Synopses & Reviews
A story of one of the half dozen most remarkable women of the 20th century.
a John Archibald Wheeler
The dramatic tale of the discovery of nuclear fission on the eve of WWIIa ]not just a story of ideasa ]but also of the social and intellectual milieu in which these ideas were developed. It is also the story of how a shy, self-effacing young woman, through talent and hard work, became a world-class scientista ]Rife tells this story very well.
a The Antioch Review
The particular merit of Rifea (TM)s biography of Austrian physicist Meitner is that it places her life and work within the historical contexta ]It is comprehensive, generally clearly writtena ]and appropriate for undergraduate students. Just enough science is included as to make clear the significance of her work...Extensive bibliography, informative footnotes.
a Choice
In this captivating biography, Patricia Rife interprets both the life and times of Lise Meitner (1878-1968), the female physicist at the heart of the discovery of nuclear fission. She was a colleague and friend of many of the giants of 20th century physics: M. Planck, her Berlin mentor, A. Einstein, M. von Laue, Madame M. Curie, J. Chadwick, W. Pauli, and N. Bohr. Meitner was the first woman to earn a Ph.D. in physics at the University of Vienna, a pioneer in the research of radioactive processes and, together with her nephew Otto Robert Frisch, an interpreter of the process of nuclear fission in 1938. Yet at the end of World War II, her colleague of thirty years, radiochemist Otto Hahn alone was awarded the 1944 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the discovery of nuclear fission -- a discovery based on years of research in which Meitner was directly involved before her secret escape from Nazi Germany.
Review
"The particular merit of Rife's biography of Austrian physicist Meitner is that it places her life and work within the historical context, successfully combining her own achievement as the discoverer of nuclear fission with the work of other eminent physicists....It is comprehensive, generally clear written...and appropriate for undergraduate students. Just enough science is included as to make clear the significance of her work and its connection with the course of physics in the 20th century." CHOICE
Review
"Lise Meitner comes to life as author Rife skillfully weaves social, political, and scientific events into a well-researched and documented work. Lists of Meitner's awards and publications and an extensive bibliography complete this excellent book." AWIS Magazine
Synopsis
The drama surrounding the discovery of nuclear fission, which led directly to the development of the first atomic bomb by the Allies, is a true thriller in the history of science. The female physicist at the heart of this discovery also led a fascinating life. Lise Meitner was the first woman to earn a Ph.D. in physics at the University of Vienna, a pioneer in the research of radioactive processes and, together with her nephew Otto Robert Frisch, an interpreter of the process of nuclear fission in 1938. She was a colleague and friend of many of the giants of 20th century physics: Max Planck, her Berlin mentor, Albert Einstein, Max von Laue, Madame Marie Curie, James Chadwick, Wolfgang Pauli, and Niels Bohr. Yet at the end of World War II, her colleague of thirty years, radiochemist Otto Hahn alone was awarded the 1944 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the "discovery" of nuclear fission a discovery based on years of research in which Meitner was directly involved in before her secret escape from Nazi Germany.
In this fascinating biography, Patricia Rife interprets both the life and times of Lise Meitner (1878-1968), providing a rich background of the scientific discoveries and social milieu that affected the research, events, personalities, and politics of 20th century quantum physics. Rife asks the central question of why, given the priority evidence of Meitner's role in the interpretation of nuclear fission, was she too not awarded the Nobel Prize?
Table of Contents
"Contents:
Foreword by John Archibald Wheeler
Introduction by Patricia Rife
Chapter I. Choosing the Path of Physics: 18781906
Chapter II. Berlin: 19071909
Chapter III. New Explorations at the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute: 19091914
Chapter IV. World War I and Its Consequences: 19141920
Chapter V. Shadows Lengthen: The Struggle out of the Causal Chain: 19201932
Chapter VI. Science in Nazi Germany: 19331936
Chapter VII. The Transuranic Maze: 19341938
Chapter VIII. Escape from Nazi Germany: 1938
Chapter IX. The Discovery and Interpretation of Fission: 1938
Chapter X. The News of Fission Spreads: 1939
Chapter XI. Chain Reaction: The Dawn of the Nuclear