Selected Works of Marie Curie: Including Research on Radioactive Substances, Biography of Curie, The Autobiography of Marie Curie, and Other Historical Materials

玛丽·居里Peking University Press · ChinaJun 2026

Rating 4.7
Word count
223K words
Chapters
36
ISBN
9787301364895

Tags

Popular Science Science EnlightenmentLegendary LivesInspirationSpiritual ComfortAcademic StudyEclectic ReadingFemale Perspective

Summary

This volume brings together three works by Marie Curie: her doctoral dissertation, Recherches sur les substances radioactives (Research on Radioactive Substances); her biography of Pierre Curie; and her autobiography. The dissertation is regarded as a model of scientific writing, and the volume is the most complete and classic Curie reader currently available on the Chinese market. It opens with an introduction by Professor Yang Jianye of Huazhong University of Science and Technology and a memorial essay, "A Great Mind," by the American social activist Mrs. Meloney. The book concludes with a special collection of rich historical materials, including honors, biographical information, and publications related to Marie Curie, as well as the academic connection between Curie and China: "My Mentor Marie Curie" by Shi Shiyuan and "The Joliot-Curies and I" by Qian Sanqiang. It also includes the Nobel Prize presentation speech and banquet speech delivered when the Curies received the award.

Editor's review

This book stands out for taking Marie Curie down from her pedestal as a scientific icon and restoring her as a writer of clear thought and unwavering will. The doctoral dissertation, Research on Radioactive Substances, directly presents her research methodology; from experimental design to data derivation, readers can sense the raw texture of early radioactivity research and appreciate the discipline and restraint of scientific writing. The biography of Pierre Curie and Marie Curie's autobiography offer two complementary perspectives: the former looks back on family and era, while the latter presents personal choices and emotions in the first person. Yang Jianye's introduction and Mrs. Meloney's reminiscence provide paths into the text, and the historical materials at the end are especially valuable—the recollections by Shi Shiyuan and Qian Sanqiang trace a connection between the Curie laboratory and the origins of modern Chinese science, while the Nobel Prize presentation and banquet speeches preserve the evaluative tone of that era. It serves well as a crossover sample for reading in the history of science and biography, and as a reference for scientific writing.

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Reading tips

  1. Begin with Yang Jianye's introduction and Mrs. Meloney's reminiscence to establish the historical context before entering the main text
  2. Read the dissertation alongside the Nobel speeches to sense the resonance between the research scene and academic evaluation
  3. Alternate between the autobiography and the biography of Pierre Curie, noting the difference between first-person and third-person narration
  4. Save the historical materials at the end for last, as a supplement and echo of the relationships among figures in the main text

About the publisher

Peking University Press China · Founded in 1979

Peking University Press is a comprehensive university press whose publishing areas cover classical literature, popular science, social culture, world history, Western philosophy, and culture. Its catalogue contains 6,031 titles, with representative books including A Dream of Red Mansions, Relativity: The Special and General Theory (15th Edition) (with Einstein's classic papers on unified field theory and other topics), Elements, Conics, The Aristocratic Families of the Eastern Jin, The Philosophy of Mythology (Volume I), The Philosophy of Mythology (Volume II), and The Origin of Continents and Oceans. Representative authors include Cao Xueqin, Zhou Ruchang, Albert Einstein, Euclid, Apollonius, Tian Yuqing, Schelling, and Xian Gang. The press has developed distinctive strengths in classical Chinese literature and in the translation of Western philosophical classics, while also covering scientific classics and social and cultural studies. As public information is limited, this description is based only on the books in the catalogue and offers no further extrapolation.

Contents

  1. 版权信息
  2. 弁言
  3. 导读
  4. 序言
  5. 上篇 放射性物质的研究
  6. 引言
  7. 第一章 铀和钍的放射性，放射性矿物
  8. 第二章 研究方法
  9. 第三章 新放射性物质的辐射
  10. 第四章 放射性向本来无放射性的物质传播
  11. 第五章 放射性现象的本质和原因
  12. 中篇 居里传
  13. 序言
  14. 第一章 居里家族，幼年和早期学习
  15. 第二章 年轻时的梦想，第一项科学研究，发现压电现象
  16. 第三章 理化学校实验室主任，对称性原理，研究磁性
  17. 第四章 结婚和家庭生活，性格和品德
  18. 第五章 梦想成真，发现镭
  19. 第六章 争取工作条件，成名的烦恼，国家的首次帮助，迟来的改善
  20. 第七章 民族的悲哀，实验室：“神圣之地”
  21. 下篇 居里夫人自传
  22. 第一章 少女时代和结婚
  23. 第二章 婚后生活，发现镭
  24. 第三章 大战时期的救护工作
  25. 第四章 访问美国
  26. 附录A 荣誉·大事记·论著目录
  27. 一、1903年诺贝尔物理学奖授奖辞
  28. 二、1911年诺贝尔化学奖授奖辞
  29. 三、放射性物质——镭（1903年诺贝尔物理学奖获奖演说）
  30. 四、镭与化学中的新概念（1911年诺贝尔化学奖获奖演说）
  31. 五、居里夫人生平大事记
  32. 六、居里夫人的论文和著作目录
  33. 七、居里夫人获得的奖励和荣誉
  34. 附录B 居里夫人与中国
  35. 一、我的恩师居里夫人
  36. 二、我与约里奥-居里夫妇

FAQ

Is this book suitable for readers without a science background? Yes, but the reading order should be adjusted. It is advisable to start with the introduction, the autobiography, and the reminiscences at the end, which are primarily narrative and more accessible; the dissertation involves experiments and data, so non-specialist readers can first grasp its research approach and writing structure without working through every formula and experimental detail.
What is mainly included in the historical materials at the end of the book? According to the materials, the end of the book includes information on honors, biographical details, and publications related to Marie Curie, as well as records of her academic connection with China, including Shi Shiyuan's "My Mentor Marie Curie" and Qian Sanqiang's "The Joliot-Curies and I," plus the Nobel Prize presentation speech and banquet speech delivered when the Curies received the award.
What is the relationship between the doctoral dissertation and the two biographies? The three are different in genre and complementary in function. The dissertation displays Marie Curie's research methods and scientific expression as a research text; the biography of Pierre Curie focuses on family and the currents of the era; the autobiography presents personal experience and inner life in the first person. Read together, they form a complete layering from academic practice to life narrative.
What does "most complete" in the edition information refer to? According to the introduction, the book is a relatively complete and classic Marie Curie reader on the Chinese market, including the doctoral dissertation, two biographies, and an introduction, memorial essays, historical materials, and Nobel Prize-related documents. Readers may judge from this that its scope of collection is broad, but "most complete" is the publisher's wording; the specific contents should be based on the actual table of contents.

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About the author

玛丽·居里 Author

Marie Curie is a biographical figure who draws considerable attention from Chinese readers, and her life and scientific work are often presented through autobiographies, selected writings, and collected biographies. The library contains ten related works, mainly in popular science, general biography, and foreign literature. They include first-person narratives such as The Autobiography of Marie Curie, anthologies that bring together historical materials on research into radioactive substances with biographical accounts, and editions combined with biographies of other notable figures. Because basic information such as nationality and dates of birth and death is unavailable in the library, and public information is limited, no detailed life story is given here. Overall, these works, with their plain autobiographical tone and rigorous scientific records, present the research path and inner world of a woman scientist and continue to influence understanding of the early history of radioactivity research and the spirit of science.