Steven Weinberg: A Life in Physics

Steven Weinberg (1933–2021) held the Josey Regental Chair in Science at the University of Texas at Austin. A Nobel laureate in physics and National Medal of Science winner, he is recognized as one of the key architects of the Standard Model of particle physics. In addition to his ground-breaking research in fundamental physics and his science advocacy, he was a prolific author of both academic and popular-level books, widely celebrated for his exceptional physical insight and his gift for clear exposition.

'A roughly chronological account of his life up to the 1990s, with his perspective on the development of fundamental physics over the past century. … written for a wide audience, featuring neither unexplained jargon nor even a single equation … Non-specialists might sometimes be overwhelmed by the details of Weinberg's account of the development of the standard model. But he takes care to leaven his narrative with engaging accounts of his meetings with other famous physicists, including Robert Oppenheimer and quantum pioneers Niels Bohr and Wolfgang Pauli. Most fascinating are his experiences as a member of the JASON group of top-drawer scientists that gives independent, secret advice to the US government … As his splendidly readable memoir shows, Big Steve was much more than a great scientist, however - his appetite for life was nothing short of gargantuan.' Graham Farmelo, Nature

• Preface: The Twentieth Century; 1. First Things; 2. Turning to Science; 3. Cornell; 4. Copenhagen; 5. Princeton; 6. Manhattan; 7. San Francisco and Berkeley; 8. East to London; 9. Berkeley; 10. Cambridge, 1966–69; 11. Cambridge, 1969–72; 12. Cambridge, 1972–79; 13. Gone-to-Texas; 14. SuperCollider Days; 15. Austin: the 1980s; 16. The Dark Energy; 17. Austin: the 1990s; Bibliography; Image credits; Index.