Degrees Kelvin: a tale of genius, invention, and tragedy

This is an absolutely fascinating romp through nineteenth century physics which has as its vehicle the life of William Thomson - perhaps better known as Lord Kelvin. Thomson's scientific life and times are very well portrayed - he was interested in almost anything that constituted natural philosophy (today known as physics). But in addition to his pursuits in pure science, Thomson was also intensely interested in using science to develop technology for the betterment of humanity. Consequently, some of his contemporaries have criticized him for spending too much time tinkering and not enough time applying his tremendous intellect to more abstract scientific problems. Thomson's fields of activity were many: thermodynamics, electromagnetism, age of the earth and participating in the laying of the transatlantic cable being only a few. The writing style is clear, authoritative, friendly, accessible and quite captivating. The science is very well explained, despite the fact that illustrative diagrams have not been included. After reading the book, I was left rather puzzled by the word "tragedy" in its subtitle. Although the elderly William Thomson was often rather reluctant in embracing new development in physics, mainly near the turn of the twentieth century, he did lead a rich productive life and was lauded and respected by his scientific contemporaries and the public alike. Somehow, the word "tragedy" does not seem appropriate. Although anyone can enjoy this book and learn much from it, because of its scientific content, science buffs are likely to relish it the most.