The Second Creation: Makers of the Revolution in Twentieth-Century Physics

by Robert P. Crease, Charles C. Mann

The Second Creation is a dramatic--and human--chronicle of scientific investigators at the last frontier of knowledge. Robert Crease and Charles Mann take the reader on a fascinating journey in search of "unification" (a description of how matter behaves that can apply equally to everything) with brilliant scientists such as Niels Bohr, Max Planck, Albert Einstein, Erwin Schrödinger, Richard Feynman, Murray Gell-Mann, Sheldon Glashow, Steven Weinberg, and many others. They provide the definitive and highly entertaining story of the development of modern physics, and the human story of the physicists who set out to find the "theory of everything." The Second Creation tells the story of some of the most talented and idiosyncratic people in the world--many times in their own words. Crease and Mann conducted hundreds of interviews to capture the thinking and the personalities as well as the science. The authors make this complex subject matter clear and absorbing.

Genres: Science, Physics, History, History Of Science, Nonfiction, Quantum Mechanics, Stem

500 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 30, 1985

About the author

Professor Robert P. Crease is Chairman of the Department of Philosophy at Stony Brook University, New York.

Reviews

[Todd · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned quite a bit about the history of modern physics. Although it is a bit dense at times, I recommend it to anyone interested in physics.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating of 4.90

[Liam Schmidt · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best accounts of 20th century physics. Mann delivers the story of the standard model and unification with poetic fashion through the impressive collection of interviews with the men and women whose groundbreaking work made our understanding of the universe possible. It is a book that affords a personal connection to minds that were a part of the greatest breakthroughs in science that conventional books on the standard model do not offer. This is a book that should be on the shelf of every physicist looking to build on to the story that’s hundreds of physicist have put together, a story that can only be fully appreciated by the perspective of the people behind it

[প্রফেসর হিজিবিজবিজ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personally, I felt it was really a very nice presentation of the concept in a so much poetic manner, a must read!

[Steve Horton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This work provided a lucid and compelling history of quantum physics. The scientific jargon, although necessary on some level, does not overwhelm. Authors Crease and Mann do a great job of building the narrative from the earliest discoveries of Rutherford, and succinctly adding successes, failures and personalities until the story fits together like a New England stone wall.

I would also like to commend my favorite polymath, Charles C. Mann, on a successful foray into another genre. From cultural anthropology, to energy, to Big Pharma, Mann writes about what he is interested in at the moment and writes it well.

This book highly recommended.
SH

[Chollie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh yes--now I remember--my 'science stage'. It was a fun book to read at the time, though I'm not sure if most folks would understand some of what's involved here: the story (up to then) of unification.

Well written. To those who don't really like science, this is an easy to read book about how your iPhone, laptop, destop, and gps got to be in your hands. Further than that, we haven't got there. Yet. With the new[est] collider, maybe the Euro's will figure it out :>)

Beam me up, Scottie (:>|

[Dylan Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found it to be a very interesting retrospective on the transition from classic physics of the 1800s to a more modern view. As with many books in the genre a bit of background will go a long way to helping understand the significance of what is going on. This would likely be daunting to someone without any scientific background.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

But it was loooong and boy those physicists can talk.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptional. Really gets the characters and the feeling.

[Rushaan Khan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely loved the poetic style!

[Melodie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading this for class and it's interesting enough. Some parts where boring and confusing but others were quite interesting. I like the way this book tells history. I've heard of many of the people in this book yet they never seem "real". This book describes the people, make them seem "human" and not just random facts off a textbook. I know I'm suppose to read this book for the history but I find myself reading for the people. Maybe it's the side-effects of reading too many novels?

[Mike Harper · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not smart enough to understand the subject matter.
I read the book - as far as I got - in connection with a class I took. Tenth grade math isn't enough to grasp the concepts, and the stories about individual physicists weren't interesting enough to hold my attention.

[Lulu]

History