“American Prometheus” by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin – Blood Science

There are very few things in this world, if any at all, which can only be used for either good or evil.

The purpose given to things heavily depends on our personal desires and intentions; in other words, a technology can be used for both constructive and destructive means, and that’s a statement that couldn't be closer to the truth when it comes to nuclear energy.

On one hand, it is a virtually-unequaled energetic fuel, and on the other, a weapon of mass destruction and unimaginable terror. In American Prometheus Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin explore the life of arguably one of those who spearheaded the development of the atomic bomb: J. Robert Oppenheimer.

For starters, the biography was written by two of the best and most-qualified authors in the business: one hand we have a master biographer (Kai Bird), and one the other an expert on the history of atomic energy (Matin J. Sherwin).

As you can certainly expect, there are countless facts and bits of trivia about Oppenheimer’s life, from his early days as a student, to his involvement in the development of the atomic bomb and the rather crucial role he played during the Cold War.

Of course, the authors don’t simply aim to fill our heads with cold hard information, but rather, they bring to life the rather extraordinary person that Oppenheimer was. We also get to learn about the non-scientific aspects of his life, what influenced him to become the person he was, the events that shaped him, and so on and so forth.

The way I saw it, by far the most interesting aspect of the book was the subject of rationalization and moral reconciliation towards the invention of the atomic bomb. Needless to say, Oppenheimer was not a wanton mass murderer, and knowing that he was more or less directly responsible for unspeakable atrocities put him in a very complicated position, one which only very few people could manage to deal with.

All in all, this book offers a very clear, unbiased and lucid look at the person Oppenheimer was, the importance of the work he did, and the actual consequences of his actions on the world.

There are many complex questions which the authors don’t shy away from answering, even though on multiple occasions it simply needs to be accepted that certain things will never be conclusively revealed.

This is a top-quality biography that offers insight from every possible perspective into one of the most intriguing minds of the 20th century, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who wants to learn about the man.

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Kai Bird Personal site Kai Bird is an American author and columnist whose most well-known works are biographies revolving around political figures. Amongst many awards, including Tom J. Watson and Guggenheim fellowships, he received the 2006 Pulitzer Prize in biography for American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer.

Martin J. Sherwin Martin J. Sherwin is an American historian who has the distinction of having been awarded the Pulitzer Prize, with his works mostly concerning the development of atomic energy and its role in shaping the world of today. Alongside Kai Bird, he co-authored a bestselling biography titled American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer.