Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

Robert Oppenheimer: Triomphe et tragédie d'un génie by Kai Bird, Martin J. Sherwin

23 reviews

brennach's review against another edition

challenging informative slow-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, and War

Minor: Homophobia, Antisemitism, and Death of parent

bg_oseman_fan's review against another edition

informative medium-paced

5.0

A great read. captured some insights into a consequential mind. i found the context around science and the red scare. i especially found the end parts of Oppenheimer’s life interesting, since the Nolan movie did not cover them. a comprehensive story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity and Alcohol

Moderate: Alcoholism, Mental illness, and Antisemitism

Minor: Addiction, Death, Suicide, Medical content, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and War

grace_loves_lizards's review against another edition

dark informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

3.5

The biography was well done, often times it was so bizarre it read like fiction. At the start, I was hooked, but towards the end I started to get bored. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Infidelity, and Suicide

Moderate: Addiction, Mental illness, Terminal illness, and Toxic relationship

bcvogel90's review against another edition

informative slow-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness

Moderate: Alcoholism

Minor: Suicide

serenalovely's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

4.5

When I say I want to read a biography, this is what I mean. You get a deep sense of Oppenheimer and his friends (and enemies) along with opinions of the time from people around the world and a look into academia , the world of physics, government and how they became one. I recommend this to anyone who wants to learn more about academia, government, WWII and it’s after math, or the Cold War. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide

billievee's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

4.75

If you thought the Oppenheimer movie was too short, this is the book for you!

...That sounds sarcastic, but I kinda mean it. I went into last year's Oppenheimer knowing almost nothing about the famous scientist, and it breezed through so much history in its 3 hour runtime that I found it hard to follow. This book, on the other hand, is extremely detailed about every aspect of Oppenheimer's life, and by the end it feels like he was someone who you knew well: a complex genius with some very human flaws. It's a long read, but worthwhile.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, Death, Genocide, Racism, Suicide, Antisemitism, and War

Minor: Mental illness and Panic attacks/disorders

issyd23's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

4.0

Worth the effort! 4🤠 

“Modern Prometheans have raided Mount Olympus again & have brought back for man the very thunderbolts of Zeus.” Scientific Monthly

Imagine having one of the greatest minds of the 20th century & the first 4 chapters of your biography is about how much of a loser you were at school/uni, how little you had sex & how you had 0 friends & low key tried to kill yourself & your professor.

Thankfully Oppie’s neuroses ‘subsided during middle age’ & he went on to have many affairs, friends & lead the Manhattan project & other groundbreaking discoveries. 

Jokes aside this biography is incredible: the best I’ve read & well worth the slog if you’re a fan of the film! 

It was so great reading the backstories of Jean Tatlock, Kitty, Isi Rabi & other fascinating people (I now finally understand what happened with Haakon Chevalier).

My eBook was so filled with highlights it started lagging. 

Bird & Sherwin’s attention to detail & research is considerable. Take a bow! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Bullying, Cancer, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Genocide, Hate crime, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Dysphoria, War, and Classism

hannahgingerich's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

This book is huge but it is unlike any other biography I have ever read.  Even though it’s large the book does not read like a dense textbook.  It has a story and it flows.  This book is not just straight facts about Oppenheimers life, at time it also feels like it has an undertone of philosophical understandings.  The idea that Oppenheimer was naieve enough to believe that he creates something that is so destructive and that it might not be used, or change warfare in general.  Then to watch him slowly become disillusioned with the politics and government regarding the issues.  It’s a remarkable book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Infidelity, Suicide, and War

jennneely82's review against another edition

adventurous informative reflective slow-paced

5.0

This was a beast of an audiobook, 26 hours, but it was an amazing listen. Chemistry, physics, atomic bombs, New Mexico, politics, government and their conspiracies, FBI, parties, and debauchery are just a few of the themes in this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism and Cancer

Moderate: Death, Suicide, and War

jordansmoot's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

The 2023 film only captures a fraction of Oppenheimer’s life, though it does so well. For a more complete picture, this book is a must.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Mental illness, Suicide, Terminal illness, and War

Minor: Antisemitism