The Chain Reaction: Pioneers of Nuclear Science (Lives in Science)

Fox, Karen

ISBN 10: 0531114252 ISBN 13: 9780531114254

Publisher: Franklin Watts, 1998

Profiles seven people--including Marie Curie, Enrico Fermi, Robert Oppenheimer, and Andrei Sakharov--whose study of the atom has shaped the field of nuclear science during this century.

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From School Library Journal:

Grade 6 Up?Greek philosopher Democritus may have posited the existence of atoms, but it wasn't until the 19th century that scientists really began to study them. Starting with Henri Becquerel's discovery of radioactivity, the chief theories and significant findings of Marie and Pierre Curie, Ernest Rutherford, Enrico Fermi, Ernest O. Lawrence, J. Robert Oppenheimer, Maria Goeppert-Mayer, and Andrei Sakharov are revealed in chronological order. Each chapter is divided into information about the individuals' early lives, accomplishments, and ideas, all of which are explained in simple terms. Fox highlights the characteristics that led to the subjects' achievements and the character flaws that sometimes interfered with their social success. Black-and-white portraits and snapshots show the scientists at work as well as with their families. A few photographs of the testing and use of atomic bombs emphasize the power of such weapons. An annotated list of Internet resources leads readers to greater depth of discovery. While most of these scientists have been the subject of individual biographies, the chronological perspective provided here gives a well-rounded grasp of the development of this young science.?Ann G. Brouse, Big Flats Branch Library, NY
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist:

Gr. 6^-12. Books in the Lives in Science series examine the growth of a scientific field by profiling the lives of its major contributors. In this entry, Fox introduces readers to the world of nuclear science by profiling seven men and women whose study of the atom has influenced the major social and political events of the twentieth century. Fox covers the development of the science in chronological order, examining each pioneer's life in light of his or her groundbreaking contribution: Curie and radioactivity, Rutherford and the identification of the nucleus, Fermi and the first nuclear chain reaction. Lawrence, Oppenheimer, Goeppert-Mayer, and Sakharov are also included. Researchers as well as budding scientists will find this a concise, readable overview of the field. A glossary, a bibliography, and a list of Internet resources are appended. Mary Romano Marks

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