Product Description
Seduced by simplicity, physicists find themselves endlessly fascinated by hydrogen, the simplest of atoms. Hydrogen has shocked, it has surprised, it has embarrassed, it has humbled--and again and again it has guided physicists to the edge of new vistas where the promise of basic understanding and momentous insights beckoned. The allure of hydrogen, crucial to life and critical to scientific discovery, is at the center of this book, which tells a story that begins with the big bang and continues to unfold today. In this biography of hydrogen, John Rigden shows how this singular atom, the most abundant in the universe, has helped unify our understanding of the material world from the smallest scale, the elementary particles, to the largest, the universe itself. It is a tale of startling discoveries and dazzling practical benefits spanning more than one hundred years--from the first attempt to identify the basic building block of atoms in the mid-nineteenth century to the discovery of the Bose-Einstein condensate only a few years ago. With Rigden as an expert and engaging guide, we see how hydrogen captured the imagination of many great scientists--such as Heisenberg, Pauli, Schrödinger, Dirac, and Rabi--and how their theories and experiments with this simple atom led to such complex technical innovations as magnetic resonance imaging, the maser clock, and global positioning systems. Along the way, we witness the transformation of science from an endeavor of inspired individuals to a monumental enterprise often requiring the cooperation of hundreds of scientists around the world. Still, any biography of hydrogen has to end with a question: What new surprises await us? (20020714)

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.5 based on 6 reviews)

Hydrogen, a great book by Gary Gechlik (Palo Alto, CA)

5 Stars
September 23, 2009
I found the book was excellent. Hydrogen is an historical book that begins with the Balmer series. The book is very expert in the area of theoretical physics and the developments of the 20th century. The book does touch upon areas of chemistry and astronomy where hydrogen plays a role, but not overly so. I found the book to be highly readible and technical. I have worked through the various equations and have had many discussions on the subject. My brother who majored in Chemistry and has done material science research prior to becoming a doctor was unaware of many of the historical developments. I enjoyed reading about Balmber, Lamb, and the developments of QED. The very last part of the book is not as tight as the first part. This is because the book is primarily descriptive. It is hard to know which developments in condensed physics will be primary in a hundred years. Overall, the best book on the subject I have read. The terminology is very precise. He makes use of terms with such great specificity that the book is an excellent primer to Astronomy Methods by Bradt. Gary

One of my favorite physics books. by Bruce Oksol (San Antonio)

5 Stars
May 31, 2009
Written for the layman, the author takes you through the history of modern physics through a series of essays on the historical quest to understand the simplest atom. John Rigden was very clever in the layout. It was not until the third chapter or so that I realized he was doing this by writing short 7 - 10 page vignettes on those physicists most important in developing a model of hydrogen that explains its observed properties. Obviously, one could see that by looking at the chapter headings but for some reason I missed that the first time I read the book. By focusing on the one physicist at a time, and the specific question that physicist was trying to answer at a particular time, Rigden is able to walk you down a path that actually suggests you might understand quantum mechanics (QM) and the wave function, which united QM with Einstein's theory of relativity. Rigden uses almost no formulas in the book; the few that he does is simply to give the reader an example of how simple some of the concepts can be when placed in mathematical formulas. You won't understand the symbology, but you will be amazed at the elegance of the formulas. None is as good as Einstein's E = mc^2 but they come close. It is very, very good. Along the way you will meet some very interesting physicists, most who had very humble beginnings. As interesting as the physicists themselves are, the implications of their discoveries and the strangeness of the simplest atom will have you re-reading the book. This is a relatively compact book -- I have the hardback, which I see is now going for $60 and more through resellers on Amazon -- perfect for your carry-on. The short essays allow for easy reading during even the shortest of flights. I highly recommend this for summer reading for the advanced high school student planning to major in physics, chemistry or biology, and to read it between the junior and senior year of high school, or the summer before going to college. I would assume this book is already considered a classic and is being recommended by college science professors for "recreational" reading. If you have any doubt about whether you want to read this book, read the 2 1/2 page epilogue while visiting your favorite bookstore and you will be hooked.

Hydrogen by Marcus Lieberman (Albuquerque, NM)

5 Stars
August 27, 2005
An excellent description, not only of the Hydrogen atom, but the way that very simple structure informed scientists about more complex structures in the universe. Very well written and not mathematically intense.

reflects a turning point for physics by selfconscious (Las Vegas, Nevada USA)

5 Stars
August 01, 2003
John Rigden has achieved a remarkable synthesis here in humanizing what is normally a coldly inhuman subject. I have always been interested in the mechanics of subatomic processes, but have found it difficult to understand when presented as an end-product of research efforts. This book contextualizes the research effort in such a way as to relate the research findings to the real life people who struggled to obtain them. In the process, I ended up learning the details of the nature of hydrogen much better than in any other book.I think this kind of humanizing of physics is overdue and marks a welcome development for future efforts in physics writing. Physics is, in the end, a human endeavor and can only be understood in detail when presented as such.As an example of the difference, I will quote from page 216 in reference to David Schramm-- "David was a first-rate scientist, 'but,' as Margaret Geller has written, 'perhaps more important in this harsh world, he was an extraordinary person of great generosity and kindness.'"These words are apt for this effort by John Rigden... the book is a work of great generosity and kindness. I look forward to seeing this sentiment be taken up in future works in the field of physics.

Interesting look at physics history by Ronald Brown (Florham Park, NJ USA)

3 Stars
October 18, 2002
The author takes us on a history of 20th century physics by focusing on the signal element of Hydrogen. He does a good job of providing enough technical detail to make it clear why certain discoveries are important without overwhelming you. His choice of focusing on Hydrogen does limit him a little as to what he looks at though. A fairly short book so worth the investment in time for me.

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