Einstein: His Life and Universe
Erik Spanberg reviews the latest biography on Albert Einstein, "Einstein: His Life and Universe" over at Christian Science Monitor.
To Isaacson's credit, Einstein: His Life And Universe conveys the dizzying concepts of physics in a way most lay readers (this one certainly qualifies as that) can grasp. For example, when explaining Einstein's equation of speed and mass, he notes the enormity of converting matter into energy with powerful simplicity. The energy in the mass of one raisin, he writes, could supply most of New York City's energy needs for an entire day.
While everyone has at least a fuzzy knowledge of Einstein – the shock of unkempt hair, the use of his name as a synonym for genius and an enduring, iconic pop-culture familiarity – much of his basic biography is at least unexamined and probably unknown, as well, by the mainstream audience Isaacson's book targets. It is a story, and life, every bit as remarkable as the landmark physics theories proffered by Einstein.
Comments are closed for this post.