John Archibald Wheeler: A Biographical Memoir

One of my favorite ideas of his is the Geon [1]

[1] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geon_(physics)

john wheeler is one of my favorite physicists. one thing i have wondered is: where and who are the john wheeler's of today? that is, who are the people who are well suited to advising and mentoring students and generating a lot of active, comprehensive research in a field. i feel john wheeler is completely underrated and underappreciated in his ability to advise and mentor and lead research programs. just look at his wikipedia page that lists all the post-docs, phd students, master's students, and undergraduates. it's insane! he seemed to have been a real treasure. just look at how many of his students went on to become famous or notable in their own right.

I had the privilege of getting to know John Wheeler late in his career. He was a wonderful man with a wonderful joker's sense of humor, in addition to having a wonderful sort of OCD for an academic (a significant portion of the library in the Physics department at Princeton was dedicated to holding a copy of every book and article and proceeding referenced anywhere in the mighty book that is Misner Thorne and Wheeler, all carefully filed and categorized and organized by John Wheeler).

I read his autobiography back when it came out and remember it being quite good.

https://www.amazon.com/Geons-Black-Holes-Quantum-Foam/dp/039...

Direct link to pdf https://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/1901/1901.06623.pdf

Great! A book length biography of Wheeler is long overdue.