These traits are just as vital for this new century of globalization, in which our success will depend on our creativity, as they were for the beginning of the last century, when Einstein helped usher in the modern age.

Average Rating:


Review: 2009-11-13

A Fascinating Book About a Complex Person
I found this book fascinating and interesting, yet a bit more of a difficult read than Mr. Isaacson's biography of Benjamin Franklin. However, the author does a good job reconciling the physics genius with the rascally young ideologue and later with the icon we all think of when we hear the name "Einstein".

As in his other biographies, Isaacson brings forth wonderful little anecdotes through personal letters and stories which, I feel, let us separate the man from the myth and let us know what the man was truly like. The personal letters, quick wit and even tyrannical impulses let the reader understand this complex man as a man, not a pillar of the scientific community. Not only is the young Einstein a fascinating character, but the older one - the one who spent his life fighting authority only to become the authority - also comes alive.

As for science, this book is neither her nor there. If you understand some of the physics then it will be a nice review, if you don't then you won't understand it after finishing reading either. But that's not the point of the book anyway.

Personally I found the chapter about Einstein's religious beliefs fascinating and enlightening. If a few more people in the world feel like him, that science and religions are complimentary ("Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind") this world will be a more peaceful place.



Review: 2009-11-11

Comprehensive. From an author who probably had an army of researchers, fact-checkers, professional reviewers
The book is a well-researched and well-referenced biography. Walter Isaacson is the former Managing Editor of Time mag and CEO of CNN. (He's a distinguished biographer though even before he assumed many of these executive roles). His own fascination--bordering on idolatry--with Einstein is evident on the pages. Why bordering on idolatry? For one, I think the book's treatment on Einstein's first wife is unfair or not balanced. But save for this one minor quibble, the book is near perfect.

I can imagine that the author has an army of fact-checkers, archivists, and professional reviewers (Professors/Physicists) in the making of this book. The book benefited from these assets, evident up to the bibliography (for further reading). If you consider that the author probably paid for these services, the book should be a good buy, like a machine delivered after thorough R&D :-)

The first chapter until the part on Einstein's Miracle Year and formulation for General Relativity are remarkable. The arguments with Bohr and the delving into thought experiments are engrossing.

Chapters near the end (discussing politics and immigration to America) bored me a bit. This is probably not the fault of the book. This should be natural for most biographies formatted from birth death (not all decades will be full of excitement and achievement.

Then the Epilogue on the strange journey of Einstein brain--the literal chopped-up, stored in a jar, and ferried-in-a-pickup-truck brain--propped me up again for a fascinating ending.

In ending, if I may digress a bit, there are so many quotes and anecdotes that are attributed to Einstein by so many people with vested interests--like the one about Einstein as a kindergarten proving the existence of God as an absence of heat whatever (there's even a youtube video for this). This book more or less contains all of Einstein's snippets, aphorisms, 'quotable-quotes,' and surely all major milestones in his life. There are even lengthy discussions by the author on possible 'misquotes.' So if the quote or anecdote that youve heard is not in here, it's probably urban legend.

And on hindsight yes, you can even use this nonfiction bestseller as reference or even a semi-textbook for academic discussions. There are in-depth discussion on some topics on Theology, Pacifism, Physics, and Math.

Definitely worth anyone's money and time.


Review: 2009-11-03

Well-written, comprehensive review of Einstein's entire life
This is a very well-written and engaging review of Einstein's entire life. I found this to be an informative review of his impact on physics, explained in a way that was understandable and interesting to me as a layman. That's all well and good, but what made the book engaging for me was the presentation of Einstein the man, complete with all his flaws and very much in the context of the times in which he lived - through the first two world wars and the birth of the atomic bomb.

The story of Einstein's life is laid out in chronological order and reviews all the facts and figures, yet the feel of the book is far from dry and objective. The author clearly did a tremendous amount of research for this book and does a great job of peppering in details in all the right places.


Review: 2009-10-28

Fantastic biography
Walter Issacson provides a readable and thorough account of Einstien's life. From his great scientific discoveries described in layman's terms (I have never taken a physics class in my life and easily understood the descriptions) to his personal life and what fame did to transform the way he lived. The details are well laid out and prove once again Issacson's mastery of biography. The theories that Issacson lay out are well thought out and provide insight into how Einstein came up with his ideas and conducted his famed thought experiments as the patent officer in Switzerland. Einstein while undoubtedly brilliant was enthralled by being an underdog and by academia not accepting him initially he was able to look past their old ways and conceive something new. The spare time at the patent office allowed him to conduct these experiments and provide theories that would shake theoretical physics to its core. Overall it is highly readable and well worth the time for those looking for a non traditional history book or those in physics who want to learn more about the man behind the relativity.

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