Suspended in Language: Niels Bohr's life, discoveries, and the century he shaped

Bottom Line First: Jim Ottaviani and Leland Pervis have written a decent book in Suspended in Language. It is primarily the biography of Theoretical Physicist Neils Bohr and through him the development of Quantum Physics. Of Quantum Physics one of the most important concepts is that if you think you understand it, most likely you do not. Over all this is a good enough graphic text, but it is too deliberately disorganized and cross purposed. The intent seems to be to have the flow of the story somehow reflect the leaps and counter intuitive nature of the physics begin described. A brave notion that ultimately works against the goals of storytelling and explanation.The business of teaching physics is daunting. In my High School it was the single most feared course in the curricula. Because so much of it obtuse and bounded by difficult mathematics colleges commonly have special Physics for Poets classes. Add to that the fact that the boundaries of physics have moved from the visually demonstrable, such as action and reaction to the obviously impossible action at a distance; absent both higher math and a very focused mind and a student can be reduced to merely taking the lectures on trust.Action at a distance, which this books demonstrates as a proven fact involves actual experiments wherein two matched particles are moved very far apart and an induced change in the properties of one is reflected by a change in the properties of the other. There is nothing in conventional, non-quantum physics that can explain this result and a necessary implication is the end of cause and effect. I cannot recommend that you take this a proof that a human does not need a parachute or similar device to safely jump from an airplane flying at altitude. In fact there is a very short, mentioned one time comment that that cause and effect still seems to operate at levels above the sub atomic.When the reader is not being directed to jump ahead to read up on something in the text or to shift back while an earlier situation is explained, Suspended in Language does several things well. A large cast of mathematicians and physicists; their scientific contributions and something of their fates is presented. A surprising amount of very difficult material is rendered comprehensible and the complete package is not boring. All these people and events occur during the rise of Nazi Germany and World War II. This historic context is important to the story of these people and how they came to be involved in the development of the Atomic Bomb. This too is managed by Ottaviani and Purvis.Very few physics teachers have the luxury of presenting the thinkers behind the theories as humans. Suspended in Language is at it best in helping the reader to understand the people as well as their science. Neils Bohr formost but many others are presented as real people and not just producers of abstract thought. Something of the politics of academia and of international science is also likely to be new points of view for the reader.Page for page much of the artwork is beautiful. Unfortunately it can also be cluttered and confusing. If a picture needs to be footnoted to explain that a pictured event never happened or that people drawn into a scene were not part of that discussion, then that pictures and text are unnecessary of counterproductive.There is much to learn and much to admire about Suspended in Language. Unfortunately there is also too much that is unnecessary or misdirecting.

Reading the other interview on this book, there's not much I can add since they capture the essence of this book: a physicist on par with his contemporary, Albert Einstein. The major comment I can give is that this is a graphics novel in the tradition of the classic "edu-Manga." But don't let that put you off because it brilliantly captures Bohr's life and philosophy *AND* the history of quantum mechanics in a fairly easy to read package. Given that so many are scientifically illiterate, this is a wonderful introduction to one of the giants of physics and a true shaper of modern society and technology and could even be used as "textbook" in a limited capacity, because it draws you in with the very real human side of the man and the science - rather than the "ivory tower" so often associated with science, mathematics, and engineering today. I even bought a copy to give to an engineering professor / colleague who was looking for Bohr's quote about horseshoes and luck (... "I am told it works even if you don't believe in it."), and even though he isn't a comic book reader, he read the entire book and was absolutely delighted with it. A true gem and one I keep on hand for reference.

If you konw nothing about physics or Niels Bohrs, or the brillant felows that lived in the middle of the las century and you are interested in learning something about them and their discoverys that's a good book to begin. You learn and during the reading you will enjoy the draws.The lesson I seized from that book is that the language build the way we see the world. The world as itself is not in front of our eyes purely, we must have the language to circumscribe it. Everything just exist for us if we have the language to explain, to talk about it.I realy like reading it.

This is a well-written book, enjoyable to read. Some of the story relied a little too much on the art, and it wasn't exactly clear what was going on. The appendices were great. The author did an excellent job of communicating complex science into near-layman's terms. This would have been a great help back in my college days during Physics III (Quantum Mechanics).

This is, well, odd. Artwork is great but the writing doesn’t match. But a clever bold idea. Bravo.

An excellent biography in graphic form!Several professors are using this as an adjunct text for Physics classes.

It's a fine story. Beatifully illustrated. But sometimes it gets a little bit boring. I guess in part is because Bohr's personalilty. He was a genius, but not charming at all.

Not exactly what I expected. (My error, here) but was informative anyway.

A great graphic novel which is both entertaining and informative. There were some laugh out load moments when reading this book. A good balance of history and science where the personalities concerned shine through.

A good scientific history.

On connait Niels Bohr pour son Prix Nobel, ses modèles de l'atome, et la conceptualisation de la mécanique quantique. Mais le personnage est aussi fantastique que ses découvertes, son intuition fulgurante a changé la perception du monde dans lequel nous vivons et ouvert des horizons nouveaux. De ce roman graphique magistral, mêlant rigueur scientifique et dessin audacieux, je retiens le bonheur d'avoir pu partager un instant un peu de la vie de ce génie (savoureux: ses duels avec Albert Einstein, jusqu'au dernier souffle...). Merci Mr. Ottaviani. A lire absolument!!!