다음은 W. H. Cropper라는 사람이 역사적으로 큰 업적을 남긴 물리학자들의 일생을 소개한 "Great Physicists"라는 책에서 패러데이를 소개하는 글의 도입부이다.

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Doing Without



The scientists in these chapters are a diverse group. One would look in vain to find particular aspects of their backgrounds or characters that guaranteed their success in science. Some were introverted and solitary, others extroverted and gregarious. Some were neurotic, while others were well adjusted. They could be friendly and agreeable, or unfriendly and contentious. Their marriages were usually happy, but some were disastrous. Their educations were both formal and informal. Some had mentors, others did not. Some founded schools to carry on their work, and others worked alone.



But these outstanding scientists had at least two things in common: they all worked hard, sometimes obsessively, and with only a few exceptions, they came from middle-class backgrounds. The tendency to workaholism is a trait found in most people who achieve outstanding success. More interesting is the rule of middle-class origins. Our physicists led lives in social worlds that covered the full middle-class range, from lower to upper, but rarely found themselves above or below these stations. By far the most prominent exception is the subject of this chapter, Michael Faraday, born in a London slum.

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