Einstein (a Hundred Years Of Relativity)

By (author) Robinson, Andrew; Afterword by Buchwald, Diana K.
Short description/annotation

"The eternal mystery of the world is its comprehensibility ...The fact that it is comprehensible is a miracle." --Albert Einstein, 1936 Albert Einstein''s universal appeal is only partially explained by his brilliant work in physics, as Andrew Robinson demonstrates in this authoritative, accessible, and richly illustrated biography. The main narra

Description
"The eternal mystery of the world is its comprehensibility ...The fact that it is comprehensible is a miracle." --Albert Einstein, 1936 Albert Einstein''s universal appeal is only partially explained by his brilliant work in physics, as Andrew Robinson demonstrates in this authoritative, accessible, and richly illustrated biography. The main narrative is enriched by twelve essays by well-known scientists, scholars, and artists, including three Nobel Laureates. The book presents clearly the beautiful simplicity at the heart of Einstein''s greatest discoveries, and explains how his ideas have continued to influence scientific developments such as lasers, the theory of the big bang, and "theories of everything." Einstein''s life and activities outside of science are also considered, including his encounters with famous contemporaries such as Chaplin, Roosevelt, and Tagore, his love of music, and his troubled family life. The book recognizes that Einstein''s striking originality was expressed in many ways, from his political and humanitarian campaigns against nuclear weapons, anti-Semitism, McCarthyism, and social injustices, to his unconventional personal appearance. Published in association with the Albert Einstein Archives at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the book draws on this exceptional resource of Einstein''s private papers and personal photographs. This new edition, published to recognize the centenary of the publication of Einstein''s General Theory of Relativity, includes an important new afterword by Diana Kormos Buchwald, the director of the Einstein Papers Project at the California Institute of Technology. The contributors are Philip Anderson, Arthur C. Clarke, I. Bernard Cohen, Freeman Dyson, Philip Glass, Stephen Hawking, Max Jammer, Diana Kormos Buchwald, Joao Magueijo, Joseph Rotblat, Robert Schulmann, and Steven Weinberg.
Table of contents
Author''s Note 8 Preface by Freeman Dyson 10 Part One: The Physicist 1 The World of Physics Before Einstein 14 Autobiographical Notes by Albert Einstein 26 2 The Making of a Physicist 32 A Brief History of Relativity by Stephen Hawking 42 3 The Miraculous Year, 1905 52 4 General Relativity 66 Varying e: Vodka Without Alcohol? by Joao Magueijo 78 5 Arguing About Quantum Theory 82 6 The Search for a Theory of Everything 95 Einstein''s Search for Unification by Steven Weinberg 102 7 Physics Since Einstein 109 Einstein''s Scientific Legacy by Philip Anderson 122 Part Two: The Man 8 The Most Famous Man in the World 130 9 Personal and Family Life 140 Einstein''s Love Letters by Robert Schulmann 150 Einstein and Music by Philip Glass 153 10 Germany, War and Pacifism 156 11 America 166 12 Zionism, the Holocaust and Israel 176 Einstein on Religion, Judaism and Zionism by Max Jammer 185 13 Nuclear Saint and Demon 191 Einstein''s Quest for Global Peace by Joseph Rotblat 202 14 The End of an Era 207 Einstein''s Last Interview by I. Bernard Cohen 212 15 Einstein''s Enduring Magi 226 Einstein: Twentieth-Century Icon by Arthur C. Clarke 235 Afterword: Einstein''s Nachlass by Diana Kormos Buchwald 240 Chronology of Einstein''s Life 245 Sources of Quotations 246 Bibliography 250 Contributors 251 Index 252 Credits 256
Review quote
"A peerless introduction to the man, his life, and his scientific theories... [T]his is by far the best book about Einstein that I have ever come across."--Patrick Moore, BBC Sky at Night magazine "Mo