Office of Science & Technology - Review of A Passion for Discovery by Peter Freund

Review of A Passion for Discovery by Peter Freund

bridges vol. 17, April 2008 / Book Reviews

Reviewed by Walter Thirring

"A Passion for Discovery"

The 20^th century had terrible and magnificent times in store. Once the madness of the Nazi regime had been disposed of, the western world enjoyed the longest period of peaceful development in its history. As soon as the human spirit can unfold freely, it becomes aware of the mysteries of the world we live in and the possibilities they offer. The resulting advances in technology in turn stimulate progress in science, and what results can be called a metamorphosis of the species Homo sapiens. On this canvas Peter Freund paints his picture of the protagonists of this evolution. They come from all countries, all social levels, they have different political and religious views, but they have a common motive: The Passion for Discovery.

Freund himself has a multicultural and multilingual background: As child he spoke German and Hungarian, then he went to a Romanian school, did his graduate studies in Vienna, and had a postdoc in Geneva. Retiring from the famous physics department of the University of Chicago, he finds time to order his memoirs, which embrace most of the greats in physics and mathematics. He paints a vivid picture not only of the scientific but also the human aspects of these individuals. This entails a balancing act between too much or too little of their private lives, and however one does it there will be critics who find too much on one side. So I will not make any judgment about that, but only state that it certainly is fascinating reading.

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