Chandra: A Biography of S. Chandrasekhar (Centennial Publications of the University of Chicago Press)

Chandra is an intimate portrait of a highly private and brilliant man, Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, a Nobel laureate in physics who has been a major contributor to the theories of white dwarfs and black holes. "Wali has given us a magnificent portrait of Chandra, full of life and color, with a deep understanding of the three cultures—Indian, British, and American—in which Chandra was successively immersed. . . . I wish I had the job of reviewing this book for the New York Times rather than for Physics Today . If the book is only read by physicists, then Wali's devoted labors were in vain."—Freeman Dyson, Physics Today "An enthralling human document."—William McCrea, Times Higher Education Supplement "A dramatic, exuberant biography of one of the century's great scientists."— Publishers Weekly > Prologue: Tracking The Legend Of Chandrasekhar -- The Simple And True -- Choosing The Unconventional: A Family Trait -- Determined To Pursue Science: Lahore And Madras, 1910-1930 -- Discoveries, Personal And Scientific: Cambridge And Copenhagen, 1930-1933 -- Fellow Of Trinity College: Cambridge, 1933-1934 -- The Absurd Behavior Of Stars: Eddington And The White Dwarfs: Cambridge, 1934-1935 -- I Must Push On In My Directions: Cambridge And Harvard, 1935-1936 -- Lalitha: Madras, 1936 -- Scientist In The Midst Of Political Turmoil: Williams Bay, Wisconsin, 1937-1952 -- The Autocrat Of The Editor's Desk: The Astrophysical Journal: Chicago, 1952-1971 -- In The Lonely Byways Of Science: Chicago, 1972-1989 -- Epilogue: Conversations With Chandra. Kameshwar C. Wali. A Centennial Publication Of The University Of Chicago Press. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 309-325) And Index.