Pierre Curie: With Autobiographical Notes by Marie Curie

by Marie Curie

"A delightful book. It marks one of the few instances in which the proverbial humdrum life of the student of physical science, together with the more austere ideals, have been made intelligible." — The New York Times
Nobel laureate Marie Curie offers a memorable portrait of her equally famous husband and lab partner, Pierre Curie. A scientific biography as well as an intimate memoir, this unique narrative recaptures Pierre Curie's youthful research and his first scientific breakthrough, the discovery of piezoelectricity. It further explores his pioneering work in crystallography and magnetism along with the couple's most famous achievement, the discovery of radium.
In addition to firsthand accounts of laboratory work and techniques, Marie Curie offers observations on her husband's personality and character, their family life, and the work of their scientific contemporaries, including Ernest Rutherford, Frederick Soddy, Friedrich Oskar Giesel, and Henri Becquerel. Curie also reconstructs her studies of radiation, discussing equipment, procedures, and results. These rare insights into two of history's great scientific minds will fascinate students of science and all readers interested in scientific discovery.

Genres: Biography, Biography Memoir, Nonfiction, Science

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1950

About the author

Marie Curie (born Maria Skłodowska; also known as Maria Skłodowska-Curie) was a physicist and chemist of Polish upbringing and, subsequently, French citizenship. She was a pioneer in the field of radioactivity, the first and only person honored with Nobel Prizes in two different sciences, and the first female professor at the University of Paris.

She was born in Warsaw, Vistulan Country, Russian Empire, and lived there until she was 24. In 1891 she followed her elder sister Bronisława to study in Paris, where she obtained her higher degrees and conducted her scientific work. She founded the Curie Institutes in Paris and Warsaw. She was the wife of fellow-Nobel-laureate Pierre Curie and the mother of a third Nobel laureate, Irène Joliot-Curie.

While an actively loyal French citizen, she never lost her sense of Polish identity. Madame Curie named the first new chemical element that she discovered (1898) "polonium" for her native country, and in 1932 she founded a Radium Institute (now the Maria Skłodowska-Curie Institute of Oncology) in her home town, Warsaw, headed by her physician-sister Bronisława.

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Free download available at Project Gutenberg

I made the proofing of this book for Free Literature and Project Gutenberg will publish it.

[Regel Aggabao · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this quite a lot. I loved how it chronicles more than just their scientific achievements because, underneath it all, they are still human beings. I can just imagine how lovely their journey to the countryside is, or Pierre and Marie’s long walks. I adore their commitment to serving humanity for the sake of science. Most of all, one would adore their love for their family — especially their daughters.

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marie Curie was able to show how much she knew, loved, and admired her husband, Pierre Curie. He was a profound man in her and her daughters' life, and in the lives of others in the scientific community. His love and gentle nature complimented the ideas he pursued in his research.

He greatly influenced the way a true scientist would research and displayed his love of science without wanting fame and fortune.

[Mahashwetha Rao · Rating 4 out of 5]

We know her as a Scientist. But this book by her gives more insight into her married life, motherhood research and more. Her life in Paris, her struggles after Pierie death, difficulties after a breakthrough discovery for more Radium all are well written by the scientist herself in this book. The photographs add more life to the book as well. I wish the book had more wordings and told even more about her life as I felt slightly dissatisfied that book ended. In this era of cancerous world, her contribution must be remembered and rewarded more.

[Inês Sofia · Rating 4 out of 5]

“One of our joys was to go into our workroom at night; we then perceived on all sides the feebly luminous silhouettes of the bottles or capsules containing our products. It was really a lovely sight and one always new to us. The glowing tubes looked like faint, fairy lights.”

[Cillian Flood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pierre Curie did not have the life of a rockstar. There's no narrative struggle or arc you could finagle onto his story. That's not to say things were perfect, he struggled with money and recognition, but the picture Marie paints of him is of a man to whom such things matter little. He was, above all else, interested in science. I would use the word passion, but that feels almost too fiery a word. Marie depicts their life as quaint, ordinary and almost idyllic in its pursuit of science; and Pierre himself comes across as good natured and as close to perfect as a human can be. This, while not making for a very dramatic or exciting tale, nevertheless does create a very enjoyable reading experience.

[Isabella Mathews · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adored this book. Marie Curie provided such a beautiful and honest picture of her husband. Not only that, but their work and its depth was explored throughout the book which I absolutely loved. Her writing style is very genuine, and I could really understand their relationship dynamic. Some of the english was a bit difficult to understand at times (1920s) :) but there's nothing a few simple google searches can't fix if you don't know a word or two. Lovely book, and it was a very short read as well. The autobiographical notes by Marie Curie were also lovely.

[Stephanie Muller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting. Marie Curie is humble an never seeked glory or fame. Everythig she did was in the service of mankind and science. What an incredible woman
The book is easy to read and casts light on the very deep relationship that existed between Marie and Pierre Curie.

[Frank Kohl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very difficult read probably due to the fact that it was written in French back in the 1920's and the high science included.

[Lemb The_reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

One word: Excellence!

[Morgane François · Rating 5 out of 5]

Très émouvant. De belles citations qui font réfléchir et permettent de s'émerveiller encore sur la beauté des sciences.

[inga nina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Początek, czyli opis umysłu Piotra, jego zachwyt nad życiem i chęć niezmąconej pracy - super sprawa. Historia ich miłości też jest taka prosta, że aż piękna. W ogóle te ich wieczne podróże i poszukiwanie własnej drogi było urocze. Ale niestety Maryśka się powtarza, 3/4 tej książki to parafrazowana jej własna biografia, ale okej.

[Angela Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Humanity, surely, needs practical men who make the best of their work for the sake of their own interests, without forgetting the general interest. But it also needs dreamers, for whom the unselfish following of a purpose is so imperative that it becomes impossible for them to devote much attention to their own material benefit. No doubt it could be said that these idealists do not deserve riches since they do not have the desire for them. It seems, however, that a society well organized ought to assure to these workers the means for efficient labor, in a life from which material care is excluded so that this life may be freely devoted to the service of scientific research.'

What a woman! As a scientist myself I cannot not notice how this woman was extraordinary. The commitment, the will, the faith in changing the world but just as a consequence of her daily fatigue, the determination. She writes about her own life in a very scientific and punctual way, it almost seems like reading a review paper. However her personality emerge from the details of her life. Some people just born to change the world, and Marie Curie is one of them. She discovered two new elements, founded a new science, developed a new therapy, saved lives during the world and at the same time empowered and contributed to develop the role and education of women. She is the perfect example of how hard work and a vision can overcome every adversity.