Walter Isaacson's biography of Einstein creates a fuller better rounded image of one of the finest minds of the 20th Century than many biographies of Einstein. Although it's not without its flaws, Issacson's book covers much of Einstein's life pointing out both his successes and flaws as both a person and physicist. We learn that as a child Einstein suffered from what could be echolalia (which is where you mutter a phrase to yourself multiple times before saying it to others). Issacson notes both Einstein's debt to Hume, Planck and philosphers such as Kant in helping develop both his world view and his breakthroughs in science. To his credit Isaacson also points out that the man that came to embody the modern view of physics and became a hero had feet of clay; Einstein gave up his daughter for adoption without ever seeing her and spent much of his time away from Mileva (who would eventually become his first wife) while she was pregnant for a variety of reasons some understandable some not. The young Einstein was brash,egotistic and obnoxious (or you could call him overly confident) often pointing out flaws in papers by the very professors he was seeking jobs from. He also charts Einstein's difficult path to his professorship including his stint working in the Swiss patent office. Isaacson does cover Einstein's support for the development of the atomic bomb (although this is a relatively small section of the biography) and mentions that Einstein later regreted the bombing that occurred in Japan during World War II. When Einstein came up with this famous equation, he never imagined it would be used for mass destruction. He was conflicted over his role in the development of the atomic bomb feeling both responsibility and guilty over his role. This guilt shaped his role in leading the charge for a world government that would prevent individual nations from using the atomic bomb. He later stated that if he had known Germany wasn't going to be able to develop the atomic bomb, he "never would have lifted a finger" to prompt the United States to develop this weapon of mass destruction. He never forgave the German people for their role in trying to exterminate Jews and others prohibiting sale of his books in post-war Germany and stated that he felt the country should continue to be punished for what occurred. Isaacson addresses some of the contradictions of the man of peace who contributed and supported war showing that while Einstein had his absolute convicitions they could sometimes shift depending on the circumstances. Einstein never pretended to be perfect and Isaacson does a good job of portraying the flawed but brilliant human being at the core of all that brain power. The biggest surprise for me was discovering that he unwittingly had an affair with a Soviet spy. Most importantly the author manages to give understandable explanations of Einstein's theories and how he came up with many of them. One can't understand Einstein's world without understanding his world view or the way that his papers/theories altered the world we live in today. I'd recommend this book for the compelling human portrait that Isaacson creates of one of the leading figures of science in the 20th Century.Read full review
Slow start but then you get what this man was all about. Great common sense and had a far sight of what was happening. Could see through all the political decisions and know what the long term effects was. A very unusual man with a sence of humour.
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My son just finished this book and I picked it up but was unsure whether a math challenged person, such as myself, would find it of any interest. I found it to be a book I loved! It's easy to imagine Einstein presenting his general theory of relativity as the old man with the crazy hair and bushy mustache, but those have made him the universal symbol for eccentric genius. We forget that at age 26 he changed the course of physics forever. So...who was this man? What was his personal life like? This book relies heavily on his personal papers. Mr. Isaacson answers many questions and also explains Einstein's theories in terms a layman can understand. YES! A delightful book all the way around!
I like to keep my reviews short so here goes. I found this book to be quite an insightful look into a truly unique figure that had more impact on oberall life in general than anyone else (maybe besides Edison). Einstein is shown to be a charmingly quirky prodigy that just liked to do his own thing. Walter Isaacson's style of writing is as equally pleasing to read as Einstein's life is to discover. This is truly a well written, well researched, and an interesting look at a Scientific Rock Star.
"Einstein His Life and Universe" is the best book I have read on Albert Einstein. I covers both his personal and scientific life. I highly recommend this book.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
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