Judging Edward Teller: A Closer Look at One of the Most Influential Scientists of the Twentieth Century, Istvan Hargittai, Prometheus Books, New York, 2010. $32.00 (575 pp.). ISBN 978-1-61614-221-6
Much has been written about Edward Teller, but little of it is objective. Given, on the one hand, his position as one of the most inventive theoretical physicists of the 20th century and, on the other, his central role in the development and advocacy of thermonuclear weapons, one might imagine it impossible at this point in history to write a scholarly, impartial account of Teller’s life and impact.
However, Istvan Hargittai, a prominent Hungarian physical chemist and historian of science, has written a balanced, thoughtful, and beautifully researched biography that comes closest—Judging Edward Teller: A Closer Look at One of the Most Influential Scientists of the Twentieth Century. Hargittai is uniquely qualified for this...
