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4.33 AVERAGE
4.33 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
My first five-star read of 2025! This Herculean book is more than just a biography of J. Robert Oppenheimer—it’s a sweeping history of the early to mid-20th century. It delves into the life of a man who was not only shaped by an era of immense change in science, technology, and politics but ultimately one who became one of its key architects.
A must read!
A must read!
slow-paced
'American Prometheus' is one of the best books I've read (or, in this case, listened to) so far this year.
This biography tracks closely with last summer's film "Oppenheimer," and I actually recommend seeing the film first. There are a lot of names, after all, and being able to put actors' faces to those names helps the listener keep clear regarding who's doing what to whom. With that said, the book tracks very closely with the film while adding more depth to its subjects.
I find Oppenheimer to be a fascinating man in all his brilliance, fallibility, complexity, and stupidity. I find his milieu, surrounded by many of the great minds of the twentieth century, particularly compelling. And I found author Kai Bird's writing to be clear, direct, and illuminating.
If I have one quibble, it's with the sound mixing of the Audible edition of this book. Sessions recorded on different days seem to have been recorded in different studios, or with different microphones. The clarity and tenor of the narrator's voice sometimes shifts in the middle of a chapter. It can be distracting.
This, however, is a minor quibble. Oppenheimer is an important man who found himself at the center of events during a critical time in America. His life, both in its triumphs and persecutions, offers us lessons today. In short, this is an excellent biography of a worthy subject. I strongly recommend it.
This biography tracks closely with last summer's film "Oppenheimer," and I actually recommend seeing the film first. There are a lot of names, after all, and being able to put actors' faces to those names helps the listener keep clear regarding who's doing what to whom. With that said, the book tracks very closely with the film while adding more depth to its subjects.
I find Oppenheimer to be a fascinating man in all his brilliance, fallibility, complexity, and stupidity. I find his milieu, surrounded by many of the great minds of the twentieth century, particularly compelling. And I found author Kai Bird's writing to be clear, direct, and illuminating.
If I have one quibble, it's with the sound mixing of the Audible edition of this book. Sessions recorded on different days seem to have been recorded in different studios, or with different microphones. The clarity and tenor of the narrator's voice sometimes shifts in the middle of a chapter. It can be distracting.
This, however, is a minor quibble. Oppenheimer is an important man who found himself at the center of events during a critical time in America. His life, both in its triumphs and persecutions, offers us lessons today. In short, this is an excellent biography of a worthy subject. I strongly recommend it.
I really enjoyed this deep dive into Oppenheimers life. The author did a great job of collecting data and organizing it in an easily and fast paced way. Though he made some mistakes, his work and brilliance was amazing to learn more about. I found myself frustrated that people could so blatantly ruin such an important man’s life for vengeance.
An utterly thorough examination of a man who greatly shaped the 20th century and a telling indictment of a government that destroyed the reputation of a great hero. Oppenheimer was the epitome of the right person for the moment who knew how to surround himself with the right people to deliver on a project that would forever alter the trajectory of humanity.
The book itself starts a bit too dry for my palate but the pace picks up rather nicely once work begins on the Manhattan project. Those earlier glimpses into his life do serve purpose and finds value later in the book. This is a long read but worth the effort.
The book itself starts a bit too dry for my palate but the pace picks up rather nicely once work begins on the Manhattan project. Those earlier glimpses into his life do serve purpose and finds value later in the book. This is a long read but worth the effort.
Fascinating read. Obviously I love the film (and have watched it at least 4 times) so I thought I should probably read about the full story, and it’s incredible how word-for-word the film is at times. So many of the transcripts are copies verbatim - mad.
"Los Prometeos modernos han vuelto a saquear el monte Olimpo y han dado al hombre los mismísimos rayos de Zeus."
challenging
informative
slow-paced
watched oppenheimer, saw rf kuang gave this 5 stars & ran to the library
this was super interesting & I highly recommend to people who missed half the movie’s dialogue because christopher nolan does not believe in vocal isolation
this was super interesting & I highly recommend to people who missed half the movie’s dialogue because christopher nolan does not believe in vocal isolation