Interactions: A Journey Through the Mind of a Particle Physicist and the Matter of This World

A Nobel-laureate physicist describes his development as a scientist, and comments on the political and competitive aspects of the scientific community

Glashow won the Nobel Prize in 1979 along with Abdus Salam and Steve Weinberg for his seminal work in unifying the electro-magnetic and the weak nuclear forces, a major step toward today's more ambitious Grand Unified Theories. In this engaging scientific autobiography, he takes readers on a tour of the realms of subnuclear physics introducing us to the important concepts in particle physics and to most of the major figures in the esoteric world of theoretical physics, including Niels Bohr and Murray Gell-Mann. Occasionally, Glashow is too anxious to let readers know that he is a regular guy with a one-time fondness for speedy cars, fast women and copious quantities of good food. On the whole, however, the memoir is a fine example of science writing and will reward readers with a clearer grasp of modern physics. Illustrations not seen by PW.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Two narratives are intertwined in this book: one is a brief history of particle physics; the other, a memoir of Glashow's life and career as a theoretical physicist. The review of particle physics is anecdotal and subjective, but it gives a lively, credible view of developments from the vantage point of a major participant. The personal memoir is awkwardly written and interspersed with many brief, disconnected comments and anecdotes. It is further marred by extreme overemphasis on the Nobel prize (Glashow shared the 1979 physics prize). The resulting potpourri is not a fully satisfactory introduction to particle physics and is disappointing as an autobiography. Jack W. Weigel, Univ. of Michigan Lib., Ann Arbor
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.