Book Description

Customer Reviews (7)

Good for those with an understanding of Thermo
This book is somewhat outdated.The fundamental concepts are still there and are pretty clear, but there are still things that are assumed of the reader.These assumptions are based on the fact that the reader has knowledge of thermodynamics already.This is actually stated at the beginning of the book.If you are an undergrad taking a thermo class, I do not think this would be a good book to help you in understanding this subject more completely.

Classic Lectures on Thermodynamics,A+ for Clarity
These lectures by Enrico Fermi make great reading for undergraduates in chemistry or physics, particularly those undergoing the rigors of physical chemistry and chemical thermodynamics. Fermi writes with clarity, always carefully laying the appropriate groundwork for each topic.

The mathematics assumes familiarity with calculus, including partial differentiation. Fermi provides clear explanations and motivation for the mathematics and the derivations are complete and easy to follow. For example, he carefully explained the form of a perfect differential of two variables and how it can be more readily integrated. I appreciated this help.

The first four chapters will be familiar to students of physics: Thermodynamic Systems, First Law of Thermodynamics, Second Law of Thermodynamics, and Entropy. The derivation of the Clapeyron equation and the Van der Waals equation may be new to some students.

Thereafter, the text begins to look more like physical chemistry with chapters titled Thermodynamic Potentials, Gaseous Reactions, Thermodynamics of Dilute Solutions, and the Entropy Constant. I found these last chapters to be more difficult, but not overly so.

At some points Thermodynamics becomes a real page-turner, but not in the sense of a fast-paced action story. The page-turning is necessary to retrieve earlier mathematical expressions. Occasionally, you will encounter statements like "the expression for the free energy is immediately obtained from equations (111), (29), and (86)."Fermi does not allow the reader to forget earlier derivations and discussions.

If your familiarity with thermodynamics is limited (or now foggy due to the passage of years), I suggest first reading Understanding Thermodynamics by H. C. Van Ness. This 100-page book, a series of lectures, is an excellent introduction to thermodynamics from an engineering and physics perspective. It corresponds to the first four chapters of Fermi's text.

Excellent book
Thanks for the previous reviewers. Their comments are absolutely correct. This is one of the best book on thermodynamics!

The book is small in size, but contains clear and comprehensive explanations of the subject.

There is usually something I don't like in a book. However, I cannot find a single negative thing about this one. It is that good!

the core of thermodynamics
fermi presents thermodynamics with beutiful economy. many other authors obfuscate the subject with extraneous detail, often missing the most important points. fermi misses absolutely nothing of importance, but does not weigh down his explanations with ramblings or tangents either. he presents the bare core of thermodynamics.

though the following analogy is somewhat cheesy, i find it appropriate: most authors who have written on thermo are like beginning kung fu students who do all sorts of fancy moves, backflips, and sommersaults but who ultimately land on their behinds. fermi is like the grand master who uses a stunning sparsity of moves, but each one is necessary and each one is enough. in the end, his competition doesn't stand a chance. he's just that good.

Brilliant work!
Profound.This book is a beautiful work on the subject of thermodynamics.I consider this a classic treatise.All that one requires is a knowledge of basic calculus. ... Read more

Book Description
In 1938, at the age of 37, Enrico Fermi was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics. That same year he emigrated from Italy to the United States and, in the course of his experiments, discovered nuclear fission--a process which forms the basis of nuclear power and atomic bombs. Soon the brilliant physicist was involved in the top secret race to produce the deadliest weapon on Earth. He created the first self-sustaining chain reaction, devised new methods for purifying plutonium, and eventually participated in the first atomic test. This compelling biography traces Fermi's education in Italy, his meteoric career in the scientific world, his escape from fascism to America, and the ingenious experiments he devised and conducted at the University of Rome, Columbia University, and the Los Alamos laboratory. The book also presents a mini-course in quantum and nuclear physics in an accessible, fast-paced narrative that invokes all the dizzying passion of Fermis brilliant discoveries. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Fermi made accesible to all
This is the perfect biography for anyone wanting to learn more about a great man, one of the greatest physicists.Enough of his physics were mentioned or included to make it non-trivial to me (junior astrophysics major, with Fermi distribution functions currently flying out of my ears) and yet I would have no compunctions handing this book to my little cousins in elementary school if they needed to read/write a book report on the life and accomplishments of one of the greatest and most influential scientists of our era.In fact, I would say that is the preferred audience, all physics students have heard of Fermi, but most children (and indeed, most adults) are unaware of his contributions to the way we see the world around us, and to history.All of that is here, in this biography easily accesible to anyone.

The spirit and mind that led to a Nobel Prize and much more
I'm the author of this book. I sought to show how physics is done and how one of the greatest scientists of our time used his fine mind and friendly yet competitive ways to succeed. I believe I've made Fermi, the man, andthe physics he did accessible to a wide range of readers. Don't be put offif you found physics hard in school -- this isn't like that, and it ain'tbrainsurgery.

Fermi was famous for being one of those very rarephysicists who are good at both theory and experiment. That helped as heand his team did the neutron experiments that led to his 1938 Nobel Prize.After a dramatic escape from fascist Italy, he and his family emigrated toAmerica. There he went on to create the first nuclear chain reaction (onDecember 2, 1942) and to play a major role in the development of the atombomb. After helping to win World War II, he helped set sensible sciencepolicy and did more great physics. His name is enshrined in the elementFermium, in the Fermi National Accelerator Lab, and in some of the mostimpotant concepts of physics.

This book is a good way to learn about agreat man and about the way the physical world works. I hope you'll enjoyit; let me know what you think of it. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (7)

Andrew Ullrich Enrico Fermi review2
Overall, the book "Enrico Fermi Physicist" was very informative and interesting.The long time friend and first graduate of Fermi, Mr. Emilo Segre, stood by Fermi's side for many years.Mr. Serge also wrote the book, and was able to do so in a very all-inclusive manner.Not only does the book teach us everything that Fermi's has accomplished through his long and illustrious career as a physicist, but it also shows us a very human side of this brilliant mind.There are stories about Enrico's childhood dispersed intermittently throughout the book, so we can look at Fermi as a regular person, rather than as a series of brilliant mathematical laws and experiments.Due to the chronological design of the book, we see Enrico grow from a young and furtive mind, with an unrestrained sense of enthusiasm for math and science, into an old and wise master of physics.
I think that Emilio Segre was compelled to write his book on Fermi for several reasons.By reading the book it is very clear that Segre has the utmost respect and appreciation for Fermi because when he describes the man it is in a tone of awe.He spends almost a page later on in the book talking about how impressed everyone was by Fermi, and how the man's brilliant mind warranted respect form all who could see him work.I also think that Segre felt some type of duty, almost a responsibility, to share Fermi's story with the rest of the world because he knew he was better qualified for the task than anyone, thanks to his close relationship with Fermi.
By reading this book one learns of Fermi's classical experiments, which would eventually come to yield the atomic pile, and later help foster the construction of the atom bomb to be dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in World War II.There is also a myriad of additional scientific details in the book, depicted in confusing and esoteric jargon.Personally, I think the book could have been more simplistic in the explanations of Fermi's work, instead of spending so much time with detailed information of little significance to the average reader.Overall, the book was engrossing, but excess scientific information gets a bit cumbersome later on in the book.
Science buffs who also like a bit of history and want to learn about a scientist's life should read this story.As far as scientists go, I found Enrico Fermi to be one of the more fascinating scientists to ever live.Through reading the book, Fermi is revealed not only as a scientific and mathematical genius, but also a fun loving kid, who was almost expelled from school for a prank he pulled.

Detailed Work on a Most Interesting Character
I found this entire work to be well written and very informative on both the more personal life of Enrico Fermi, and on his various accomplishments and work regarding radioactivity and physics. Despite being written from a more personal view, as it was authored by a friend, the book maintains its commtittment to detailing the events in his life, including what influenced him and what he in turn influenced. A fascinating tale of a Nobel Prize Winner who worked on the infamous Manhattan Project, this book lists the many discoveries Fermi came upon and what his work later led to in the discovery of producing the fission needed for reactor and atomic weapons. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in this area of physics, and those interested in the people tied to the Manhattan project. As a scientist, Enrico Fermi was an accomplished individual, and this book is able to bring to light the depth of his character and efforts in his respective field. Written from his friend's perspective, the retelling of his life is very well planned and thought out, and I commend the detail Segre put into its creation. With various interviews and detailed accounts of his life, this book is an invaluable resource for understanding more about the atomic bomb and the people who helped bring it to life. One of the most important things books serves to do is to remind American citizens how lucky they are to have gotten such great physicists and scientists to come support this country and how invaluable they are today, as they gave us a chance for the future.

Great Story-Man on a Mission, TimeMagazine Top 20 of 20th Century
I've always been fascinated with Fermi's life and knew very little about him.I'm spending too much time reading on present day problems and people complaining about their rights being violated.Time Magazine rated Fermi one of the Top 20 scientists of the 20th century, including Einstein, Salk, Wright Brothers, Hubble and others.Fermi's wife was Jewish so in the late 1930's they left Italy to come to America (real lucky for us).Imagine adding Fermi to the Nazi research and subtracting him from our research.I think we would all be talking German today if Fermi assisted the Nazi's.I am not a scientific person (like the prior reviewer has so expertly depicted)but a realist.After America declared war on Italy, Germany and Japan, Fermi was declared an enemy alien, like many Italian Americans.Fermi's travel was limited and his mail read by the government. Did Fermi leave America, did he ask the Supreme Court to rule if his rights were violated, did he go to the newspapers, no he continued his work to help defeat the Nazi's and Imperial Japan.Imagine Fermi one of the greatest of the 20th century being restricted in his travel.Today, every two bit con artist complains today their human rights are being violated if their back packs are searched.I did not understand any of the scientific writing but the man was remarkable and history has judged him one of the best.Not many people real know his story, unless you are in the scientific community. I'm not sure why, history would be a lot different if Fermi had not come to America.If you do not understand the scientific part read the War Years and Professor at Chicago.With Salk, Einstein, Hubble, Fermi changed the world.Think where we would be today without him. Think about all the great scientist in the last cenury, only 20 picked, Fermi was one of them.

Very informative
I thought this book was great and did a great job of pacing the reader through Enrico's life, as well as superbly establishing a connection between the reader and Enrico. Emilio Serge did a great job of making it feel like you actually knew Enrico Fermi in real life which made the book that much more engaging and enjoyable. To be honest I found the beginning of the book the most interesting, more specifically Enrico's childhood experiences, influences and how he became interested in physics altogether. After checking multiple online sources, I found the book itself to be one of the most comprehensive sources for information on Fermi, as it includes the entire scope of his accomplishments, dreams, failures and life changing experiences. Written in a very simple yet elegant manner, Serge writes with an embedded loving friendship that still exists despite Enrico's untimely death at the young age of 53. Every page is filled with a seemingly endless number of intriguing facts about Enrico's life, whether it be his troubles and resistances along the way to success or the outcome that occurred after his development of the atomic bomb. Recommended.

From one physisict to another
This is an interesting biography for it is written by a friend with same interests and loyalty to each other. No jealosy, no envie but appreciation and loyalty how nice. This is the story of Fermi mostly about his intellectual and social life and not about his private life and that part is in fact covered very nicely by his wife in her beautiful book. Segre without any short cuts describe Fermi, his behaior, his mastery in physics with all important documents reproduced and day by day their successes and few dissappointments. There are certain scientific explanations about the experiments they conducted days in and days out and if you are not into Atomic physics those explanations are just words but even if you do not know what they are doing you still get the pleasure of visualising masters in action. descriptions are very vivid. Hard work is necessary but knowing what you are doing is more important and this book along with the biographies of other master Physisist shows the same. Prof Serge is exteremely good in writing biography, you do not get bored while reading the book. All the surroundings, social and political world conditions are clearly described, showing the conditions these people had to go through and yet was exteremely productive. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (5)

Living with Enrico!
On first glance the title of this book appears to be a play on the ADDAMS FAMILY TV series.However, this book was originally published in 1952 and the TV series didn't come out until a decade later.However, there was apparently a newspaper cartoon that the TV series was based on, and that dates back to the 1930s.Whether Mrs. Fermi made a conscious pun or not I don't know.Would be a bizarre nexus between the Addams family& the great Enrico Fermi, but.....

In any case, this book is a biography of Enrico Fermi, who was the greatest Italian physicist of the 20th century.He was probably the greatest Italian scientist sinceGalileo Galilei.Fermi was in charge of the first team to successfully unleash a controlled nuclear reaction.Also, one major type of photon (the "Fermion") is named after him[the other major type of photon is the "Boson"].

One of the nice things about having a non-scientist (in this case, his wife) write the biography is that we get to see the man "behind the equations."Laura Fermi describes his quirks and we also find out that he had a sense-of-humor almost comparable to Richard Feynman.

Another intriguing aspect of the book is that we get a view of the Manhattan Project from a non-scientist's point of view.Mrs. Fermi gives us an inside look at the living conditions and everyday duties / chores of someone who was not actually working on the bomb.This is an interesting viewpoint as I've read several other accounts of Los Alamos as told thru the eyes of the scientists who worked on the bomb.

This is an important book that gives insight into one of the biggest names in modern physics. That he ended up settling in the United States is of great fortitude to we Americans. His discoveries have been a monumental boon to science, and in this book is his life story.

A Review on Enrico Fermi's biography by Sahar S.
The novel Atoms in the Family; My Life With Enrico Fermi by Laura Fermi is a superbly well written biography. Laura Fermi recounts her husband's life starting from his childhood when he taught himself physics, to his life in the Universities and winning his Nobel prize, to immigrating to the United States because of the Fascist leaders taking over their home town in Italy. Enrico Fermi was a brilliant man who discovered his passion and talent for physics and mathematics at a very young age. He first attended and then taught at some of the most prestigious schools around the world. His devotion to physics and his consistency in his research got him the respect of many people all around the world.
The author, I believe, was compelled to write this story as a tribute to the many accomplishments of her husband. Also, she wanted to give the world the story of Enrico Fermi's life from her perspective.
Though I disagree with the production and utilization of any kind of bomb, let alone atomic bombs, I enjoyed reading this novel because it recounted a bit of human history. Laura Fermi has not made this novel more than a mere biography. It is an exciting story of a man's life, his many accomplishments along with his fears and doubts.

Life with a genius, in the strange world of Los Alamos
I rated this so high, partly because it is one of the few books I remember reading, 35+ years ago.Around the same time I had read another book about the Manhattan Project, "The Traitors," by Alan Moorehead(apparently out of print.)Between the two I found out that most of thescientists' wives were not told why their husbands were so excited on thenight of July 16, 1945 until after the war was over; meanwhile Stalin wasnotified through his spy network within 48 hours, during the PotsdamConference.

I also thought she told a great story about the difficultiesfor a family to not only move into a strange country with strange languagesand customs, only to find themselves rushed into an isolated paramilitaryenvironment.

No great lessons in nuclear fission, lots for nuclearfamilies.

BTW, I was surprised that Amazon does not cross-list this amongthe other Manhattan Project books.

25 % biography of Enrico Fermi.
Laura Fermi explains her husband life: the family, the adventures of the italian physicists, the Nobel prize, the American life, the Manhattan project. But Fermi life is full of physics, and in the book you don't findany explanation of the discoveries which took most of his time. It is apity that Laura didn't get more information from her husband work torealize how great it was and how it influenced the future of quantummechanic. Fermi was one of the top ones. I recommend this book as apreliminar biography but not as a deep one.

A charming account of Fermi's life by his wife
I first read this book more than 40 years ago. I still reread it, now and then. It is the source of most of the anecdotes that helped to explain, and disseminate, the Fermi style of doing physics. I am particularly fond of the memories of the youth of Laura Fermi, when Enrico was a young "dottore", and, together with a group of friends, used to hike the Italian Alps at holidays. Everything was used to teach science, or the way of thinking needed in science (for instance, the thermodynamics of the frying pan!). Later you'll find this "physics at the finger tips" approach used to estimate the power emitted at the first nuclear explosion. A great book. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (3)

The Genius of Fermi Shows
This is perhaps one of the best supplemental materials to follow up with either during, or shortly after one's quantum courses.This is the closest most of us will ever come to taking a course by the genius Fermi himself, and this book is generally inexpensive.If you've read the description, you'll see that this is nothing close to a self-contained text book though, so some familiarity with QM is needed if you are to make the most of these lecture notes.

The previous reviewer got it wrong !
I don't know which book the previous reviewer was referring to. This is a physics book, by one of the leading physicists of this century.

A genius' version of quantum mechanics
This is a delightful booklet. It contains the handwritten notes prepared by Fermi for his lectures at Chicago. They are marvellously organized, with all derivations clearly given, together with the motivations and examples. Sometimes you find a note like that: "Commenton the relative cosmological abundance of elements", and you can only imagine what the master would produce. The table of contents of the book is quite usual, and corresponds more or less to a book like Schiff, Merzbacher, etc, with more emphasis on applications. It is one of the best examples of the Fermi mastery of teaching techniques, using simple models, approximations, clever analogies. The book, as one should expect,contains the best derivation of the "Fermi Golden Rule", which is a formula for the rate of transitions in first-order, time-dependent perturbation theory. Fermi used to make miracles with this formula. The essential difference between this book and the usual intro! ductory ones is, of course, Fermi. This means that the problems are treated as they really appear in nature, with no idealizations to make things easier. Fermi could do that as no other physicist, as he was the last universalist: there was a time in which it was not unreasonable to say that he was the best theoretician and the best esperimentalist in activity.A similar set of notes about thermodynamics and statistical physics was offered also by the University of Chicago Press.I wonder if they are still available. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

Excellent Text, but over my head
The text was written with expertise about the nature of the atom, of nuclear decay rates, and of the nature of radiation beyond Plank. It is very mathematically based (as all good physics books are), however, it was beyond me mathematically at times, and took about ten reads to comprehend the basic mathematical structure and implications.

It is excellent if one already has a background in nuclear physics, and is a wonderful reference.

A great master applies quantum mechanics.
These are the notesof the Fermi lectures on nuclear physics at Chicago. As a book on nuclear physics they are, of course, too dated. However, I strongly recommend this book for he who wants to see a great master solving problems of various kinds. Besides the usual topics of alpha and beta-decays, nuclear models, scattering, etc, there are beautiful treatments of passage of radiation through matter, origin of cosmic rays and action of the Earth's magnetic field on incoming charged particles. The book is a monumental collection of very good exercises of quantum mechanics, electrodynamics, relativity, etc. In this sense , it will never become obsolete. ... Read more

Book Description

Enrico Fermis scientific work, noted for its originality and breadth, has had lasting consequences throughout modern science. Written by close colleagues as well as scientists whose fields were profoundly influenced by Fermi, the papers collected here constitute a tribute to him and his scientific legacy. They were commissioned on the occasion of his 100th birthday by the Italian Physical Society and confirm that Fermi was a rare combination of theorist, experimentalist, teacher, and inspiring colleague. The book is organized into three parts: three biographical overviews by close colleagues, replete with personal insights; fourteen analyses of Fermi's impact by specialists in their fields, spanning physics, chemistry, mathematics, and engineering; and a year-by-year chronology of Fermis scientific endeavors. Written for a general scientific audience, Enrico Fermi: His Work and Legacy offers a highly readable source on the life of one of the 20th century's most distinguished scientists and a must for everybody interested in the history of modern science.

Customer Reviews (1)

A Tribute to an Outstanding Twentieth Century Italian Physicist!!
+++++

"Without Enrico Fermi [pronounced Fur-me], 20th century physics would have been a shadow of what it became. [He was a] superbly innovative scientist [involved in a] range of fields so large that it is unsurpassed by any other physicist in that century.[As well], he was an experimentalist and theorist-a very rare combination at that time-and an inspiring colleague and teacher."

Thus begins the forward (written by a physics and history of science professor from Harvard) of this book, edited by two University of Rome physics professors, that commemorates the life, work, and scientific legacy of Nobel Prize winner Enrico Fermi (1901 to 1954).The material presented was written by close colleagues as well as scientists whose fields were deeply influenced by Fermi.

This book is actually organized into four parts:

(1) Consists of three sections: a Forward, Preface, and an excellent Introduction entitled "Enrico Fermi: his life and a comment on his work."All these sections give insight into Fermi the man and his work.Special attention should be given to the Introduction which is "the glue connecting the various topics [of the book] and the pointer indicating the evolutions subsequent to Fermi's [untimely death]."

(2) Consists of three Commemoration speeches by Italian physicists who collaborated with Fermi.Two were given in 1955 and one in 1968.The talks in this part, just like the sections of part (1), give valuable insights into Fermi the man and his scientific work.

(3) Is made up of "fourteen [essays] of Fermi's impact by specialists in their fields, spanning physics, chemistry, mathematics, and engineering."I personally enjoyed the three essays on nuclear energy and reactors, the essay on Fermi's legacy in particle physics, and the essay on his "last lessons."Note that the introduction of part (1) has a brief summary of each of these essays (which I found very helpful).

(4) Gives a detailed chronology of Fermi's scientific endeavors with some insight into his character, scientific thought, and his style of working.The first years of this chronology are lumped together from (1901 to 1917) and the last year profiled is 1954.

The book is peppered with black and white photographs.As well, there are diagrams to illustrate key concepts.

Who is this book written for?According to the book, it says it's "written for a general scientific audience."However, be aware that many of the essays of part (3) contain some sophisticated mathematics.However, you don't have to understand it to understand the main thrust of the essay.As well, it would be beneficial to be familiar with some physics.In fact, a good science or physics dictionary would be helpful when reading this book.

What I did when I read this book was to read part (1) first.However, when I read the introduction of this part I skipped the essay summaries.Then I read part (2) and then skipped to part (4).Finally, I read part (3) last.For those essays of this part that I did not find especially appealing, I just read their essay summaries located in the introduction of part (1).

Finally, I was surprised by three omissions:

(1) There was no mention of the chemical element named in honor of Fermi.It is called Fermium.Symbol Fe.
(2) There is no mention of the U.S. lab named after Fermi called Fermilab (formerly National Accelerator Laboratory).
(3) There was no mention of the famous "Fermi Paradox" which he uttered in 1950.It states that if the universe is teeming with alien life, then where is everybody?

Note that these were omissions that I personally found surprising.In no way, do they diminish the book's quality.

In conclusion, this book offers a good readable source on the life of one of the twentieth centuries most distinguished scientists.It is a must for anybody interested in the history of modern science!!

(first published in English 2004;forward;preface;introduction;three commemoration talks;14 essays;chronology;main narrative 395 pages;bibliography;index)

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Product Description
This study is devoted to the Sunyaev-Zeldovich (S-Z) effect, and important related topics in cluster and CMB research. S-Z science is about to be significantly enhanced by unique, multi-faceted cluster and cosmological yield, at a level of precision in accord with the high standards of the current era that was heralded by spectacular achievements in cosmological CMB research. The pedagogical reviews and technical seminars included in this volume represent most of the important current topics in S-Z work and in the astrophysics of clusters. The publication touches upon all relevant aspects of the S-Z effect and its use as a precise cluster and cosmological probe. To commemorate the 40th anniversary of the detection of the CMB by Penzias and Wilson (in 1964), there is a chapter devoted to the history of this discovery. In his fascinating account of their work, he outlines also some lessons pertinent to current scientific issues. Other chapters discuss very interesting related observational work in Europe and the US. ... Read more