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A review by oldwindways
The Last Man Who Knew Everything by David N. Schwartz
4.0
I enjoyed the read and was fascinated by some of the larger than life nature of Fermi's story. It's hard to imagine an ordinary man crossing paths with so many titans from the world of Physics, but of course, that is because Enrico was no ordinary man. Rather, he was a giant of his generation of physicists.
I appreciated that the way book was written neither assumed a deep knowledge of atomic physics (and didn't try to fill the role of an advanced physics textbook), nor was it shy about explaining the importance of Fermi's work and how it dovetailed with the other major developments before, during, and after his contributions. I did not major in physics in college, but as an undergrad at MIT, I had a reasonable exposure in my freshman year. I felt that even someone who did not have the opportunity to do so would be able to follow the technical portions of this book.
That said, the pacing left a little to be desired. I would sometimes burn through pages in a single sitting, while on more than one occasion I had to put the book down for several days before I could climb back in.
In the end, it was a fascinating portrait of a man who accomplished so much and lived in truly interesting times. I would highly recommend to anyone with an interest in atomic physics that approaches the topic for a less academic angle, not to mention an interesting lens through which to view the buildup to World War II in Europe and America, the War Effort in America, and the dawning of the Cold War. Rarely do the scientists take center stage in the telling of such stories.
I appreciated that the way book was written neither assumed a deep knowledge of atomic physics (and didn't try to fill the role of an advanced physics textbook), nor was it shy about explaining the importance of Fermi's work and how it dovetailed with the other major developments before, during, and after his contributions. I did not major in physics in college, but as an undergrad at MIT, I had a reasonable exposure in my freshman year. I felt that even someone who did not have the opportunity to do so would be able to follow the technical portions of this book.
That said, the pacing left a little to be desired. I would sometimes burn through pages in a single sitting, while on more than one occasion I had to put the book down for several days before I could climb back in.
In the end, it was a fascinating portrait of a man who accomplished so much and lived in truly interesting times. I would highly recommend to anyone with an interest in atomic physics that approaches the topic for a less academic angle, not to mention an interesting lens through which to view the buildup to World War II in Europe and America, the War Effort in America, and the dawning of the Cold War. Rarely do the scientists take center stage in the telling of such stories.