Chandra: A Biography of S. Chandrasekhar

Professor Wali has done an excellent job to document the essential background of Professor Chandrasekhar, known popularly as "Chandra". Chandra was not only a brilliant physicist, but he was also a very caring and wonderful human being. Wali's Epilogue on "Conversations with Chandra" gives a superb insight into Chandra's soul. It clearly shows his love of science and fellow beings, and how to keep contributing despite severe discriminations Chandra faced in England, USA and even in his country of origin, India. "Chandra" will continue to inspire the younger generation.

This book "Chandra" is a biography of Chandrasekhar, who is one of the most inspiring and fascinating scientists of Tamil Nadu, India and most certainly a famous scientists in the world. Chandrasekhar was famously called by friends and colleagues as Chandra. Dr.Chandrasekar is a cousin of Sir C.V.Raman who is also a nobel laureate (Raman effect). Nice to have a uncle in the family as a nobel lauraete to follow his footsteps. Both these scientists and the mathematics genius Ramanujam about whom I will review in a separate book review after the current book review, these there scientists are my all time admirable scientits from Tamil Nadu, India. While Raman and Chandra was genius scientists in physical sciences, Ramanujan was a genius of genius in mathematics............. Anyways, let me get to Chandra and his biography, this book was written extremely well by a Physics professor Kameswar Wali......................................... UNDER CONSTRUCTION....I am still workin on it...............come back later...

This is a story that begs to be recounted. A brilliant and shy young scholar from a conservative S.Indian family wins a scholarship to study Physics at Cambridge. He spends the few weeks at sea en route to England working on the Physics of stellar collapse. His results puzzle even the eminent theorists of his day, Eddington among them. Undaunted by his detractors, trying to adapt to an alien culture with its cold winters and bland, non-vegetarian cuisine, the young scientist plugs on convinced that his calculations are correct. Eventually, the much older Chandrasekhar gains international renown for his work and is honored with the Nobel Prize for Physics. The book is, overall, a chronicle of a great man's journey. He gains in stature and experience, but his fundamental character remains the same. Over and over we are given the same impression of Dr.Chandrasekhar by those who knew him as family, friend and/ or colleague. He is portrayed as dedicated to his work, dignified, disciplined in all aspects of his life, holding himself and the others around him to the utmost high standards. The books is more about the man, than about his work. Of course, his life cannot be portrayed without referencing his work. Wali frequently alludes to it but only as a backdrop to the various stages and incidents of the scientist's life. Wali's goal is to capture the essence of the man, and he has done so admirably.

A must read for any aspiring scientist in any branch of the sciences -- not just astronomy or physics. The book starts with a detailed account of his childhood and sheds light on Chandra's ancestry. Wali reveals the scientist in himself by paying great attention to every detail, and reveals to us the foundations of a genius in the making. An enlightening tale with very little scientific mumbo-jumbo but oodles of history. The book provides insight into the young Chandra's brilliance, and recounts a wizened Chandra navigating the high seas of politics in academia. As a countryman, I am enlightened and inspired.

Here is an account of the life of one of the legendary scientific figures of the 20th century. Chandra has often been compared with Lord Rayleigh and Poincare, emphasizing not just the manner in which he conducted research but also that he was a part of the same classical tradition. However, he was a person so private that very little of his life or his work is known outside of the scientific community. The book serves to remedy this. It is also worth reading because of Chandra's connection with names that have now passed into history: Hardy, Rutherford, Dirac, Bohr, Eddington, Raman, Heisenberg, Sommerfield, and even Ramanujan. The tales and connections are a fascinating read. I specially recommend the chapter on his wife Lalitha, a remarkable woman from a remarkable family. Wali's portrayal is both sensitive and revealing. His aim is clear, namely to bring to the public eye a man noted for his reticence and extreme privacy. Don't miss reading this book.