Foreword
The world of science is greatly fortunate that a theoretical physicist of the
distinction of Abraham Pais should have discovered within himself not only a
particular talent for scientific biography but also a passionate desire to convey to
us his unique perspective on the momentous developments in 20th-century
physics that he had witnessed. Himself a very significant later contributor, Pais
had been well acquainted with most of the key figures in this highly remarkable
period of scientific development, and he was able to combine his own deep
understanding of the central physical ideas with a personal knowledge of these
individuals.
Pais had worked with Niels Bohr in 1946 and later wrote a comprehensive
biography of Bohr's life and work.* Subsequently, he provided short biographies
of many other outstanding figures of the time, with whom he had been personally
acquainted, such as Paul Dirac, Wolfgang Pauli, John Von Neumann, and Eugene
Wigner.** But the book that launched Pais's biographical career was his landmark
biography of Einstein, entitled "Subtle is the Lord", the title being an English
translation of part of a quotation from Einstein (inscribed, in 1930, in marble
above the fireplace in the faculty lounge of the mathematics building in Princeton)
which in the original German reads
"Raffiniert ist der Herrgott aber boshaft ist er nicht."Pais translates this as "Subtle is the Lord, but malicious He is not".
There have been numerous biographies of Einstein, both before and after this
one, but what distinguishes Pais's book is the detail and insight into Einstein's
scientfic contributions, with not so much emphasis on issues of a personal nature
that have little bearing on his role as a scientist. This book was surely the biography
that Einstein himself would have most valued.*** For whereas Pais does not at all
*Niels Bohr's Times: In Physics, Philosophy, and Polity (Oxford University Press, 1991).
**The Genius of Science: A Portrait Gallery of Twentieth Century Physicists (Oxford University Press,
2000). In his technical/historical book Inward Bound: Of Matter and Forces in the Physical World
(Oxford University Press, 1986), he addressed the important aspects of 20th-century physics not
covered in the current volume.
***It was clearly valued by others, as it became the winner of the 1963 American Book Award and
was selected by The New York Times Book Review as one of the best books of the year.