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The Soul of Genius: Marie Curie, Albert Einstein, and the Meeting That Changed the Course of Science
A prismatic look at the meeting of Marie Curie and Albert Einstein—and the groundbreaking 1911 Solvay conference—and the impact these two pillars of science had on eachother's life and work.
1 pages, Audio CD
Published September 4, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
September 16, 2021
Click bait. That’s what comes to mind with this book. The interplay/friendship between Curie and Einstein accounts for perhaps 2% of this book. The 1st Solvay conference accounts for perhaps 10% more. This is basically 2 mini biographies of Curie and Einstein. Having read full length biographies of both, I learned nothing from this book. I also don’t see much of anything having to do with the meeting of the two at the first Solvay conference, much less that meeting having any impact on their careers or in any way changing the course of science. I can’t think of another book that has so little to do with its own title. The author began the book by saying that Covid limited his ability to do sufficient independent research. And I believe that. For anyone remotely conversant with the lives of Curie and Einstein, I’d not waste any time with this book.
August 1, 2025
I FINISHED A FULL LENGTH BOOK YAYY. Lowkey proud
This was awesome marie curie is awesome like every single move she made was revolutionary and she gave her physical health and her life for her work. Einstein’s a little weird and left his wife and kids for his cousin
This was awesome marie curie is awesome like every single move she made was revolutionary and she gave her physical health and her life for her work. Einstein’s a little weird and left his wife and kids for his cousin
November 5, 2021
In this book, the author give a good look at both the personal and professional lives of two of the great geniuses of physics. I felt the major emphasis of this book is the life a Marie, maybe a two-thirds of the text is about her. This is not a complaint, merely an observation. The author gives a brief bio sketch of how a Polish girl ended up in both France and married to one of the most gifted French Physicists of his generation, Paul Curie. He looks at her struggles to gain a scientific education. In addition to Marie's struggles, he also looks at the partnership and methods of Paul and Marie, the division of labor between the two them and what each brought to there explorations. After Paul's untimely death in 1905, the author also looks at her affair with the very much married Paul Langevin, a student of and collaborator with the Curies. Langevin was also a gifted Physicist When the affair became know, the Fresh press had a field day and brought much embarrassment to both of them.
He also goes into the blatant sexism of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. When Paul was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1903, she was not mentioned. Paul insisted that she was as reponsibile for there discoveries ashe was and he would not accept the prize, unless she was also included After much hand ringing and debate, the committee decided that the award should go to both of them. The prize money was not adjusted however. The 70,000 francs was split between them. She is also one of the few people to be awarded 2 Nobel Prizes, In the 20s, she also won the Nobel for Chemistry for the discovery of Polonium. In the face of all the sexism, Marie had a number of firsts for women in sciences. Not only was she the first woman awarded the Nobel Prize, she was also on of the first women invited to the Royal Society, become a professor at the Sorbonne, gain a PHD in Physics and many other firsts.
In looking at Einstein, the author also traces both his personal and professional lives. His first marriage, his wife's contributions to his early theories, the failure of the marriage, his relationship to his sons. In looking at the first marriage, Einstein comes across very badly.
In addition to Marie and Albert the author also looks at what happened to their children. Both of Marie's daughters also won Nobel Prizes - on in the sciences and the other in the arts. Albert's son were not so distinguished. One became a respected professor of Aquatic engineering, the other while a gifted musician ended up in an asylum, due to schizophrenia.
Another topic the author looks at is the life of Ernst Solvay. A gifted chemist in his own right. He developed a method of making Bicarbonate of Soda both cheaply and in mass quantities. This made him very, very rich. Later in life, he set up a series of conferences bringing together the greatest European minds in Physics and Chemistry to discuss the future of the sciences and where thing were going. The first being held in Belgium in 1911. It became a triannual affair ( I think they are still being held ) At the first one there were 19 invitees and 9 of them either had been awarded or would be award the Nobel in Physics or Chemistry (that does not include Marie's two awards- she only counted once :)) In one the the conferences in the 20's there is a photograph of the 29 attendees - 18 had or would receive the Nobel. It had been called "The Smartest Picture ever taken."
All in all a fascinating book. I learned quite a bit about the two great geniuses.
A solid 4 star read
He also goes into the blatant sexism of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. When Paul was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1903, she was not mentioned. Paul insisted that she was as reponsibile for there discoveries ashe was and he would not accept the prize, unless she was also included After much hand ringing and debate, the committee decided that the award should go to both of them. The prize money was not adjusted however. The 70,000 francs was split between them. She is also one of the few people to be awarded 2 Nobel Prizes, In the 20s, she also won the Nobel for Chemistry for the discovery of Polonium. In the face of all the sexism, Marie had a number of firsts for women in sciences. Not only was she the first woman awarded the Nobel Prize, she was also on of the first women invited to the Royal Society, become a professor at the Sorbonne, gain a PHD in Physics and many other firsts.
In looking at Einstein, the author also traces both his personal and professional lives. His first marriage, his wife's contributions to his early theories, the failure of the marriage, his relationship to his sons. In looking at the first marriage, Einstein comes across very badly.
In addition to Marie and Albert the author also looks at what happened to their children. Both of Marie's daughters also won Nobel Prizes - on in the sciences and the other in the arts. Albert's son were not so distinguished. One became a respected professor of Aquatic engineering, the other while a gifted musician ended up in an asylum, due to schizophrenia.
Another topic the author looks at is the life of Ernst Solvay. A gifted chemist in his own right. He developed a method of making Bicarbonate of Soda both cheaply and in mass quantities. This made him very, very rich. Later in life, he set up a series of conferences bringing together the greatest European minds in Physics and Chemistry to discuss the future of the sciences and where thing were going. The first being held in Belgium in 1911. It became a triannual affair ( I think they are still being held ) At the first one there were 19 invitees and 9 of them either had been awarded or would be award the Nobel in Physics or Chemistry (that does not include Marie's two awards- she only counted once :)) In one the the conferences in the 20's there is a photograph of the 29 attendees - 18 had or would receive the Nobel. It had been called "The Smartest Picture ever taken."
All in all a fascinating book. I learned quite a bit about the two great geniuses.
A solid 4 star read
July 19, 2022
This book is a comprehensive account of the lives of scientists Marie Curie and Albert Einstein, their connection, and their scientific breakthroughs. Orens uses detailed, personal primary sources like letters and notes to show the allyship between the scientists. There is an emphasis on exploring the sexism and xenophobia Curie faced that negatively impacted her over decades. The public often laid all her genius and accomplishments onto her husband, even though their relationship developed from a mutual love of pursuing science. Orens explains scientific aspects of the story and critical historic moments in an easy-to-understand way that does not take the reader out of the narrative in this enlightening read.
Check this book out at the Villa Park Public Library!
Check this book out at the Villa Park Public Library!
November 27, 2021
There is no doubt that this book provided me a much more in-depth look at the human side of Marie Curie. I had read a children’s book about her life and discoveries many years ago, but this one provides an adult view of those events and adds much that I did not know.
One thing unknown to me was her affair with fellow scientist Paul Langevin. The sordid turn-of-the-century tabloids made the most of Curie’s role as the seductive temptress, luring a married man away from his wife and four children. They also accused her of betraying her deceased husband Pierre, a French National hero. They pointed out that she was a foreigner and accused her - wrongly - of being a Jew. I know how horribly the British press treats people; the French press of this period sounds no better.
Clearly, much of her “crime” lay in her gender. I do not carry a big feminist chip on my shoulder, but there is no doubt that Marie Curie experienced terrible discrimination. She led the way in discovering the concept of radioactivity and yet, when her husband and research partner Pierre was offered the Nobel prize in physics for that discovery, the Nobel committee did not mention or include his wife in the honor. Pierre flatly refused to accept it unless she was included! Marie Curie was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, the first person and the only woman to win the Nobel Prize twice, and the only person to win the Nobel Prize in two scientific fields. Five Nobel Prizes are associated with her family: she and Pierre each received one, she received another for chemistry, her daughter Irène received one with her husband in physics, and the husband of her younger daughter Ève received the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of UNICEF where he was the Director. After Marie shared the 1903 prize with her husband, 60 years went by before another woman won the second physics award in 1963. Another 55 years passed before a woman won in 2018 for groundbreaking inventions in the field of laser physics. In total, three women have won the physics Nobel prize between 1903 and 2019. All told, eight Nobel prizes have been awarded to women across the scientific disciplines of chemistry and physics in the 118 years since the awards began in 1901.
Orens describes well the friendship between Marie Curie and Einstein. They attended the Solvay conferences and shared professional ideas there. After Pierre’s death, the two families went hiking together; both enjoyed the outdoors. He wrote supportive letters to her during the time the newspapers were ripping her to shreds. Einstein spoke eloquently about her work and drive to succeed at a memorial celebration held in New York a year after Marie Curie’s death.
Orens also recounts Marie’s creation of what came to be called the “petit Curie,” the name given by the French public to compact mobile X-ray units devised, designed, and brought to the front lines in WWI. “It had taken a world war for this ingenious, determined woman to reclaim her dignity from a nation that, only a few years before, had mocked her as an unscrupulous foreigner not fit to bear the name Curie as the wife of Pierre.” Scouring the laboratories of Paris, Marie was able to pull together the basic equipment needed for a smaller, portable X-ray unit that could be moved by automobile. She convinced the French Red Cross to fund the purchase of the materials, along with a vehicle that could be configured appropriately. The electricity required to produce the X-rays would be generated from the vehicle itself. Marie initially learned how to operate the equipment and trained other women as well. She eventually learned how to drive and even became adept at basic car repairs that might be needed if a sudden breakdown occurred. What a perfect example of her grit and determination applied to a problem in a way that ultimately saved countless lives.
In the final pages, Orens speaks of a hut high up on the northeastern ridge of the Matterhorn. On this mountain, the climbers iconic, natural pyramidal peak standing over 14,700 feet high in the Swiss Alps, is a small structure originally placed there in 1915. The cabin was constructed by raising materials up the daunting mountain side by cable from camps farther below. It was established with a donation from that experienced climber Ernest Solvay. As with his drive to support “climbers” in the fields of science, he wanted to give Alpinists a way-station to signal to them that the peak was near.
“Solvay had donated millions of francs from his own fortune to numerous scientific causes, most important of which were to sponsor the conferences and institutes that bore his name. For him, a comparative modest 20,000 francs to build the hut, though not a contribution to science, was perhaps as important to his Alpine climbing passion. Reaching the building on the ascent signified a climber’s determined efforts to make it to this point in the dangerous and exacting adventure, the goal of attaining the summit now within reach…Yet, sometimes circumstances beyond a climber’s control…dictated the ascent might all be for naught. It was in these extreme circumstances, that only a seasoned mountain climber had either experienced or anticipated, where Solvay wish to offer help through the presence of his tiny shelter at a crucial point in the journey. It represented a sign of hope and assistance, perhaps even propelling to the top of the determined alpinist faced with adversity.”
A fitting end to this interesting book. I think the “way-stations” Orens describes are needed now, more than ever as we wrestle with 21st Century problems. It’s good to know that we can still benefit from the institutes and conferences established and funded by Ernest Solvay.
One thing unknown to me was her affair with fellow scientist Paul Langevin. The sordid turn-of-the-century tabloids made the most of Curie’s role as the seductive temptress, luring a married man away from his wife and four children. They also accused her of betraying her deceased husband Pierre, a French National hero. They pointed out that she was a foreigner and accused her - wrongly - of being a Jew. I know how horribly the British press treats people; the French press of this period sounds no better.
Clearly, much of her “crime” lay in her gender. I do not carry a big feminist chip on my shoulder, but there is no doubt that Marie Curie experienced terrible discrimination. She led the way in discovering the concept of radioactivity and yet, when her husband and research partner Pierre was offered the Nobel prize in physics for that discovery, the Nobel committee did not mention or include his wife in the honor. Pierre flatly refused to accept it unless she was included! Marie Curie was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, the first person and the only woman to win the Nobel Prize twice, and the only person to win the Nobel Prize in two scientific fields. Five Nobel Prizes are associated with her family: she and Pierre each received one, she received another for chemistry, her daughter Irène received one with her husband in physics, and the husband of her younger daughter Ève received the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of UNICEF where he was the Director. After Marie shared the 1903 prize with her husband, 60 years went by before another woman won the second physics award in 1963. Another 55 years passed before a woman won in 2018 for groundbreaking inventions in the field of laser physics. In total, three women have won the physics Nobel prize between 1903 and 2019. All told, eight Nobel prizes have been awarded to women across the scientific disciplines of chemistry and physics in the 118 years since the awards began in 1901.
Orens describes well the friendship between Marie Curie and Einstein. They attended the Solvay conferences and shared professional ideas there. After Pierre’s death, the two families went hiking together; both enjoyed the outdoors. He wrote supportive letters to her during the time the newspapers were ripping her to shreds. Einstein spoke eloquently about her work and drive to succeed at a memorial celebration held in New York a year after Marie Curie’s death.
Orens also recounts Marie’s creation of what came to be called the “petit Curie,” the name given by the French public to compact mobile X-ray units devised, designed, and brought to the front lines in WWI. “It had taken a world war for this ingenious, determined woman to reclaim her dignity from a nation that, only a few years before, had mocked her as an unscrupulous foreigner not fit to bear the name Curie as the wife of Pierre.” Scouring the laboratories of Paris, Marie was able to pull together the basic equipment needed for a smaller, portable X-ray unit that could be moved by automobile. She convinced the French Red Cross to fund the purchase of the materials, along with a vehicle that could be configured appropriately. The electricity required to produce the X-rays would be generated from the vehicle itself. Marie initially learned how to operate the equipment and trained other women as well. She eventually learned how to drive and even became adept at basic car repairs that might be needed if a sudden breakdown occurred. What a perfect example of her grit and determination applied to a problem in a way that ultimately saved countless lives.
In the final pages, Orens speaks of a hut high up on the northeastern ridge of the Matterhorn. On this mountain, the climbers iconic, natural pyramidal peak standing over 14,700 feet high in the Swiss Alps, is a small structure originally placed there in 1915. The cabin was constructed by raising materials up the daunting mountain side by cable from camps farther below. It was established with a donation from that experienced climber Ernest Solvay. As with his drive to support “climbers” in the fields of science, he wanted to give Alpinists a way-station to signal to them that the peak was near.
“Solvay had donated millions of francs from his own fortune to numerous scientific causes, most important of which were to sponsor the conferences and institutes that bore his name. For him, a comparative modest 20,000 francs to build the hut, though not a contribution to science, was perhaps as important to his Alpine climbing passion. Reaching the building on the ascent signified a climber’s determined efforts to make it to this point in the dangerous and exacting adventure, the goal of attaining the summit now within reach…Yet, sometimes circumstances beyond a climber’s control…dictated the ascent might all be for naught. It was in these extreme circumstances, that only a seasoned mountain climber had either experienced or anticipated, where Solvay wish to offer help through the presence of his tiny shelter at a crucial point in the journey. It represented a sign of hope and assistance, perhaps even propelling to the top of the determined alpinist faced with adversity.”
A fitting end to this interesting book. I think the “way-stations” Orens describes are needed now, more than ever as we wrestle with 21st Century problems. It’s good to know that we can still benefit from the institutes and conferences established and funded by Ernest Solvay.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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May 15, 2024De auteur gebruikt het woord 'genius' erg vaak. Veel nadruk op wie de Nobelprijs gewonnen had of nog zou winnen. Het zou eigenlijk moeten gaan over de eerste Solvay conferentie en dan de twee genieën Curie en Einstein.
Over de Solvay conferentie wordt weinig gezegd en er wordt nauwelijks aandacht gegeven aan latere edities die misschien wel succesvoller waren, niet alleen door het hoge percentage Nobelprijswinnaars.
Het grootste deel van het boek gaat over de affaire Curie-Langevin die tot een groot schandaal leidde dat precies tot uitbarsting kwam tijdens de conferentie, met veel kabaal in de toenmalige schandaalpers. Nieuw in dit boek was de ontdekking van persoonlijke aantekeningen van een Franse natuurkundige die ook op de conferentie was. De aantekeningen doken op in de persoonlijke papieren van zijn zoon, ook natuurkundige in de VS. Deze Brouillon was erg verontwaardigd over de houding van Curie die, vijf na de dood van haar man Pierre, de verhouding met veel wilskracht wilde doorzetten. Hij heeft zelfs een brief aan Lorentz, de organisator van de conferenties, geschreven om Curie verder uit te sluiten. Lorentz heeft dat niet gedaan.
De zielsverwantschap tussen Einstein en Curie was minder groot dan de schrijver eigenlijk wil tonen. Maar beiden verschillen ook te zeer. Curie, nooit bang voor een grote klus, zet een dienst op van rijdende Röntgen-installaties die helpen bij operatie op soldaten aan het front in WOI. Einstein tekende, samen met iemand anders, een verklaring die opriep tot een snelle vrede. De medeondertekenaar heeft nooit meer been rol in de natuurkunde gespeeld. Dit toont wel een groot verschil in persoonlijkheid aan.
Het boek bevat leuke anekdotes (in 1911 is de Mona Lisa gestolen en twee jaar zoek geweest). Curie en Langevin zijn altijd 'vrienden' gebleven en bezochten ook samen de volgende Solvay conferenties. Tenslotte in zijn twee van hun kleinkinderen getrouwd, allebei natuurkundige, evenals hun zoon.
Over de Solvay conferentie wordt weinig gezegd en er wordt nauwelijks aandacht gegeven aan latere edities die misschien wel succesvoller waren, niet alleen door het hoge percentage Nobelprijswinnaars.
Het grootste deel van het boek gaat over de affaire Curie-Langevin die tot een groot schandaal leidde dat precies tot uitbarsting kwam tijdens de conferentie, met veel kabaal in de toenmalige schandaalpers. Nieuw in dit boek was de ontdekking van persoonlijke aantekeningen van een Franse natuurkundige die ook op de conferentie was. De aantekeningen doken op in de persoonlijke papieren van zijn zoon, ook natuurkundige in de VS. Deze Brouillon was erg verontwaardigd over de houding van Curie die, vijf na de dood van haar man Pierre, de verhouding met veel wilskracht wilde doorzetten. Hij heeft zelfs een brief aan Lorentz, de organisator van de conferenties, geschreven om Curie verder uit te sluiten. Lorentz heeft dat niet gedaan.
De zielsverwantschap tussen Einstein en Curie was minder groot dan de schrijver eigenlijk wil tonen. Maar beiden verschillen ook te zeer. Curie, nooit bang voor een grote klus, zet een dienst op van rijdende Röntgen-installaties die helpen bij operatie op soldaten aan het front in WOI. Einstein tekende, samen met iemand anders, een verklaring die opriep tot een snelle vrede. De medeondertekenaar heeft nooit meer been rol in de natuurkunde gespeeld. Dit toont wel een groot verschil in persoonlijkheid aan.
Het boek bevat leuke anekdotes (in 1911 is de Mona Lisa gestolen en twee jaar zoek geweest). Curie en Langevin zijn altijd 'vrienden' gebleven en bezochten ook samen de volgende Solvay conferenties. Tenslotte in zijn twee van hun kleinkinderen getrouwd, allebei natuurkundige, evenals hun zoon.
September 20, 2022
TThe American chemical engineer Jeffrey Orens published a book on the relationship between Marie Curie and Albert Einstein in 2021. Orens was also “a former business executive at Solvay” Chemical Corporation, which is based in Belgium (back flip). Orens’ book is entitled The Soul of Genius: Marie Curie, Albert Einstein, and the Meeting that Changed the Course of Science. Orens really likes the historical figure of Ernest Solvay, who was one of the founders of the Solvay Chemical Corporation. Curie and Einstein first met at a conference organized by Ernest Solvay called the Solvay Conference on Physics in 1911. This book also includes a history of the Solvay Conference on Physics, where Curie and Einstein met each other. This book is more of Marie Curie's biography than Albert Einstein's biography. I think Orens does an excellent job explaining the scientific concepts of Marie Curie and Albert Einstein to a lay audience. The biography also looks at the status of women in the early 20th Century in Europe and the United States (Orens 44-48). The book also mentions and provides a biographical sketch of many other psychists and chemists of the early 20th Century. This book includes a description of Curie and Einstein’s family life. Jeffrey Orens’ book, The Soul of Genius, is an interesting view of the relationship between Marie Curie and Albert Einstein.
August 8, 2023
Given a super attractive title, the book while reading appears as if written with poor investigation, without any strong efforts by the writer to delve deeper into the lives of these two stars of the scientific firmament. The book again and again talks about the Solvay conference as if the writer just saw this picture and got the idea, “you know what, I am going to write a book”.
The title of this book is absolutely misleading as the book does not focus on the scientific journeys of these two stalwarts but the book is full of unnecessary details of a conference and petty rivalries between scientists, the rumours and affairs ( for instance too much importance given to the Curie’s love life and the rumours and gossip was unnecessary)
I always feel disappointed when a book on the lives of hardworking, simple and less flamboyant personalities fails to give a better insight into the challenges they faced. I mean this book was about two scientists, I am sure they had many students and research assistants throughout their lives, I am sure those students and colleagues must have much more engaging stories about the professional challenges these scientists felt during their experiments. Stories and little adventures that the world needs to know.
In conclusion, one can save time reading Wikipedia pages of these two. More or less the same information is available there.
The title of this book is absolutely misleading as the book does not focus on the scientific journeys of these two stalwarts but the book is full of unnecessary details of a conference and petty rivalries between scientists, the rumours and affairs ( for instance too much importance given to the Curie’s love life and the rumours and gossip was unnecessary)
I always feel disappointed when a book on the lives of hardworking, simple and less flamboyant personalities fails to give a better insight into the challenges they faced. I mean this book was about two scientists, I am sure they had many students and research assistants throughout their lives, I am sure those students and colleagues must have much more engaging stories about the professional challenges these scientists felt during their experiments. Stories and little adventures that the world needs to know.
In conclusion, one can save time reading Wikipedia pages of these two. More or less the same information is available there.
March 2, 2022
The central story in this text was about a meeting of 23 physicists in 1911 to look into the new theory of quantum physics. Marie Curie and Albert Einstein were the principle attendees and the author did a very good job with their biographies. I liked that the text included a good bit of biographic info on many of the other meeting participants. There were also good descriptions of the issues in physics that were discussed at the meeting. Both Curie and Einstein were followed into the 1930’s. The text quoted a 1935 memorial statement by Einstein which captured Curie’s better traits (pp. 251 - 252). I did not like the chapter describing the exchanges of letters critical of Marie C’s love life 5 years after her husband Pierre died. The book included a fair bit of about the family that sponsored the 1911 meeting and its successors that continue to this day. For me the stories about the Solvay family and Solvay chemical business were too tangential to the physicists and their work to be anything other than a obnoxious distraction.
November 15, 2021
While I’m not convinced that the meeting between Marie Curie and Albert Einstein at the First Solvay Conference on Physics “changed the course of science”, the description of the lives of Curie and Einstein, the Solvay Conference, and the apparent in-fighting among the physicists and chemists of the time was interesting. That description clearly shows the fits and starts of science and the slow development and acceptance of new ideas. The chapter on Curie’s affair with Langevin, especially the delight of the French press in highlighting, usually erroneously and acrimoniously, the relationships involved had little to do with the science of the Curies, Einstein, and the other notable physicist.; it felt out of place other than reaffirming the context of how women, especially women in science, were treated more than 100 years ago.
March 10, 2024
I really wanted to like this book so much more than I did. The title sounded super interesting, the cover is very attractive for the subject matter but I felt like it was just way too long. I took a break in the middle of it to read another book thinking it might reengage me later but it was just worse. There was so much that was super interesting but the author went on & on forever about Curie’s affair with a younger, married man. And yet, there still was no real revelation as to whether the rumors & accusations were true. It just got so redundant & boring while none of it really mattered that much to the topic that the title presented. I found myself so many times having my mind wandering away but I really didn’t care to go back & listen to what I had missed. These topics are so interesting to me but this book fell so flat for me.
October 13, 2021
This book tells quite a beautiful history of science and it is one of my favorite nonfiction books that I have ever read. It’s well-researched and gives a well-rounded perspective on early 20th century science (with historical context) through deftly interwoven biographies. The science itself is carefully presented in an accessible, but comprehensive and intriguing manner. I would have loved reading this book as an accompaniment to my high school chemistry and physics lessons (many years ago), and reading it now makes me nostalgic about the first time that I learned about radioactivity and relativity. I got the sense that the author has a lot of love to give towards science, knowledge, social progress, and humankind.
August 31, 2021
An inspiring and interesting book, delineating the professional and sometimes personal lives of two of the greatest luminaries of nuclear physics and nuclear chemistry: Marie Curie and Albert Einstein. They were friends, although separated in age by 11 years with Mme. Curie already sporting a Nobel Prize while Einstein was polishing up his Special Theory of Relativity. That such minds exist is a tribute to humanity. I'm more than humbled by their brilliance: that would be me, the flyspeck on the walls of their astounding accomplishments.
May 1, 2022
This is a thoroughly researched book, sort of a concise history of physics and some of the most influential figures in that field of study. Unfortunately I realized about a quarter of the way into it I had zero interest in that subject. What I really wanted was a biography of Madame Curie. This was not that. But by then I had invested too much time in it not to finish. Gleaned some information worth knowing and even though it was well written it was quite a slog for me.
December 27, 2022
While numerous people are introduced in these pages, the two central figures are Albert Einstein and Marie Curie. Context for their times was presented here as well as historical precedents and landmarks which they exceeded or overturned. Did I fully understand all of the science? No, I did not, yet I developed a greater appreciation and added a bit more knowledge. More importantly, I came to better recognize the personal challenges and professional needs these two scientists experienced.
June 19, 2022
Difficult to put down a clear graphical illustration of how the human mind can be so creative and prolific when it comes to discovering the best manner to help others.
The stories provide a glimpse of the other players who influenced each other. And how each was inspired to come up with grandeur ideas that awarded them the unexpected Nobel Prize.
The stories provide a glimpse of the other players who influenced each other. And how each was inspired to come up with grandeur ideas that awarded them the unexpected Nobel Prize.
August 7, 2023
This book is less about Curie and Einstein meeting/ collaborating and more about making connections between their lives. I hadn't read much about either of them and found this book a good context to start with before reading more about each of them, but anyone who's already familiar with Einstein and Curie's work and lives wouldn't get much from this book.
October 5, 2023
This is a fascinating re-telling of the 1911 Solvay Conference featuring, among others, Marie Curie and Albert Einstein. It is informative and enlightening. The science is well explained, if a bit dry at times.
December 18, 2021
Solid. Not as wonky as I thought but at times droned on.
April 25, 2022
Well researched and beautifully narrated. A rewarding read.
August 16, 2022
Highly repetitive for such a thin book
December 4, 2022
Incredibly disappointing. Lots of useful information, but the title is very misleading, and the writing endlessly repetitive and rather flat. Pass.
August 28, 2021
Very good science. Interesting from the perspective of the Solvay company who sponsored the book.
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