Crease and Mann write in the afterword of The Second Creation that they sought to tell the history of the Standard Model through the words of those most closely involved. This they do, admirably. Many of the scientists appear as deeply human, their flaws on clear display, and to flattering effect: humanness makes their subtle and powerful understanding of nature all that more impressive. What’s unsaid by Crease and Mann, but evident, is that the history is told in a way that’s (presumably) minimally scientifically acceptable to the protagonists, which means digging into the details of the physics (including, in many cases, the intellectual wrong turns). This is a good choice if the intended audience is composed of the involved physicists themselves, or even of the rising scientific generation who would benefit from a more realistic view of their heroes, and of the march of science generally. There is great value in hearing a story close to one’s heart told by outsiders, especially when the emphasis is on a collective enterprise rather than specific individuals. But all but the most extremely committed of lay readers may find themselves scratching their heads repeatedly over the physics. This is an unexpectedly technical book—which itself wouldn’t be problematic if the tone didn’t swerve so frequently back to conversational, which makes calibrating oneself as a reader difficult. To Crease and Mann’s credit, the work is so skillfully assembled, tonal issues aside, that the overall narrative thread is never lost or even obscured. The Second Creation is a worthy and unique experiment, a combination of literature review, history, and action-adventure. Not entirely successful, but worthy. 7
Crease, Robert P. and Mann, Charles C. The Second Creation. Macmillan Publishing, 1986. Reviewed October 17, 2024.