Reviews for Satyendra Nath Bose: His Life and Times: Selected Works (with Commentary)

The average rating for Satyendra Nath Bose: His Life and Times: Selected Works (with Commentary) based on 2 reviews is 3 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2020-03-31 00:00:00 Regina Puskorius "For though, to all true philosophers, Science and Nature will have charms innumerable in every dress, yet I am sorry to say that the generality of mankind cannot accompany us one short hour unless the path is strewn with flowers." - Excerpt from the book The Philosopher's Tree is a collection of Michael Faraday's writings: his letters, his journal entries, his lectures, and even his lab notes. Organised by the author in the form of chapters, the letters come with a detailed context which give the book an undertone of a biography and state Faraday's accounts his own voice thus allowing the reader to connect with him. The book starts from his more personal correspondence with his family and gradually progresses to his more formal communication with his friends and peers. This book not only reveals the thought-process behind arguably the most brilliant experimenter of history but also depicts his usually amicable relations with both the princes and paupers (though not as generous for the former) which he exhibits in his passionate communication to science to the masses. The title, though appearing irrelevant at first, is in fact deeply rooted in Faraday's philosophy of life. Derived from one of his quotes, it reflects Faraday's aspiration to imitate a tree in growth: thorough yet natural and spontaneous. The book itself, though temporally nonlinear, illustrates different aspects of Faraday's life ' the strictly professional, the amicably personal, and everything in between ' and how he rises from humble beginnings to become the Director of the Royal Society. Unlike most accomplished scientists pigeonholing their passions, one finds Faraday very much in touch with his 'human side' throughout the course of the book, almost like a Romantic poet. The book talks through Faraday's trivial proficiency in mathematics, his frustration as a young scientist, his disdain for the nobility and their honours (which might be an aftermath of his experience with Lady Davy), and his unfaltering devotion to his noble profession of science discovery and science teaching among many other facets of his profound life. The highlight of the book for me, as a science communicator and aspiring educator, is the chapter Science in the Lecture Theatre, wherein Faraday explains the requisites of a lecture, even elaborating such trivial details as ventilation and exits. While the idea may come off as overly meticulous at first, reading into the chapter itself reveals that this chapter is dedicated much more to the service of students than the lecturer. Throughout the chapter, and the book, Faraday puts the responsibility of effective science communication on the communicator than the audience. "I speak to an audience of juveniles as a juvenile myself," he says to his audience of, on average, 14-year olds in his Christmas lectures ' a tradition of arranging science lectures by the Royal Society for the laymen; started by Faraday himself; and continued, to this day, by the Royal Society. Perhaps it's not wrong to credit the exuberance of this book to its author, Peter Day: a scientist known for his larger-than-life personality. Being a Director of the Royal Institution himself, Day not only worked towards the progression of chemistry but also worked towards the popularisation and modernisation of science. A reflection of Day's own life in retrospect of this book makes it quite evident that no other author would have honoured the warmth of Faraday's personality alongside the brilliance of his genius mind as justly as Day. With Day passing away only this year, perhaps this book takes on a different colour altogether.

Review # 2 was written on 2015-03-27 00:00:00 Jeremy Frommer meh