Reviews from Amazon

Reviews elsewhere on the web:

telegraph.co.uk

Graham Farmelo

The Strangest Man

Paul Dirac was the archetypal introverted scientist, well known for his monosyllablic replies to questions. In The Strangest Man: The Hidden Life of Paul Dirac, Quantum Genius Graham Farmelo tells his story.

I did find the first few chapters of the book, on Dirac's early life, rather hard going, and I began to wonder whether there was going to be enough of interest to say about Dirac to fill a 500 page book. Fortunately there was. As Dirac climbed the academic ladder his genius became obvious, and he was soon working at the forefront of theoretical quantum theory. Farmelo deals well with this aspect of Dirac's life, giving a description of the work he was doing without going into the highly mathematical details. We hear how the Dirac equation predicted the existence of antimatter, but there was a tendency to think that this was just an artifact of the mathematics.

You might think that Dirac spent every waking hour in his study, but in fact he went along with the idea that four hours a day was about as much time anyone could spend on such advanced mathematics, and he had plenty of time for other interests, as well as for travelling to meet his colleagues.

Dirac didn't seem the marrying type but he did marry and raise a family. As he grew older he began to lose touch with the forefront of quantum theory - although he did work on a forerunner of String Theory. I felt that the way that Dirac's ideas fitted in to the rest of physics is an important part of the book - it's worth reading for this glimpse into the development of 20th century physics, as well as to find out about the life of this unique character.

Amazon.com info

Hardcover 539 pages
ISBN: 0571222781
Salesrank: 461874
Weight:1.94 lbs

Published: 2009 Faber & Faber

Amazon price $33.90

Marketplace:New from $21.90:Used from $19.71

Buy from Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk info

Hardcover 539 pages
ISBN: 0571222781
Salesrank: 15433
Weight:1.94 lbs

Published: 2009 Faber and Faber

Amazon price £13.49

Marketplace:New from £8.23:Used from £7.41

Buy from Amazon.co.uk

Amazon.ca info

Hardcover 539 pages
ISBN: 0571222781
Salesrank: 299384
Weight:1.94 lbs

Published: Faber And Faber Ltd.

Marketplace:New from CDN$ 24.01:Used from CDN$ 29.46

Buy from Amazon.ca

Product Description
Paul Dirac was one of the leading pioneers of the greatest revolution in 20th-century science: quantum mechanics. One of the youngest theoreticians ever to win the Nobel Prize for Physics, he was also pathologically reticent, strangely literal-minded and legendarily unable to communicate or empathize. Through his greatest period of productivity, his postcards home contained only remarks about the weather. Based on a previously undiscovered archive of family papers, Graham Farmelo celebrates Dirac's massive scientific achievement while drawing a compassionate portrait of his life and work. Farmelo shows a man who, while hopelessly socially inept, could manage to love and sustain close friendship. 'The Strangest Man' is an extraordinary and moving human story, as well as a study of one of the most exciting times in scientific history.

Product Description

Paul Dirac was one of the leading pioneers of the greatest revolution in 20th-century science: quantum mechanics. One of the youngest theoreticians ever to win the Nobel Prize for Physics, he was also pathologically reticent, strangely literal-minded and legendarily unable to communicate or empathize. Through his greatest period of productivity, his postcards home contained only remarks about the weather. Based on a previously undiscovered archive of family papers, Graham Farmelo celebrates Dirac's massive scientific achievement while drawing a compassionate portrait of his life and work. Farmelo shows a man who, while hopelessly socially inept, could manage to love and sustain close friendship. 'The Strangest Man' is an extraordinary and moving human story, as well as a study of one of the most exciting times in scientific history.

An ecellent book on a great man: the life of Paul Dirac *****
This book comes highly rated and reviewed by leading newspapers and science magazines. I agree. It tells the life of one of the super great minds of all time not just of physics. He made many discoveries in the advancement of physics and quantum theorh. He postulated the existence of antimatter long before any pysical evidence. He won the Nobel Prize for physics in 1933. Paul Dirac spent his life in the company of other greats such as Einstein, Schrodingerer, etc. He was a teacher as well-spending the last years of his life at Florida State. I think if by reading a good biography you gain insight into another's life, you also gain insight into your own life.

An ecellent book on a great man: the life of Paul Dirac *****

This book comes highly rated and reviewed by leading newspapers and science magazines. I agree. It tells the life of one of the super great minds of all time not just of physics.

He made many discoveries in the advancement of physics and quantum theorh. He postulated the existence of antimatter long before any pysical evidence. He won the Nobel Prize for physics in 1933.

Paul Dirac spent his life in the company of other greats such as Einstein, Schrodingerer, etc. He was a teacher as well-spending the last years of his life at Florida State.

I think if by reading a good biography you gain insight into another's life, you also gain insight into your own life.

The story of the father of quantum mechanics *****
I went to Cambridge in 1967 to 1970 and received my degree in Natural Sciences, particularly Physics. Prof. Dirac gave his retirement lecture while I was there and I arrived 3 hours early in order to get a seat, to discover that the hall was completely filled (including people hanging on for dear life at the back walls) and the overflow crowd already in the courtyard. I gave up and went home. I wish I had shown up a lot earlier, but I was young and foolish. This book does an excellent job of depicting the professional and personal life of one of the two great minds of the 20th century, the other being Einstein. As a physicist, later to go on to do research in theoretical physics and publish some puny papers (as most academic physicists do) I regarded Dirac as high-school basketball players regard Michael Jordan. Whether you are a scientist or not, this book will prove interesting, not least because of the notion, introduced to me for the first time, that Dirac may have had a high-functioning form of autism. Impossible to know, of course, as one cannot diagnose at a distance, but very consistent. A fascinating man who lived in the most interesting time for Physics since Newton, and whose contemporaries established our modern thinking of the laws of nature and looked up to Dirac as their thought leader for so long. Excellent book, highly recommended.

The story of the father of quantum mechanics *****

I went to Cambridge in 1967 to 1970 and received my degree in Natural Sciences, particularly Physics. Prof. Dirac gave his retirement lecture while I was there and I arrived 3 hours early in order to get a seat, to discover that the hall was completely filled (including people hanging on for dear life at the back walls) and the overflow crowd already in the courtyard. I gave up and went home. I wish I had shown up a lot earlier, but I was young and foolish. This book does an excellent job of depicting the professional and personal life of one of the two great minds of the 20th century, the other being Einstein. As a physicist, later to go on to do research in theoretical physics and publish some puny papers (as most academic physicists do) I regarded Dirac as high-school basketball players regard Michael Jordan.

Whether you are a scientist or not, this book will prove interesting, not least because of the notion, introduced to me for the first time, that Dirac may have had a high-functioning form of autism. Impossible to know, of course, as one cannot diagnose at a distance, but very consistent. A fascinating man who lived in the most interesting time for Physics since Newton, and whose contemporaries established our modern thinking of the laws of nature and looked up to Dirac as their thought leader for so long.

Excellent book, highly recommended.

A life. *****
The biography of P. A. M. Dirac is compelling; beautifully written! Dirac was as contemporary of Albert Einstein, and his science and his life story share elements in common with that of Einstein. Yet there are hundreds of Einstein biographies, to my knowledge, this is a first for Dirac. While Einstein reveled in the glare of the press, Dirac shunned it. Both won the Nobel Prize in physics, Dirac for his pioneering role in quantum mechanics, his equation for the electron, his discovery of the positron, and his mathematics. His book Principles of Quantum Mechanics (1930) is still the bible in the subject. On top of this he pioneered quantum electrodynamics. While both protected their privacy, Dirac avoided statements to the press, and avoided the limelight going along with fame. His story is compelling: an abusive father, his reaction to a horrible childhood, a hate-filled home, the suicide of his brother. If anyone outside science knows anything about the private Paul Dirac, they are likely to know that he was a man of few words, answering questions with yes, no; or more likely "I don't know!" Perhaps Dirac felt that nature and science is expressed in the language of mathematics, and that words by comparison tend to be empty. And Dirac often argued that the more profound insight is more likely to be uncovered in a beautiful mathematical equation; as opposed to hard experiments! The author Farmelo (his earlier book It Must Be Beautiful) seems to be born to tell the story of Dirac. It is compelling, and the characters are brought to light, each in a portrait that makes them real: other scientists, Heisenberg, Bohr, and especially his lifelong friend and experimental physicist Peter Kapitza from the Soviet Union; later Nobel for his discovery of superfluidity of liquid helium. And his wife, the sister of the Princeton physicist Eugene Wigner; an extrovert, and in personality the opposite of Paul Dirac. At conferences Eugene Wigner, famous for his modesty, referred to his "famous brother-in law!" The periods of Dirac's life span his childhood in England, his career in Cambridge, his travels to the Soviet union before and during the Cold War, and his retirement in Florida, USA. I met him once at lunch when he was visiting his son in Aarhus where I was teaching at the time! There is some science in the book, but mostly it is about Dirac's life. It has become popular to speculate that geniuses might have suffered from some form of undiagnosed autism, to account for their character quirks. Personally I believe this is unlikely. Reviewed by Palle Jorgensen, February 2010.

A life. *****

The biography of P. A. M. Dirac is compelling; beautifully written!
Dirac was as contemporary of Albert Einstein, and his science and his life story share elements in common with that of Einstein.
Yet there are hundreds of Einstein biographies, to my knowledge, this is a first for Dirac. While Einstein reveled in the glare of the press, Dirac shunned it.
Both won the Nobel Prize in physics, Dirac for his pioneering role in quantum mechanics, his equation for the electron, his discovery of the positron, and his mathematics. His book Principles of Quantum Mechanics (1930) is still the bible in the subject.
On top of this he pioneered quantum electrodynamics.
While both protected their privacy, Dirac avoided statements to the press, and avoided the limelight going along with fame.
His story is compelling: an abusive father, his reaction to a horrible childhood, a hate-filled home, the suicide of his brother. If anyone outside science knows anything about the private Paul Dirac, they are likely to know that he was a man of few words, answering questions with yes, no; or more likely "I don't know!"
Perhaps Dirac felt that nature and science is expressed in the language of mathematics, and that words by comparison tend to be empty.
And Dirac often argued that the more profound insight is more likely to be uncovered in a beautiful mathematical equation; as opposed to hard experiments!
The author Farmelo (his earlier book It Must Be Beautiful) seems to be born to tell the story of Dirac. It is compelling, and the characters are brought to light, each in a portrait that makes them real: other scientists, Heisenberg, Bohr, and especially his lifelong friend and experimental physicist Peter Kapitza from the Soviet Union; later Nobel for his discovery of superfluidity of liquid helium.
And his wife, the sister of the Princeton physicist Eugene Wigner; an extrovert, and in personality the opposite of Paul Dirac.
At conferences Eugene Wigner, famous for his modesty, referred to his "famous brother-in law!"
The periods of Dirac's life span his childhood in England, his career in Cambridge, his travels to the Soviet union before and during the Cold War, and his retirement in Florida, USA.
I met him once at lunch when he was visiting his son in Aarhus where I was teaching at the time!
There is some science in the book, but mostly it is about Dirac's life.
It has become popular to speculate that geniuses might have suffered from some form of undiagnosed autism, to account for their character quirks. Personally I believe this is unlikely.
Reviewed by Palle Jorgensen, February 2010.

A successful science book and biography *****
Although I'm neither a physicist nor a cognitive scientist, I've long been interested both in Physics and in Cognitive Development (especially concerning autism and Asperger Syndrome). So, Farmelo's book on Dirac was doubly interesting to me, and it provided an excellent and quite readable narrative on the fascinating history and development of quantum mechanics as well as an illuminating biography of the "strange man" whose clearly autistic characteristics both enabled and hindered his Nobel-winning insights and discoveries about sub-atomic particles. The book requires more than a passing familiarity with atomic physics and vocabulary, but the author explains Dirac's work quite clearly, along with that of Einstein, Pauli, Bohr, and Schrödinger, all of whom struggled not only to understand Dirac's theories but also to understand his remarkably odd personality and behaviour. While there are indeed a few relatively minor editing flaws in this book, they did not detract at all from its two-fold goal of presenting an accessible description of a difficult topic of science along with an insightful biography of a "strange" genius. My only disappointment about the book was its lack of a section that at least attempted to explain the "beautiful mathematics" of Dirac's work. But I suppose that would have frightened off even more science-averse readers.

A successful science book and biography *****

Although I'm neither a physicist nor a cognitive
scientist, I've long been interested both in Physics
and in Cognitive Development (especially concerning
autism and Asperger Syndrome). So, Farmelo's book
on Dirac was doubly interesting to me, and it provided
an excellent and quite readable narrative on
the fascinating history and development of quantum
mechanics as well as an illuminating biography of
the "strange man" whose clearly autistic characteristics
both enabled and hindered his Nobel-winning insights
and discoveries about sub-atomic particles.

The book requires more than a passing familiarity
with atomic physics and vocabulary, but the author
explains Dirac's work quite clearly, along with
that of Einstein, Pauli, Bohr, and Schrödinger, all
of whom struggled not only to understand Dirac's
theories but also to understand his remarkably odd
personality and behaviour.

While there are indeed a few relatively minor
editing flaws in this book, they did not
detract at all from its two-fold goal of presenting
an accessible description of a difficult topic
of science along with an insightful biography of
a "strange" genius. My only disappointment about
the book was its lack of a section that at least
attempted to explain the "beautiful mathematics"
of Dirac's work. But I suppose that would have
frightened off even more science-averse readers.

A Beautifully Written Biography of an Extraordinary Physicist *****
This is a beautifully written biography of Paul Dirac, one of the founding fathers of quantum theory, a towering taciturn genius marked by legendary reticence and an almost otherworldly literal-mindedness. Quantum theory basically describes matter and energy at atomic scales. Don't know anything about quantum theory? It doesn't matter: you will still find this delightful book gripping from start to finish because (a) Farmelo is a gifted writer, (b) the book is accessible to anyone with the slightest interest in physics or in the history of science, and (c) the development of the ideas underlying quantum theory will take the reader on a magical mystery tour that is at once exhilarating and stunning. The quantum world brazenly defies our naïve logical expectations of what is possible or even conceivable in the atomic realm; it is fantastical, beyond imagination, and yet virtually every technological advance in the past 50 years depends entirely on this proven bedrock of fog and mere probability. Dirac, the physicist, was an utterly brilliant and original theorist known for the elegance, beauty, and concision of his papers. Farmelo discusses his many accomplishments and critical contributions to quantum theory with admirable simplicity and clarity. This not a book on quantum theory, however, so you don't have to worry about understanding any mathematical formulas to follow the thrust of Dirac's ideas. Dirac, the man, was a fascinating enigma. Niels Bohr called him "the strangest man." As Farmelo notes, "even by the standards of theoretical physicists [Dirac] was profoundly eccentric." A man so solitary and reserved, and so unresponsive to and so unwilling to engage in even polite social banter, that "...his colleagues invented a new unit for the smallest imaginable number of words that someone with the power of speech could utter in company - an average of one word an hour, `a Dirac'." Farmelo catalogues many stories and anecdotes about this "strangest man." My favorite, because it so clearly demonstrates his inert literal-mindedness, is that, "According to one story, [his wife] once snapped at him while he was eating his dinner, `What would you do if I left you?' only for him to reply -- after a half-minute pause-- `I'd say "Goodbye dear'." This is a wonderful, entertaining book and a biography worthy of Dirac. You should read it. I think you will enjoy it immensely.

A Beautifully Written Biography of an Extraordinary Physicist *****

This is a beautifully written biography of Paul Dirac, one of the founding fathers of quantum theory, a towering taciturn genius marked by legendary reticence and an almost otherworldly literal-mindedness.

Quantum theory basically describes matter and energy at atomic scales. Don't know anything about quantum theory? It doesn't matter: you will still find this delightful book gripping from start to finish because (a) Farmelo is a gifted writer, (b) the book is accessible to anyone with the slightest interest in physics or in the history of science, and (c) the development of the ideas underlying quantum theory will take the reader on a magical mystery tour that is at once exhilarating and stunning. The quantum world brazenly defies our naïve logical expectations of what is possible or even conceivable in the atomic realm; it is fantastical, beyond imagination, and yet virtually every technological advance in the past 50 years depends entirely on this proven bedrock of fog and mere probability.

Dirac, the physicist, was an utterly brilliant and original theorist known for the elegance, beauty, and concision of his papers. Farmelo discusses his many accomplishments and critical contributions to quantum theory with admirable simplicity and clarity. This not a book on quantum theory, however, so you don't have to worry about understanding any mathematical formulas to follow the thrust of Dirac's ideas.

Dirac, the man, was a fascinating enigma. Niels Bohr called him "the strangest man." As Farmelo notes, "even by the standards of theoretical physicists [Dirac] was profoundly eccentric." A man so solitary and reserved, and so unresponsive to and so unwilling to engage in even polite social banter, that "...his colleagues invented a new unit for the smallest imaginable number of words that someone with the power of speech could utter in company - an average of one word an hour, `a Dirac'."

Farmelo catalogues many stories and anecdotes about this "strangest man." My favorite, because it so clearly demonstrates his inert literal-mindedness, is that, "According to one story, [his wife] once snapped at him while he was eating his dinner, `What would you do if I left you?' only for him to reply -- after a half-minute pause-- `I'd say "Goodbye dear'."

This is a wonderful, entertaining book and a biography worthy of Dirac. You should read it. I think you will enjoy it immensely.

Outstanding - a great read *****
I really enjoyed this book. It had a good pace to it and the biographical and scientific material was well balanced. I have read quite widely in this area and have a scientific/engineering background and thought the book gave a good and accurate account of the development of quantum mechanics. The personal side of Dirac's life was fascinating and the title of the book well chosen. The only negative comment I have is that I thought the chapter on Dirac and autism was not necessary and lacked the authority of the rest of the book. I have already recommended this book to a number of friends. A book to read alongside is the biography of Max Born entitled 'The End of the Certain World - The Life and Science of Max Born ' by Nancy Greenspan.The End of the Certain World: The Life and Science of Max Born: The Nobel Physicist Who Ignited the Quantum Revolution

Outstanding - a great read *****

I really enjoyed this book. It had a good pace to it and the biographical and scientific material was well balanced. I have read quite widely in this area and have a scientific/engineering background and thought the book gave a good and accurate account of the development of quantum mechanics. The personal side of Dirac's life was fascinating and the title of the book well chosen. The only negative comment I have is that I thought the chapter on Dirac and autism was not necessary and lacked the authority of the rest of the book.
I have already recommended this book to a number of friends.
A book to read alongside is the biography of Max Born entitled 'The End of the Certain World - The Life and Science of Max Born ' by Nancy Greenspan.The End of the Certain World: The Life and Science of Max Born: The Nobel Physicist Who Ignited the Quantum Revolution

prompt and hassle-free service *****
Book arrived very quickly, brand new and wrapped up nicely. Overall very happy with this purchase. Thanks lots.

prompt and hassle-free service *****

Book arrived very quickly, brand new and wrapped up nicely. Overall very happy with this purchase. Thanks lots.

An outstanding biography *****
I found this an absorbing biography of Paul Dirac, a British physicist who was one of the pioneers of quantum mechanics. To a reader with limited mathematics the details of Dirac's contributions may be difficult to follow in places but the author succesfully conveys the excitement of the competition for theoretical advances in physics and the personal and professional relationships among Dirac, Einstein, Heisenberg, Schrodinger, Bohr and other leading scientists. What is most striking to the general reader is Dirac's reticent and awkward character and Farmelo explores this with insight and sensitivity. Highly recommended.

An outstanding biography *****

I found this an absorbing biography of Paul Dirac, a British physicist who was one of the pioneers of quantum mechanics. To a reader with limited mathematics the details of Dirac's contributions may be difficult to follow in places but the author succesfully conveys the excitement of the competition for theoretical advances in physics and the personal and professional relationships among Dirac, Einstein, Heisenberg, Schrodinger, Bohr and other leading scientists. What is most striking to the general reader is Dirac's reticent and awkward character and Farmelo explores this with insight and sensitivity. Highly recommended.

Alchemist of Time and Space *****
Very easy to understand pros for the layman and general public. The story is fascinating and very entertaining following the quest of a man who is misunderstood because of his brilliance but whose perseverance wins through although unrecognized by the mass of the public in his homeland, as the father of almost all modern science related to micro world of matter, space and time.

Alchemist of Time and Space *****

Very easy to understand pros for the layman and general public.
The story is fascinating and very entertaining following the quest of a man who is misunderstood because of his brilliance but whose perseverance wins through although unrecognized by the mass of the public in his homeland, as the father of almost all modern science related to micro world of matter, space and time.

The Strangest Man *****
I found this biography to to be a very good read - a page-turner - I was unable to put it down. Here is a social history of Physics in the first half of the twentieth century. All the major players are here as full interesting personalities - Rutherford, Bohr, Einstein, Schrodinger, Heisenberg. Dr Farmelo has skillfully woven in enough Physics to help the intelligent layman. Also here is a fascinating story of a clearly autistic genius and his extraordinary family as he moves from Bristol to Cambridge to Tallahassee.

The Strangest Man *****

I found this biography to to be a very good read - a page-turner - I was unable to put it down.
Here is a social history of Physics in the first half of the twentieth century. All the major players are here as full interesting personalities - Rutherford, Bohr, Einstein, Schrodinger, Heisenberg. Dr Farmelo has skillfully woven in enough Physics to help the intelligent layman.
Also here is a fascinating story of a clearly autistic genius and his extraordinary family as he moves from Bristol to Cambridge to Tallahassee.

Standing on the shoulders of giants *****
PAM Dirac is, any physicist will likely confirm it, a giant of science, yet he is a famously obscure figure, if you ask the general public. His contemporaries (Heisenberg, Pauli, Oppenheimer to name but a few) are almost without exception better known. Yet, Farmelo agrees quite convincingly that Dirac's skills, his contribution to physics, is second perhaps only to Einstein. This superb biography successfully brings to life what is perhaps the most fertile period in scientific history, the first half of the twentieth century, when the foundations of our society were laid down and built upon. Hundreds, if not thousands of years of accumulated knowledge exploded into practical applications, of which we are now reaping the benefits, pretty much all in Dirac's lifetime. More than the biography of a single man, this is the story of science being made, day by day, block by block, of false starts, competing ideas, overlapping theories, a grail quest of sort, of this breathless race to understand this universe in which we live. I recommend this book to anyone who likes a good story, even fiction lovers: early twentieth century physics has an eclectic cast of fascinating characters and quite a thrilling storyline!

Standing on the shoulders of giants *****

PAM Dirac is, any physicist will likely confirm it, a giant of science, yet he is a famously obscure figure, if you ask the general public. His contemporaries (Heisenberg, Pauli, Oppenheimer to name but a few) are almost without exception better known. Yet, Farmelo agrees quite convincingly that Dirac's skills, his contribution to physics, is second perhaps only to Einstein. This superb biography successfully brings to life what is perhaps the most fertile period in scientific history, the first half of the twentieth century, when the foundations of our society were laid down and built upon. Hundreds, if not thousands of years of accumulated knowledge exploded into practical applications, of which we are now reaping the benefits, pretty much all in Dirac's lifetime. More than the biography of a single man, this is the story of science being made, day by day, block by block, of false starts, competing ideas, overlapping theories, a grail quest of sort, of this breathless race to understand this universe in which we live. I recommend this book to anyone who likes a good story, even fiction lovers: early twentieth century physics has an eclectic cast of fascinating characters and quite a thrilling storyline!

A Tribute to a Great Man *****
At once a superb biography and an excellent overview of twentieth century physics, the author does an outstanding job of recounting the life and times of the great theoretical physicist Paul Dirac. From Dirac's birth in 1902 to his death in 1984, the author unfolds Dirac's life from the personal, scientific, familial and social aspects. Throughout the book, he is at once objective, respectful and admiring of his subject. Each chapter covers a specific time period in Dirac's life, as indicated at the top of every page; this is often quite useful for the reader. Also, the author is quite successful in his manner of presenting the developments in twentieth century physics in sufficient clear jargon-free details such that the information is accessible to a general readership without being inaccurate. In the second last chapter, the author discusses a possible brain condition that Dirac may have had that would help explain his odd behaviour. The last chapter provides a summary of Paul Dirac's scientific legacy and the importance of his contributions to his field. The writing style is clear, friendly, authoritative, quite accessible and immensely captivating; the book is very difficult to put down. This is a tome that can be enjoyed by anyone who wants an accessible outline of the tremendous discoveries and accomplishments that were made in twentieth century physics, the brilliant people who made them, all centered on the life of one of its greatest contributors.

A Tribute to a Great Man *****

At once a superb biography and an excellent overview of twentieth century physics, the author does an outstanding job of recounting the life and times of the great theoretical physicist Paul Dirac. From Dirac's birth in 1902 to his death in 1984, the author unfolds Dirac's life from the personal, scientific, familial and social aspects. Throughout the book, he is at once objective, respectful and admiring of his subject. Each chapter covers a specific time period in Dirac's life, as indicated at the top of every page; this is often quite useful for the reader. Also, the author is quite successful in his manner of presenting the developments in twentieth century physics in sufficient clear jargon-free details such that the information is accessible to a general readership without being inaccurate. In the second last chapter, the author discusses a possible brain condition that Dirac may have had that would help explain his odd behaviour. The last chapter provides a summary of Paul Dirac's scientific legacy and the importance of his contributions to his field. The writing style is clear, friendly, authoritative, quite accessible and immensely captivating; the book is very difficult to put down. This is a tome that can be enjoyed by anyone who wants an accessible outline of the tremendous discoveries and accomplishments that were made in twentieth century physics, the brilliant people who made them, all centered on the life of one of its greatest contributors.