Samuel Glasstone

{{Infobox person

| name = Samuel Glasstone

| image = Samuel Glasstone.jpg

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1897|05|03|df=y}}

| birth_place = London, England

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1986|11|16|1897|05|03|df=y}}

| education = University of London

| occupation = {{Flatlist|

Author
Physical chemist

}}

Samuel Glasstone (3 May 1897 – 16 November 1986) was a British-born American academic and writer of scientific books. He authored over 40 popular textbooks on physical chemistry and electrochemistry, reaction rates, nuclear weapons effects, nuclear reactor engineering, Mars, space sciences, the environmental effects of nuclear energy and nuclear testing.

Early life

Glasstone was born on 3 May 1897 in London. He received two doctorates, in 1922 and 1926 (PhD and DSc), in chemistry at London University. Glasstone discovered the C–H···O interaction in 1937.{{cite journal| title = The structure of some molecular complexes in the liquid phase|journal = Trans. Faraday Soc. | volume = 33|number = 1|pages = 200–207|year = 1937|doi = 10.1039/tf9373300200 |last1 = Glasstone |first1 = Samuel }} After several academic appointments in England, he moved to the US in 1939 and became a naturalized citizen in 1944.

Career

After numerous studies of physical chemistry, for example the discovery of the C–H···O interaction mentioned above, Glasstone worked with Henry Eyring and Keith Laidler on the theory of absolute reaction rates.{{cite journal | doi= 10.1063/1.1750364| title= Application of the Theory of Absolute Reaction Rates to Overvoltage| year= 1939| last1= Eyring| first1= H.| last2= Glasstone| first2= S.| last3= Laidler| first3= K. J.| journal= J. Chem. Phys.| volume= 7| issue= 11| pages= 1053–1065| bibcode= 1939JChPh...7.1053E}}

He was an accomplished author and consultant to the AEC at the time. Former Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) Chairmain Glenn T. Seaborg wrote:Dudley Lynch: Dr. Samuel Glasstone: A Spokesman For Science. In: The Atom, Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory. 1966, S. 18–22

Over a period of 17 years he has produced for the AEC 12 classical nuclear texts or reference books, each a model in its field. His books ... show what science writing at its best can be – unfairingly correct, but also fluent, lucid, gracesful and superbly organized.

Publications

Popular works are:

A Textbook of Physical Chemistry (1943)
Elements of Physical Chemistry (1960)
Sourcebook on Atomic Energy (1950)
The Effects of Nuclear Weapons (1950){{cite Q|Q63079864}}
Nuclear Reactor Theory (1970), with George I. Bell
Controlled Thermonuclear Reactions (1960), with Ralph H. Lovberg
The Elements of Nuclear Reactor Theory (1953), with Milton C. Edlund
Principles of Nuclear Reactor Engineering (1963), with Alexander Sesonske

His book The Effects of Nuclear Weapons, has appeared in three editions: 1957,{{cite Q|Q63072754}} 1962,{{cite Q|Q63132790}} and 1977{{cite Q|Q63132957}} (originally titled The Effects of Atomic Weapons{{cite Q|Q63133275}}), and documented the effects of nuclear explosions. The 3rd edition was co-authored with Philip J. Dolan.