20th century science, and "True Genius" is the definitive story of his life.
November 19, 2002 | |
Diamond of many facets
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
November 13, 2002 | |
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