First Principles

Building Perimeter Institute

In this second edition of First Principles, Howard tells the remarkable and unconventional story - with a bold and biting humour and surprising candour - of the founding of Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Waterloo, Canada. How was PI created from scratch, from first principles? What were the hurdles? What were the challenges? What was the ''Howard and Mike show'' all about and what did Blackberrys and RIM have to do with PI? One is able to to get an intimate take on closed-door meetings with scientists, administrators and government officials which at times is hilariously funny.