Niels Bohr's Times,: In Physics, Philosophy, and Polity Reprint Edition

Pais is a beautiful writer, an admirable human being, and a fastidious chronicler of the history of physics. I confess that I loved all three books he has written. It is true that you cannot really appreciate this material if you don't know some physics and you don't care about the details of quantum mechanics and nuclear physics. But if you do, this is the books for you.

Great book so far. I have completed about 60% of the book. Some of the theoretical sections require two or three readings before they make sense.I would recommend it to anyone interested in the history of theoretical physics.

Abraham Pais knew well both Einstein and Niels Bohr. This biography draws on his friendship with Bohr; it has many citations that were available to Pais only because of this friendship with Bohr, his wife and his family. Besides having access to many documents that other biographers might not have, the book also draws on the author’s personal experiences with Bohr. The availability and the depth of documentation along with the personal angle are the book’s strong points. In places, especially after Pais came to know Bohr, the reader gets a nice sense of Bohr as a father, husband and model for young physicists. It will be hard to find a book on Bohr now or in the future that has as much in-depth and personal insight on the man. The book will be a resource for all future work.Given all the data and personal insight, it is a shame that the book is not better written. The organization is often very poor. Topics jump back and forth between paragraphs without clear transitions at times and personal information is often mixed with equations that will turn off the reader who does not have a mathematical background in physics. Some chapters often have short paragraphs or lists that outline events but do not explain them much at all. Pais tries to solve the problem of mathematical technicality by subdividing chapters frequently and marking with an asterisk those subdivisions that might be too technical. These, the author says, can be skipped. But this fails for two reasons. First, important material about Bohr himself is often intertwined with the technical work in these sections. Second, there are several sections not marked with an asterisk that also have a great deal of technical material. Another reviewer blames the editing for the book's unevenness. That is undoubtedly part of the problem. But part of the problem might also reside with the author who is so steeped in physics himself that he cannot understand how educated readers in other fields could fail to comprehend the mathematical work in here. He has a somewhat incredible line in the introductory “For the Reader.” Pais, quoting Bertrand Russell, says “There are several sentences in the present volume which some unusually stupid children of ten might find a little puzzling.” That seems to reflect the author’s attitude toward the reader in parts of the book. What Pais wants to do is “counteract the many cheap attempts at popularizing this subject, such as efforts by woolly masters at linking quantum physics to mysticism.” I completely agree that there is a great deal of junk about quantum physics on the market linking it to everything from consciousness to religion. But it is hardly the case that clear nonmathematical explanations in a book constitute “cheap attempts at popularizing” or that the opposite of mindless speculation about quantum physics is necessarily the style of this particular book. Blaming the reader only goes so far.The book has some real strengths. Parts are highly insightful and well-explained and the book is a gold mine for future historians on Bohr. But readers, even those that are not unusually stupid ten-year olds, may find it uneven and unnecessarily technical in sections.

Terrific book about a great person.

Clearly written, deeply researched, well informed, gives extensive background not only on history of science, but also on Denmark, Bohr's family history, etc.The author had been a friend and colleague of Bohr.

A precious book about the way physics proceeded in XX century, higlighting the minds and human efforts which broughtto ever new understanding, while in standard physics books, the tortuous path is completed ignored, presenting only thebare exposition of theories without the link to the path they came to be so.

Excellent, as they said condition-wise. Will use again

Niels was the Man !! i just picked this book 'totally out of the blue'.glad i did, fascinating history and great science..

Fully, if clumsily titled Neils Bohr's Times, in physics, philosophy, and polity, this is the definitive scientific biography of Bohr by fellow physicist Abraham Pais who knew and worked with him.The good news is that this chunky title will give you an in-depth look at Bohr and his work. From his early days in Copenhagen, through his brief but fruitful stay in the UK, his return to Denmark, the rush to safety in the Second World War and his gradual move to elder statesman of quantum physics, it's all here.As is often the case with a biography written by another scientist, the science content is quite heavy and sometimes not the easiest to digest, but it is worth battling through, and the picture of Bohr himself that comes out of this book is second-to-none. Niels Bohr sometimes gets a rough time of it, in part because his own communication was often rather opaque, but Pais will really open your eyes to Bohr's importance.The book dates back to 1991 but is none the worse for that. If you really want to understand the development of quantum physics in its historical and scientific context, this should be on your reading list.