Why read Genius in the Shadows?

Book cover of Genius in the Shadows: A Biography of Leo Szilard, the Man Behind the Bomb

Book description

Leo Szilard has long been overshadowed by such luminaries as Einstein, Oppenheimer, and Enrico Fermi—with whom he codesigned the first nuclear reactor in 1942. A shy, witty eccentric, the Hungarian born Szilard lived both sides of the arms race, working first to prevent, then to hasten, and finally to outlaw…

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Why read it?

1 author picked Genius in the Shadows as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

David N. Schwartz

Author

Leo Szilard was one of the most interesting people of the 20th century. His first love was physics, and he is given credit for being the first to think about what would happen if someone could create a nuclear chain reaction. He worked closely with Fermi to make that chain reaction actually happen in Chicago in 1942, and was one of those who was able to see the great tragedy of the discovery, leading efforts in 1945 to try and prevent the use of the weapon against Japan. He was a colorful man, a bon vivant who loved to…

From David's list on The best books on the lives of 20th century physicists.