Books like From x-rays to quarks by Emilio G. Segrè

Stephen Hawking explores the cutting edge of theoretical physics in layman’s terms, guiding readers through the mysteries that shape our universe.

A concise biography of Albert Einstein presented through his scientific correspondence, notably with Michele Besso, and exploring the evolution of physics before, during, and after Einstein’s life.

Collected essays, lectures, and papers by leading atomic physicists illuminate Niels Bohr’s role in the quantum revolution, his pivotal 1921 paper, and his 1922 Nobel lecture, offering insight into his scientific ideas and personal character.

"Although the book has been written from the perspective of two physicists, we hope that it will be useful to the wider community of biologists, chemists, material scientists, etc., who work at synchrotron radiation facilities around the world"--

A biography of the physicists who sought a unified theory of physics.

Max Planck came to prominence after proposing the quantum idea in 1900 and rose steadily to the forefront of scientific leadership in Germany, which retained its lead in science especially in physics, chemistry, and mathematics during the first several decades of the 20th century. A close colleague of Einstein and most major continental scientists of his period, Planck fought a losing battle against overwhelming odds by defying the Nazi regime. Heilbron's biography carefully details the life of this courageous, humane, and brilliant scientist.

At a time when the Manhattan Project was synonymous with large-scale science, physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer (1904–67) represented the new sociocultural power of the American intellectual. Catapulted to fame as director of the Los Alamos atomic weapons laboratory, Oppenheimer occupied a key position in the compact between science and the state that developed out of World War II. By tracing the making—and unmaking—of Oppenheimer’s wartime and postwar scientific identity, Charles Thorpe illustrates the struggles over the role of the scientist in relation to nuclear weapons, the state, and culture.A stylish intellectual biography, Oppenheimer maps out changes in the roles of scientists and intellectuals in twentieth-century America, ultimately revealing transformations in Oppenheimer’s persona that coincided with changing attitudes toward science in society."This is an outstandingly well-researched book, a pleasure to read and distinguished by the high quality of its observations and judgments. It will be of special interest to scholars of modern history, but non-specialist readers will enjoy the clarity that Thorpe brings to common misunderstandings about his subject."—Graham Farmelo, Times Higher Education Supplement"A fascinating new perspective....Thorpe’s book provides the best perspective yet for understanding Oppenheimer’s Los Alamos years, which were critical, after all, not only to his life but, for better or worse, the history of mankind."—Catherine Westfall, Nature