Walter J. Moore (1918–2001)

I started this biography curious about Schrödinger's physics and ended it curious about Schrödinger's philosophy. The book does a wonderful job outlining the life and works. It doesn't shy away from equations, but at the same time the author is careful to define his variables. It's surprising how often this isn't done. With a bit of work, one comes away with a reasonable introduction to quantum wave mechanics and other areas that Schrödinger worked on (color theory, statistical approaches show more to physics, the link between relativity and quantum theory).

Schrödinger's philosophical works touch on metaphysics and are an early example of the effort to understand the relationship between mind and matter via Vedāntic thought. I can't judge how successful he was without reading his writings, but the glimpses provided by this biography are intriguing. show less

Well written biography of the father of wave mechanics. The most amazing thing is what a philanderer the guy was. Fair assessment of the man, but does leave you with a slightly diminished opinion of the character of this famous physicist. Excellent coverage of the physics as well. Highly readable.

Surprisingly good in terms of laying out different models of solids, but the last chapter (anthracene) was tough going, maybe because I just don't know enough chemistry yet to appreciate what he was trying to say.

An insightful and thorough review of Schroedinger's contributions and beyond. Written by a scientist.