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The End of the Certain World

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Adapted from the English Wikipedia article The End of the Certain World, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 10 August 20257 sources
The End of the Certain World: The Life and Science of Max Born
Company typeBook
IndustryPublishing
Founded2005
FounderNancy Thorndike Greenspan
ProductsBiography
ParentBasic Books

The End of the Certain World: The Life and Science of Max Born is a 2005 biography authored by Nancy Thorndike Greenspan and published by Basic Books. It represents the inaugural full-scale biography of Nobel Prize winner Max Born, a pivotal contributor to the establishment of quantum mechanics. The work garnered widespread critical praise, receiving evaluations from distinguished academics and publications such as Publishers Weekly, David C. Cassidy, Kurt Gottfried, Graham Farmelo, and Cathryn Carson.

Background

Max Born played a fundamental role in the creation of quantum mechanics, a term he introduced prior to his assistant Werner Heisenberg's development of matrix mechanics.[1] Additionally, he authored the seminal textbook Principles of Optics.[2] Despite his essential contributions, Born was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics relatively late, receiving it in 1954, well after Heisenberg's 1932 recognition. Before Greenspan’s biography, no exhaustive account of Born’s life existed.[3]

Content

  1. A Kind of Shell
  2. A Higher Desire
  3. Matters Physical
  4. A Bitter Pill to Swallow
  5. There is No Other Born in Germany
  6. Thinking Hopelessly about Quanta
  7. But God Does Play Dice
  8. Dark Future
  9. Seeing How Expendable You Are
  10. Talking of Desperate Matters
  11. Worse Than Imagination
  12. There Are So Many Ifs
  13. A Curse of the Age
  14. A Trip to Stockholm

Reception

The biography attracted thorough reviews from experts including David C. Cassidy,[3] Kurt Gottfried,[1] and Cathryn Carson,[4] alongside coverage in mainstream media such as Publishers Weekly,[5] Science News,[6] and The Times Higher Education Supplement. Critics underscored its importance as the first detailed life story of Born.[6][5][3]

David C. Cassidy lauded the book for addressing a previously neglected biographical void on Born, describing it as "a powerful story" that is "well told".[3] Publishers Weekly characterized it as a compassionate narrative that raises awareness of Born’s legacy while deepening insight into the foundations of modern physics.[5] Science News highlighted its relevance for readers fascinated by physics’ formative era, recognizing Born’s prominence.[6]

Kurt Gottfried emphasized the volume’s comprehensive portrayal of the social, political, and intellectual milieus influencing Born’s professional journey and praised its nuanced depiction of his personality—a dimension rarely explored before.[1] He regarded it as essential reading for subsequent Born scholarship.

Graham Farmelo complimented Greenspan on producing an accessible and thoroughly researched biography that thoughtfully examines Born’s character. He noted minor limitations concerning the discussion of some unfavorable traits and offered only an introductory overview of Born’s scientific achievements, which he found appropriate for a broad readership.[7]

Cathryn Carson viewed the biography as providing the most detailed examination yet of the collaborative interactions that led to quantum mechanics’ inception. She identified it as the first successful life story capturing a pioneer in quantum mechanics, establishing it as a vital resource among 20th-century physics biographies.[4]

Publication Information

  • The End of the Certain World: The Life and Science of Max Born authored by Nancy Thorndike Greenspan, released in 2005 by Basic Books, New York, ISBN 0-7382-0693-8.

Related Topics

Additional Resources

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Gottfried
  2. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named milonni
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named cassidy
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Carson
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named pubWeekly
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named sciencenews
  7. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Farmelo

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