A
Review
An
interesting tale of the time prior to World War II and its
completion, Planck's life paralleled that of the famous theologian
Dietrich Bonhoeffer. It was that man, and the recently revised
biography by Eric Metaxes, Bonhoeffer
(Abridged): Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy, that partially
propelled my interest in Max Planck's life. My personal interest in
the sciences (evidence by degrees in chemistry and computer science)
served as the other focal point of interest in Planck's life.
Though
the book focuses on Planck's last years of life, his early childhood
and training is discussed by means of flashbacks and recollections
from the men and women that knew him before his death. In addition,
the book contains a bit of physics explained in ways comprehensible
to the average reader.
While,
Planck son took an active role in the assassination attempt on
Hitler's life (being killed himself in 1945 for his part in the
attempted bombing), Planck took a milder position – seeing the
cruelty unleashed on his generation, yet choosing to not stand boldly
against Hitler hoping to contribute to post war Germany in spite of
his age.
Max
Planck, nicknamed
the Father of Quantum Physics, died at the age of 90 on October
4, 1947. Though his name is well-known, his contributions to physics
are not as well-known by the general-public as those of Einstein and
other physicist of his time. However, without his research, there
might still be holes in our knowledge of modern physics.
The
book was an interesting read, fitting well with Bonhoeffer's
similarly timed autobiography. It comes with a strong recommendation
for anyone interested in the history of science. Though occasionally
rambling, as the author moves between events current in Planck's life
and those that occurred in the past, the book is enjoyable and helped
this reader understand the th century
______________
This
review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher
for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed
are my own.
No comments:
Post a Comment