C. V. Raman (A Biography)

DETAILS : 

• Publisher: Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd.
  
• Author: Uma Parameswaran
  
• Language: English
  
• Pages: 296 (10 B/W Illustrations)
  
• Cover: Paperback
  
• Weight 230 gm
  
• Edition: 2011
  
• ISBN: 9780143066897

BACK OF THE BOOK

In 1921, while on a voyage to England Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman was amazed by the spectacular blue of the Mediterranean sea. Seven years of research led to the Raman Effect, an explanation of the molecular diffraction of light that won him the Nobel Prize in Physics In 1930-the first non-white and first Aslan to be thus honoured.

Always a nationalist, Raman strove to win a place for India in the international arena by mentoring scores of students, many of whom became renowned scientists; he also organized conferences for the promotion of scientific inquiry and founded significant journals. After a long spell at the Indian Association for the Cultivation; of Science and at Calcutta University, and fruitful tenure at the Indian Institute of Science as the first Indian director, he set up the Raman Research institute in 1948, where his legacy survives to this day.

Raman was famous not only for his sharp intellect, but also for his personal charm, abundant vitality and sense of humour. This comprehensive biography details for the first time Raman’s growth as an individual, taking us through his childhood years, his relationships and his travels. Drawing on interviews, anecdotes, family history and other secondary sources, C. V. Raman gives new insights into one of the greatest minds India has produced.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Uma Parameswaran was born in Chennai, and educated in Jabalpur and Nagpur, where her father was a professor of physics. In 1966, she emigrated to Canada with her husband. She earned her PhD from Michigan State University in 1972 and recently retired as professor of English from the University of Winnipeg. She has published extensively in the field of postcolonial literatures and is the author of several works of fiction, poetry and drama, including the award –winning collection What Was Always Hers and recent novel, A Cycle of the Moon.