A unique individual with a fascinating life story, Ivar Giaever is a scientist who won the Nobel Prize in Experimental Physics in 1973. In his own words, Giaever relates an absorbing tale of how important luck and good fortune have been in shaping his life. He narrates the story of an ordinary childhood in Norway and an unremarkable undergraduate career at university. After finishing his engineering degree, he served in the Norwegian army and married his childhood sweetheart, Inger Skramstad. His desire to make a better life for his new family led Ivar to Canada and then to the United States. Even without an advanced degree in a scientific field, Ivar was given the opportunity to work with cutting-edge scientific researchers at General Electric R&D in Schenectady, New York. While there, he completed his PhD at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute — one of the United States' oldest technological universities. His work on superconductivity led to worldwide recognition and the Nobel Prize. This memoire is more than the story of an accomplished, world-renowned scientist: it is an engaging reminiscence of an independent, highly creative thinker and problem solver who loves games and puzzles, skiing and windsurfing, and time with friends and family. Dr Ivar Giaever's fascinating story intertwines his views on the nature of science, scientific processes, contemporary issues such as global warming, and the great benefits the Nobel Prize has afforded him. Written with humor and often tongue-in-cheek, "I am the Smartest Man I know" is one man's meditation on science, intellectual inquiry, and life itself.
"This is a wonderful story, from Ivar Giaever's life in a Norwegian village, through Canada, and to General Electric in Schenectady, his experiments on electron tunnelling into superconductors, and the Nobel prize. It is told in his distinctive and unique way of speaking, making it like listening to the story over a cup of coffee, or a glass of Akvavit. Don't be put off by the title, which has a story of its own, but doesn t sound at all like the book reads. We are also treated to his views on life, which are always a little different from what one might have expected." -- Professor Walter A Harrison, Stanford University
"Ivar Giaever's autobiography is a very lively and entertaining read. In it, he describes detailed recollections of his remarkable life from childhood in a tiny village in rural Norway to a Nobel prize in physics and worldwide recognition of his scientific work. His narrative is sprinkled with frequent touches of humor and his frank opinions on many topics, including "politically incorrect" views on topics like global warming and gender differences." -- James D Livingston, Author of Rising Force: The Magic of Magnetic Levitation
"There is a plethora of anecdotes that provide fascinating insight into a person who has made the most of his life." -- CERN Courier
