50
Used, New, and Out of Print Books - We Buy and Sell - Powell's Books
Cart |
|  my account  |  wish list  |  help   |  800-878-7323
Hello, | Login
MENU
  • Browse
    • New Arrivals
    • Bestsellers
    • Featured Preorders
    • Award Winners
    • Audio Books
    • See All Subjects
  • Used
  • Staff Picks
    • Staff Picks
    • Picks of the Month
    • Bookseller Displays
    • 50 Books for 50 Years
    • 25 Best 21st Century Sci-Fi & Fantasy
    • 25 PNW Books to Read Before You Die
    • 25 Books From the 21st Century
    • 25 Memoirs to Read Before You Die
    • 25 Global Books to Read Before You Die
    • 25 Women to Read Before You Die
    • 25 Books to Read Before You Die
  • Gifts
    • Gift Cards & eGift Cards
    • Powell's Souvenirs
    • Journals and Notebooks
    • socks
    • Games
  • Sell Books
  • Blog
  • Events
  • Find A Store

Don't Miss

  • Scientifically Proven Sale
  • Staff Top Fives of 2022
  • Best Books of 2022
  • Powell's Author Events
  • Oregon Battle of the Books
  • Audio Books

Visit Our Stores


Powell's Staff: From the Buyers' Desk: Spring 2023 (0 comment)
The book buyers at Powell’s — the esteemed team that combs through catalogs and determines what new books to bring in — know all of the upcoming releases we should be placing preorders for now. For your eager, book-anticipating pleasure, they pulled together a wide-ranging list of 30 titles, books that cover everything from quantum computing...
Read More»
  • Dizz Tate: Books That Made Me Want to Write: Dizz Tate’s Bookshelf for Brutes (0 comment)
  • Harper C.: Five Book Friday: Uncanny Graphic Novels (0 comment)

{1}
##LOC[OK]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]## ##LOC[Cancel]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]## ##LOC[Cancel]##

Ordinary Geniuses Max Delbruck George Gamow & the Origins of Genomics & Big Bang Cosmology

by Gino Segre
Ordinary Geniuses Max Delbruck George Gamow & the Origins of Genomics & Big Bang Cosmology

  • Comment on this title
  • Synopses & Reviews

ISBN13: 9780670022762
ISBN10: 0670022764
Condition: Like New
DustJacket: Like New

All Product Details

View Larger ImageView Larger Images
Ships free on qualified orders.
Add to Cart
0.00
List Price:0.00
Hardcover
Ships in 1 to 3 days
Add to Wishlist

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments

A biography of two maverick scientists whose intellectual wanderlust kick-started modern genomics and cosmology.

Max Delbruck and George Gamow, the so-called ordinary geniuses of Segre's third book, were not as famous or as decorated as some of their colleagues in midtwentieth-century physics, yet these two friends had a profound influence on how we now see the world, both on its largest scale (the universe) and its smallest (genetic code). Their maverick approach to research resulted in truly pioneering science.

Wherever these men ventured, they were catalysts for great discoveries. Here Segre honors them in his typically inviting and elegant style and shows readers how they were far from "ordinary". While portraying their personal lives Segre, a scientist himself, gives readers an inside look at how science is done--collaboration, competition, the influence of politics, the role of intuition and luck, and the sense of wonder and curiosity that fuels these extraordinary minds.

Ordinary Geniuses will appeal to the readers of Simon Singh, Amir Aczel, and other writers exploring the history of scientific ideas and the people behind them.

Review

 Segrè spins a rousing tale of scientific thought and adventure. And like his subjects, he makes a convincing case for approaching new problems with a sense of wonder.--Publisher’s Weekly

An exuberant dual biography that integrates developments in quantum physics, cosmology and genetics since the 1920s with the lives of these two scientists.--Kirkus Reviews

Gino Segrè’s fascinating dual biography of George Gamow and Max Delbrück, “Ordinary Geniuses.” Gamow was a theoretical physicist who made an interesting foray into the biology of protein synthesis, while Delbrück was a theoretical physicist who became a biologist and then won the Nobel Prize for his work in genetics.--Wall Street Journal

In parallel chapters Segrè has sensitively and insightfully narrated chronologically Delbrück and Gamow’s personal and professional lives. And while doing so, he has clearly presented and explained their scientific contributions; the prior works on which they were based; and their present day importance and relevance.--American Scientist

Segrè convincingly shows how the pair’s maverick personalities led to their discoveries, while their restlessness often stopped them seeing their ideas to maturity.--New Scientist

Review

andnbsp;Segrandegrave; spins a rousing tale of scientific thought and adventure. And like his subjects, he makes a convincing case for approaching new problems with a sense of wonder.--Publisherandrsquo;s Weekly

An exuberant dual biography that integrates developments in quantum physics, cosmology and genetics since the 1920s with the lives of these two scientists.--Kirkus Reviews

Gino Segrandegrave;andrsquo;s fascinating dual biography of George Gamow and Max Delbranduuml;ck, andldquo;Ordinary Geniuses.andrdquo; Gamow was a theoretical physicist who made an interesting foray into the biology of protein synthesis, while Delbranduuml;ck was a theoretical physicist who became a biologist and then won the Nobel Prize for his work in genetics.--Wall Street Journal

In parallel chapters Segrandegrave; has sensitively and insightfully narrated chronologically Delbranduuml;ck and Gamowandrsquo;s personal and professional lives. And while doing so, he has clearly presented and explained their scientific contributions; the prior works on which they were based; and their present day importance and relevance.--American Scientist

Segrandegrave; convincingly shows how the pairandrsquo;s maverick personalities led to their discoveries, while their restlessness often stopped them seeing their ideas to maturity.--New Scientist

Review

Segrè spins a rousing tale of scientific thought and adventure. And like his subjects, he makes a convincing case for approaching new problems with a sense of wonder. --Publishers Weekly

An exuberant dual biography that integrates developments in quantum physics, cosmology and genetics since the 1920s with the lives of these two scientists. --Kirkus Reviews

Gino Segrès fascinating dual biography of George Gamow and Max Delbrück, “Ordinary Geniuses.” Gamow was a theoretical physicist who made an interesting foray into the biology of protein synthesis, while Delbrück was a theoretical physicist who became a biologist and then won the Nobel Prize for his work in genetics. --Wall Street Journal

In parallel chapters Segrè has sensitively and insightfully narrated chronologically Delbrück and Gamows personal and professional lives. And while doing so, he has clearly presented and explained their scientific contributions; the prior works on which they were based; and their present day importance and relevance. --American Scientist

Segrè convincingly shows how the pairs maverick personalities led to their discoveries, while their restlessness often stopped them seeing their ideas to maturity. --New Scientist

“Ordinary Geniuses makes me wistfully wonder if the world will ever again witness the coming together of such fun-loving intellectual brilliance.”

—James D. Watson, author of The Double Helix

 

“George Gamow and Max Delbrück were free spirits and practical jokers. They broke away from the mainstream of science in the 1930s and found new ways of thinking that opened the way to new sciences in the 1950s. George invented Big Bang cosmology, and Max invented molecular biology. This book brings them magnificently to life. It gives us a fresh view of the way new sciences are born.”

—Dr. Freeman Dyson, Princeton Institute for Advanced Study

 

 

“Ordinary Geniuses is no ordinary book. Gino Segrè, a masterly storyteller, takes us off the beaten path to view two revolutions in twentieth-century science from a novel perspective. By chronicling the lives of two renegade scientists, Max Delbrück and George Gamow, Segrè puts the birth of both molecular biology and modern cosmology in a whole new light. An engaging read.”

—Marcia Bartusiak, author of The Day We Found the Universe

 

“Gino Segrè is an accomplished scientist, a gifted writer, and a meticulous scholar. His talents come together in this wonderful book, the story of the intertwining careers of two quite amazing scientists. But it is more. It is a loving ode to twentieth-century science and will enthrall as it instructs.”

—Kenneth W. Ford, author of 101 Quantum Questions: What You Need to Know About the World You Can't See; former director, American Institute of Physics

 

“A marvelous book. Segre describes vividly how Delbruck helped to establish the new science of molecular biology while Gamow went into cosmology and originated our current view of the Big Bang. They both left major impressions on science as might be expected from “ordinary geniuses.””

—Alex Rich, Sedgwick Professor of Biophysics at M.I.T.

Review

Segrand#232; spins a rousing tale of scientific thought and adventure. And like his subjects, he makes a convincing case for approaching new problems with a sense of wonder. --Publisherand#8217;s Weekly

An exuberant dual biography that integrates developments in quantum physics, cosmology and genetics since the 1920s with the lives of these two scientists. --Kirkus Reviews

Gino Segrand#232;and#8217;s fascinating dual biography of George Gamow and Max Delbrand#252;ck, and#8220;Ordinary Geniuses.and#8221; Gamow was a theoretical physicist who made an interesting foray into the biology of protein synthesis, while Delbrand#252;ck was a theoretical physicist who became a biologist and then won the Nobel Prize for his work in genetics. --Wall Street Journal

In parallel chapters Segrand#232; has sensitively and insightfully narrated chronologically Delbrand#252;ck and Gamowand#8217;s personal and professional lives. And while doing so, he has clearly presented and explained their scientific contributions; the prior works on which they were based; and their present day importance and relevance. --American Scientist

Segrand#232; convincingly shows how the pairand#8217;s maverick personalities led to their discoveries, while their restlessness often stopped them seeing their ideas to maturity. --New Scientist

and#8220;Ordinary Geniuses makes me wistfully wonder if the world will ever again witness the coming together of such fun-loving intellectual brilliance.and#8221;

and#8212;James D. Watson, author of The Double Helix

and#160;

and#8220;George Gamow and Max Delbrand#252;ck were free spirits and practical jokers. They broke away from the mainstream of science in the 1930s and found new ways of thinking that opened the way to new sciences in the 1950s. George invented Big Bang cosmology, and Max invented molecular biology. This book brings them magnificently to life. It gives us a fresh view of the way new sciences are born.and#8221;

and#8212;Dr. Freeman Dyson, Princeton Institute for Advanced Study

and#160;

and#160;

and#8220;Ordinary Geniuses is no ordinary book. Gino Segrand#232;, a masterly storyteller, takes us off the beaten path to view two revolutions in twentieth-century science from a novel perspective. By chronicling the lives of two renegade scientists, Max Delbrand#252;ck and George Gamow, Segrand#232; puts the birth of both molecular biology and modern cosmology in a whole new light. An engaging read.and#8221;

and#8212;Marcia Bartusiak, author of The Day We Found the Universe

and#160;

and#8220;Gino Segrand#232; is an accomplished scientist, a gifted writer, and a meticulous scholar. His talents come together in this wonderful book, the story of the intertwining careers of two quite amazing scientists. But it is more. It is a loving ode to twentieth-century science and will enthrall as it instructs.and#8221;

and#8212;Kenneth W. Ford, author of 101 Quantum Questions: What You Need to Know About the World You Can't See; former director, American Institute of Physics

and#160;

and#8220;A marvelous book. Segre describes vividly how Delbruck helped to establish the new science of molecular biology while Gamow went into cosmology and originated our current view of the Big Bang. They both left major impressions on science as might be expected from and#8220;ordinary geniuses.and#8221;and#8221;

and#8212;Alex Rich, Sedgwick Professor of Biophysics at M.I.T.

Synopsis

A fascinating tribute to the forefathers of two of todays most exciting scientific fields

Thanks to Max Delbruck and George Gamow, today we have mapped the human genome and understand the ramifications of the Big Bang. In his characteristically inviting and elegant style, Gino Segre brings to life the story of these two great scientists and their long friendship and offers an accessible inside look the people behind the scenes of science—the collaboration and competition, the quirks and failures, the role of intuition and luck, and the sense of wonder and curiosity that keeps these extraordinary minds going.


About the Author

Gino Segrè is professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Pennsylvania. An internationally renowned expert in high-energy elementary-particle theoretical physics, Segrè has served as director of Theoretical Physics at the National Science Foundation and received awards from the National Science Foundation, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and the Guggenheim Foundation. This is his first book.


What Our Readers Are Saying

Be the first to share your thoughts on this title!




Product Details

ISBN:
9780670022762
Binding:
Hardcover
Publication date:
08/01/2011
Publisher:
Viking Books
Pages:
352
Height:
9 in.
Width:
6 in.
Age Range:
from 18 and up
Grade Range:
from 12
Author:
Gino Segre
Subject:
Physics-General
Subject:
Biography-Scientists

Ships free on qualified orders.
Add to Cart
0.00
List Price:0.00
Hardcover
Ships in 1 to 3 days
Add to Wishlist
Used Book Alert for book Receive an email when this ISBN is available used.
{1}
##LOC[OK]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]## ##LOC[Cancel]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]## ##LOC[Cancel]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]## ##LOC[Cancel]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]## ##LOC[Cancel]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]## ##LOC[Cancel]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]## ##LOC[Cancel]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]## ##LOC[Cancel]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]## ##LOC[Cancel]##
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram

  • Help
  • Guarantee
  • My Account
  • Careers
  • About Us
  • Security
  • Wish List
  • Partners
  • Contact Us
  • Shipping
  • Transparency ACT MRF
  • Sitemap
  • © 2023 POWELLS.COM Terms

{1}
##LOC[OK]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]## ##LOC[Cancel]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]## ##LOC[Cancel]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]## ##LOC[Cancel]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]## ##LOC[Cancel]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]## ##LOC[Cancel]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]## ##LOC[Cancel]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]## ##LOC[Cancel]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]## ##LOC[Cancel]##