Unfortunately it doesn't get as technical as I would like it to -- that's historians for you -- and even introductory nuclear physics books. But it does actually describe the tools and operating conditions more precisely than most of my nuclear physics books, actual experimental runs (not to our standards, but again -- not bad).
What actually interested me most (and often does in historical biographies) is kind of "who were those guys, how did they hold their mouths while doing whatever it was they did".
What made them tick. How did they deal with the inevitable problems that arose. In other history -- why was Churchill in the right place and time for England, and why was Eisenhower the same for us. Remarkable men have a lot to teach us.
Because, remember, these were guys who really changed the planet. Yes, it was a little easier to discover something new then, but....they are the ones who did it in those times.
And those things don't change much. If we learn how to walk and chew gum as they did -- we'll do well in these times too, I believe.
A fly in the Cathedral
Forum rules
This is for info on what books or literature are good, and where to find them. Personally, links to expensive papers where the abstract promises the world, but the paper doesn't deliver (the norm) are deprecated...We want to know about the good stuff here, rather than pay taxes once for the research, then enrich a greedy publisher once again who didn't really contribute value and has already made money on the journal the article appeared in. There are exceptions, but they are few indeed.
This is for info on what books or literature are good, and where to find them. Personally, links to expensive papers where the abstract promises the world, but the paper doesn't deliver (the norm) are deprecated...We want to know about the good stuff here, rather than pay taxes once for the research, then enrich a greedy publisher once again who didn't really contribute value and has already made money on the journal the article appeared in. There are exceptions, but they are few indeed.
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Doug Coulter
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Re: A fly in the Cathedral
Posting as just me, not as the forum owner. Everything I say is "in my opinion" and YMMV -- which should go for everyone without saying.
Re: A fly in the Cathedral
On the subject of book recommendations, another book I read recently [...this might make me sound like I read a lot, which would be very misleading!!] was a biography of Churchill by James C Humes (speech-writer to various Presidents). It is very pro-Churchill (if you'd left me to guess, I would've said it was an autobiography!!) but answers exactly the question 'why was Churchill where he was'....right down to describing the map of New Zealand he memorised that happened to come up in his third and final attempt at the Sandhurst entry exam which, had fortune not smiled on him in this way, he would've not got into Sandhurst and therefore his life would've taken a completely different route.
Re: A fly in the Cathedral
Just to correct a small mistake
The book I referred you all to is
The Fly in the Cathedral
author Brian Cathcart
isbn 0-670-99321-2
RRP 14 british pounds or Can$34
The book I referred you all to is
The Fly in the Cathedral
author Brian Cathcart
isbn 0-670-99321-2
RRP 14 british pounds or Can$34