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- If you really want to know what Einstein said read this book
- Depends on your purpose
- Window Into One of the Greatest Minds of Modern History
- Insight
- Ideas & Opinions
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Ideas & Opinions
Albert Einstein
Manufacturer: Wings
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Similar Items:
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The World As I See It
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Relativity: The Special and the General Theory (Penguin Classics)
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A Brief History of Time
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Albert Einstein, The Human Side
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Albert Einstein: Out of My Later Years Through His Own Words
ASIN: 0517003937
Release Date: 1988-12-12 |
Book Description
IDEAS AND OPINIONS contains essays by eminent scientist Albert Einstein on subjects ranging from atomic energy, relativity, and religion to human rights, government, and economics. Previously published articles, speeches, and letters are gathered here to create a fascinating collection of meditations by one of the world's greatest minds.
Customer Reviews:
If you really want to know what Einstein said read this book.......2007-07-10
Einstein's ideas about religion are here in his own words so you don't have to trust does who want to distort them to their own convenience.
These book is writen in a very easy to understand way because as Einstein himself stated "if something can be explained then it can be explained clearly.
The ideas he clearly explains are brilliant and they are about a lot of the things he was interested in his life.
Depends on your purpose.......2007-05-13
If your purpose is simply reading Einstein's articles on issues like world politics, morality, peace, human beings, etc. than this is the book for you. Personally, I wanted the best of his articles, articles that you really want to read because of their specific nature or subject. This is not such a book. Simply a collection of articles.
Window Into One of the Greatest Minds of Modern History.......2007-01-30
This books offers a series of articles written by Einstein on all subjects of life, such as Religion, Politics, War, the Jewish People, and Science. Not only was Einstein a brilliant scientist, he could grasp elements of human life that could rival that of any great philosopher.
Einstein approaches all of the topics with a pragmatism and clarity that is accessible to any reader, which is rare among many intellectuals. It is very interesting to contrast his opinions before, between, and after the world wars and see the further emphasis he puts on his calls for reform around the world. While some might see some of Einstein's socialist tendencies as negative, they are, as stated in the title of the book, only one man's opinion and should be treated as such.
The only reason I give this book 4 stars instead of 5 is the fact that some of the articles seem to be quite similar, repeating themes and ideas that were previously discussed. Also, while someone with a little science background should be able to understand most of the scientific articles, they could be somewhat difficult to get through at times.
Overall, this book provides a great opportunity to read about Einstein's ideas and opinions as a man, not just as a scientist.
Insight.......2007-01-12
If youve ever wondered what was inside Albert's head, than this is the book for you. one example is that I was always torn between science and religion, and Albert was able to elaborate his thoughts on that matter and it was a perspective that I found myself finally agreeing with.
Ideas & Opinions.......2007-01-09
Since Einstein was supposed to be the smartest man of the 19th and 20th centuries, I thought I could get some insight into questions that had puzzled man since the beginning. The meaning of life. What am I doing here? That kind of stuff. Well, let me tell you I spent all my time looking up words on my Franklin. That's the problem with smart people. They try to prove how smart they are by using words that nobody else understands. In my case, Einstein succeeded. I think he's real smart but I still don't know what I'm doing here.
Book Description
Junes planned a special surprise for the team.But where is she? Children will have a blast as they join the Little Einsteins on a trip around the world in search of June. Each spread invites the reader to figure out the clue left by June and discover the answeronly visible with the companion Rocket magnifying glass. Stunning photographs of national treasures from the Eiffel Tower to the Great Pyramids provide engaging context for this delightful introduction to world geography.
Customer Reviews:
Buy it.......2007-05-30
If you are looking at this at Amazon, then you are interested in it. The low price I paid on Amazon, around five dollars, makes this a no brainer. Even at full price it is a fun book. My daughter loves the Little Einsteins and I don't mind them either. I am very picky about the educational value of toys and books.
Great concept but design needs help.......2007-05-09
My 2 1/2 year old son loves L.E.--he calls the show "Rocket." When I saw this book, I knew I had to buy it for him. He does love the book and we read it at least 4 times a week for bedtime stories. It's good for teaching some letters (A-F-R-I-C-A) as well as places around the world. He is learning that the Eiffel Tower is in France and that kangaroos live in Australia.
My complaint is how the rocket magnifier is attached to the book. Like the other reviewer, my son ripped the plastic holder off the first day when he was trying to figure out how to get the rocket out.
The plastic cord that attaches the magnifier to the book is in an awkward spot so it makes it difficult to turn the pages while the child is eager to look at things with the magnifier. We have a small tear on the top of one of the pages for just this reason.
Good for toddlers/preschoolers.......2007-03-12
The little magnifier is really a great plus for this book. My grandson enjoyed searching and finding the letters hidden on the pages.
The only reason I didn't rate it '5' is that the cord that connects the magnifier to the book tore the top of the page the first day. Certainly could be because my grandson is 3 and still handles things awkwardly. I guess it is a toss up between a ripped page and a lost magnifier!
Great Book.......2007-02-18
My daughter loved this book. being 3 at the time she quickly grasped the use of the magnifying glass, which was brilliantly secured to the book so we have never lost it.
great quality.......2007-02-12
Little Einsteins is absolute great quality in so many ways---both in cartoon on DVD/television on Disney channel or book. Today I also bought the CD Musical Missions and look forward to listening to it in the car as we sing to the songs together.
The book is delightful with the different ways you can read this as a regular book or learning tool. The colors are great---top quality up with the RoliePolieOlie books as well.
Yes, the Little Einsteins are more expensive as are the RoliePolieOlie books, but what can we do? It's delightful to have a variety of books to read. Anything that keeps the yearning of a child to read more is well worth it because it's too easy to just turn on the television instead. Children have to learn to love books which will help them in many more ways than passive viewing of a television can.
Amazon.com
If you liked the eerie whimsy of Italo Calvino's Invisible Cities, Steven Millhauser's Little Kingdoms, or Jorge Luis Borges's Labyrinths, you will love Alan Lightman's ethereal yet down-to-earth book Einstein's Dreams. Lightman teaches physics and writing at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, helping bridge the light-year-size gap between science and the humanities, the enemy camps C.P. Snow famously called The Two Cultures.
Einstein's Dreams became a bestseller by delighting both scientists and humanists. It is technically a novel. Lightman uses simple, lyrical, and literal details to locate Einstein precisely in a place and time--Berne, Switzerland, spring 1905, when he was a patent clerk privately working on his bizarre, unheard-of theory of relativity. The town he perceives is vividly described, but the waking Einstein is a bit player in this drama.
The book takes flight when Einstein takes to his bed and we share his dreams, 30 little fables about places where time behaves quite differently. In one world, time is circular; in another a man is occasionally plucked from the present and deposited in the past: "He is agonized. For if he makes the slightest alteration in anything, he may destroy the future ... he is forced to witness events without being part of them ... an inert gas, a ghost ... an exile of time." The dreams in which time flows backward are far more sophisticated than the time-tripping scenes in Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five, though science-fiction fans may yearn for a sustained yarn, which Lightman declines to provide. His purpose is simply to study the different kinds of time in Einstein's mind, each with its own lucid consequences. In their tone and quiet logic, Lightman's fables come off like Bach variations played on an exquisite harpsichord. People live for one day or eternity, and they respond intelligibly to each unique set of circumstances. Raindrops hang in the air in a place of frozen time; in another place everyone knows one year in advance exactly when the world will end, and acts accordingly.
"Consider a world in which cause and effect are erratic," writes Lightman. "Scientists turn reckless and mutter like gamblers who cannot stop betting.... In this world, artists are joyous." In another dream, time slows with altitude, causing rich folks to build stilt homes on mountaintops, seeking eternal youth and scorning the swiftly aging poor folk below. Forgetting eventually how they got there and why they subsist on "all but the most gossamer food," the higher-ups at length "become thin like the air, bony, old before their time."
There is no plot in this small volume--it's more like a poetry collection than a novel. Like Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time, it's a mind-stretching meditation by a scientist who's been to the far edge of physics and is back with wilder tales than Marco Polo's. And unlike many admirers of Hawking, readers of Einstein's Dreams have a high probability of actually finishing it.
Book Description
A modern classic,
Einstein’s Dreams is a fictional collage of stories dreamed by Albert Einstein in 1905, when he worked in a patent office in Switzerland. As the defiant but sensitive young genius is creating his theory of relativity, a new conception of time, he imagines many possible worlds. In one, time is circular, so that people are fated to repeat triumphs and failures over and over. In another, there is a place where time stands still, visited by lovers and parents clinging to their children. In another, time is a nightingale, sometimes trapped by a bell jar.
Now translated into thirty languages,
Einstein’s Dreams has inspired playwrights, dancers, musicians, and painters all over the world. In poetic vignettes, it explores the connections between science and art, the process of creativity, and ultimately the fragility of human existence.
Customer Reviews:
An unexpected gem.......2007-08-27
One of my very favorite books, read in a single night at Christmas. It's that sort of book - small enough to read all at once, but broken into little vignettes one could treasure night after night. Each vignette, loosely bound together with a wraparound plot featuring Albert Einstein, depicts a different reality from our own, where time functions differently. In one, time runs backward; in another, time is a literal location you can walk toward or away from. Another reality holds people without long-term memory, and everyone's past is written down in books. How similar or alien these worlds are to our own lie mostly in the mind of the reader...and that's half the beauty of it. The prose is simple and tight, but the ideas are absolutely breathtaking. If you want a nice quiet read on a summer's day, or a near-Christmas night, I couldn't recommend this enough.
A unique philosophical examination of the human condition!.......2007-06-29
At first blush, for the briefest of moments, one might be excused for thinking that "Einstein's Dreams" was science fiction or perhaps even physics! But, in fact, Alan Lightman has treated us to an enchanting metaphysical flight of fancy loosely based on that most counterintuitive of ideas that Einstein shared with the world in his General Theory of Relativity - the idea that time is an integral part of the structure of the universe but that it is flexible, ever-changing and dependent on the frame of reference of the observer.
"Einstein's Dreams" is a collage of short, lucid essays that Lightman puts forward as the nocturnal dreamscapes in which a sensitive Einstein might have wandered as his intense genius created his famous theories. Worlds in which time stands still, runs backward, runs at varying speeds dependent on your location, passes in a circular ever-repeating pattern, or runs in a discontinuous pattern of starts and stops, for example, are the setting for a metaphorical examination of humanity's responses to these changing notions of time.
Lightman's elegant narrative prose, near poetry in its simple style and elegance, explores the human condition and demonstrates that such notions as love and hate, motivation or despair, joy or despondency and creativity are implicity dependent on our unstated understanding of the passage of time.
"Einstein's Dreams" is a short read that will occupy littler more than an hour or two to complete but it is thought-provoking, fascinating and quite compelling despite its appealing brevity and simplicity.
Paul Weiss
Simple, yet entertaining........2007-05-20
First if all, these stories are NOT written by Einstein himself. They are a series of (very) short stories written as if by the great scientist himself, based on his actual writings and memoirs. They are actually written by the author, Alan Lightman.
Some of the stories are very though-provoking and fun, while others are extremely boring. Although, luckily, the slow ones are over with quickly, because none of the stories is longer than a few pages (roughly).
I got through this entire book in about 30 minutes. I would suggest it for a coffee table or bathroom... or, if you're a writer and want to be led in new directions, his book, while simple, is definitely unique!
Very interesting but.........2007-05-11
This brief novel should have a true 5 stars rating if you look only at its content.
The series of dreams Lightman imagine could have haunted Einstein's night during the last rush toward the formulation of Special Relativity are very interesting and suggestive: a true, extensive review of worlds ruled out by different conceptions of time.
I must say that here and there I have been quite bored by Lightman's style. A most recurrent stylistic module throughout the book is to line up many very synthetic icons (e.g.: "A boy is playing with his ball. A woman stands by the balcony looking at the sky. An old man is walking down the street", and so on). I know it is a peculiar feature of the American narrative style, which has been mimicked by some (so-called "neorealists") Italian writers, nevertheless I found it a bit annoying.
Well, I am Italian, so my mother tongue is one of Latin's children and inherited Latin's complex morphology and syntax: so we are used to long, complex phrases which allows a good writer to achieve a fluent style.
On the other hand, an eloquent writer like Henry Rider Haggard sometimes produces long, complex phrases, which are quite difficult to understand: phrases at the edge of English language's expressive possibilities. So I like best a "medium" style, when I read in English, an "aurea mediocritas" without any extremisms.
But Lightman is really a good, refined writer. I must say that Lightman's style has often a great lightness (nomina sunt consequentia rerum), the terseness of a crystal. And sometimes, unexpectedly, with one sudden wing beat, Lightman's writing reaches the highest poetry. These are the magical moments of the novel, often at the end of the chapters - or I should say at the end of the dreams.
I would like to add a last note, a historical flaw I found (see page 77). Lightman says that Einstein has something like "a vision of galaxies". In 1905 almost no scientists (much less astronomers) knew of galaxies: they talked of "nebulae" and the most renowned theory for those objects was that of the protostars. In 1755 Kant expressed his own belief and reasoning on this subject, talking of "island universes" similar to the Milky Way, but his opinion was not so influential.
The Great Debate between Harlow Shapley (protostar theory) and Heber Curtis (island universes) dates to 1920; only in 1923 Hubble proved that the strange nebulae were true galaxies.
Lightman's dreams not necessarily Einstein's.......2007-03-17
Imaginative but also silly and annoying at times.
The title is designed to cash in on the famous Einstein name.
The best parts were when Einstein was ''directly'' alluded to.
Book Description
It is a widely known but insufficiently appreciated fact that Albert Einstein and Kurt Goedel were best friends for the last decade and a half of Einstein's life. They walked home together from Princeton's Institute for Advanced Study every day; they shared ideas about physics, philosophy, politics, and the lost world of German-Austrian science in which they had grown up. What is not widely known is that in 1949 Goedel made a remarkable discovery: there exist possible worlds described by the theory of relativity in which time, as we ordinarily understand it, does not exist. He added a philosophical argument that demonstrates, by Goedel's lights, that as a consequence, time does not exist in our world either. If Goedel is right, Einstein has not just explained time; he has explained it away.
Without committing himself to Goedel's philosophical interpretation of his discovery, Einstein acknowledged that his friend had made an important contribution to the theory of relativity, a contribution that he admitted raised new and disturbing questions about what remains of time in his own theory. Physicists since Einstein have tried without success to find an error in Goedel's physics or a missing element in relativity itself that would rule out the applicability of Goedel's results. Philosophers, for the most part, have been silent.
_A World Without Time_, addressed to experts and non experts alike, brings to life the sheer intellectual drama of the companionship of Goedel and Einstein, and places their discoveries -- which can only be measured on a millennial scale -- in the context of the great and disturbing intellectual movements of the twentieth century -- in physics, mathematics, logic, philosophy, and the arts. It contains, as well, a poignant and intimate account of the friendship between these two thinkers, each put on the shelf by the scientific fashions of their day -- and ours -- and attempts to rescue from undeserved obscurity the work Goedel did, inspired by Einstein, which made clear for the first time the truly revolutionary nature of the theory of relativity, which to this day is hardly recognized.
Customer Reviews:
more about philosophy than about physics or math.......2007-02-27
A World Without Time is a book about the friendship between Einstein and Godel that occurred toward the end of their lives. The friendship was fruitful in that Godel used Einstein's General Theory of Relativity to prove the existence of what are now called Godel Universes. Godel Universes are universes where time loops back on itself so, if you go sufficiently fast, you would end up back where you started in time. This is interesting but perhaps the most interesting aspect of the book for me was it's philosophical aspect. The author mentions the Vienna Circle and some concepts of philosophy such as positivism and ontology and epistemology which I found very interesting. I found the explanations of Godel's theories hard to follow but got the basic idea. I recommend this book for it's philosophical content. If you want to learn about Godel's Incompleteness theorem I recommend reading Godel, Escher Bach, An Eternal Golden Braid.
Should we dispense with clocks ?.......2007-02-12
The title of the book suggests time does not exist. The justification is a certain solution to Einstein cosmological equation, where the universe is rotating and time travel is possible. A path could reach into the past going around the universe.It is the Godel solution.
Modern cosmology is based on the Robertson Walker metric , or model,where there is a universal time. It fits the obseved universal expansion.The universe was born in a big bang fifteen billions years ago.
Goodel gave too much importance to his solution. After all any equation can allow many mathematical solutions which bear no relation to physical reality or fact.
The book is good reading with old and rare photos.It compelled me to reread "The Godel Solution" in Adler ,Bazin and Schiffer General Relativity.
Early in the century,Kurt Godel had laid a golden egg with his incompleteness theorem, pertaining to pure mathematics, causing some stir among Hilbert and Russell.But his attempt to abolish time, much later in 1949, felt in deaf ears among physicists and cosmologists.This is not about to change any time soon.
Yourgrau does an elegant work in rescuing an old story.It takes us through Europe and the beginnings of the Princeton Advanced Study Institute.
A World Without Time.......2007-01-23
Great book about Godel & Einstein. It tells much about their human side & their friendship. Does good job explaining some of their work.
Very bad book: a waste of your money.......2007-01-17
It is a heap op philosophy, not science. No formula, math, explanation, working examples whatsoever. Just small-talk to fill up the pages. This is NOT a physics book. I was lured into buying it thinking to get a complete textbook on Gödel's explanation of time. Forget it, this book is not worth your money. Go check the internet for PDF's or webpages containing the original publications of Gödel, they are there allright.
A World Without Time.......2007-01-04
I bought this book because I loved the cover. Everyone knows Einstein but it is amazing how few know the equally revolutionary Godel and still fewer know of their freindship. This is an invaluable book for those that (somehow) don't know about Godel's work. I didn't expect much from this book because I know of Godel's revolving universe time paradox. However, I found this book to be extremely interesting. The author's minimalist definition of Godel's theorm (syntax does not equal semantics) was worth the price alone. Unfortunatley the last chapter of the book is muddled in philosophic musings, since I am a Physicist I am less appreciative of pure philosophy.
Customer Reviews:
wonderful book about the solar system.......2007-09-21
The book is great - my three year olds enjoy it so much, even their older brother (age 5) loves it. The viewer is easy to use and the pictures/story is great!
Great book!.......2007-06-22
Our space obsessed 4 year old loves this book- it has the great spinning picture thing on top that he loves looking in- reminds me of the viewmaster things we had as kids!
Not what I expected.......2007-05-29
This book has the same title as a Little Einstein episode that my son loves. I ordered the book expecting to have the same story but it is not the same! Not even close! My son was asking for the Mars rover and they don't even land on Mars in the book. Then he wanted to see Rocket trying to fall asleep but Rocket isn't having trouble sleeping in the book! They changed the entire storyline! How do you explain that to a 2.5 yr old?
Plus Pluto is still in this book... shold be discounted.
books not as good as the show..........2007-01-12
My 3 year old daughter LOVES the Little Einsteins. Unfortunately, the availability of their merchandise is limited, so I have bought her a few of their books. As a former teacher, I have been disappointed with them for the most part. They are boring and would be difficult to follow without an adult due to the conversation bubbles on each page. The books are not nearly as stimulating as the show is and the story lines are a bit pathetic. The photo reel on this book is neat, but I find my daughter's attention is not focused as I read this book to her. Stick to the t.v. show and skip these books.
thumbs down.......2007-01-10
My daughter loves Little Einsteins, but we were dissapointed in this item. She doesn't pay much attention to it.
Average customer rating:
- Full of Information!
- perfect for my 3rd grader
- wonderful series
- Great subject for a children book
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Who Was Albert Einstein?
Jess Brallier
Manufacturer: Grosset & Dunlap
ProductGroup: Book
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ASIN: 0448424967 |
Book Description
Everyone has heard of Albert Einstein-but what exactly did he do? How much do kids really know about Albert Einstein besides the funny hair and genius label? For instance, do they know that he was expelled from school as a kid? Finally, here's the story of Albert Einstein's life, told in a fun, engaging way that clearly explores the world he lived in and changed.
Customer Reviews:
Full of Information!.......2007-05-16
I thought Who Was Albert Einstein? was a great book. Hats off to Jess Brallier! I have read this book two or three times, which is rare for me, since I do not like to re-read things, so that must tell you how good this book is! I learned a lot of things like he was born on March 14, 1879, he had two wives, he wasn't the best father (in his own words), his brain is floating around in a jar today, 52 years after his death, and many more interesting things! You should read this book, and I would even recommend it to adults!!!
perfect for my 3rd grader.......2007-05-14
I thought this was a great book for my daughter who is in 3rd grade. She enjoys biographies and was interested in getting to know more about Albert Einstein. She read this one in about a week, a faster reader could finish it in a day or two. I have a few other selections from this series in my wish list.
wonderful series.......2007-05-13
This book contains many facts about Albert Einstein that may be new to you. Although I have several books about this man, this remains my favorite. In fact when a student's father accidentally spilled his coffee on it, I knew I had to get a new one for the classroom library.
Great subject for a children book.......2007-03-25
Great subject for a children book. I got this series of books for my daughter and she really enjoyes reading them. Great read and educational too.
Average customer rating:
- A qualified recommendation
- Still The Best
- Worthwhile Read
- Readable, for the Science-Minded
- Not as good as the real thing
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Relativity: The Special and the General Theory
Albert Einstein
Manufacturer: Three Rivers Press
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Ideas & Opinions
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A Brief History of Time
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The Principle of Relativity (Dover Books on Physics)
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The Universe in a Nutshell
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The World As I See It
ASIN: 0517884410
Release Date: 1995-06-06 |
Amazon.com
How better to learn the Special Theory of Relativity and the General Theory of Relativity than directly from their creator, Albert Einstein himself? In Relativity: The Special and the General Theory, Einstein describes the theories that made him famous, illuminating his case with numerous examples and a smattering of math (nothing more complex than high-school algebra). Einstein's book is not casual reading, but for those who appreciate his work without diving into the arcana of theoretical physics, Relativity will prove a stimulating read.
Book Description
Redesigned inside and out to have a fresh, appealing look, this new edition of a classic Crown Trade Paperback is a collection of Einstein's own popular writings on his work and describes the meaning of his main theories in a way virtually everyone can understand.
Customer Reviews:
A qualified recommendation.......2007-09-18
As at least one reviewer has noted there are several editions of this book. (This exact edition is also available in paperback.) Definitely get this one (or another 15th edition) because it is the 1952, fifteenth edition, which is the last one that Einstein prepared and is the one that contains all five of his appendices. My local bookstore has several editions put out by different publishers. Side by side were two, one was a 1916, third edition, that contained only three appendices and the other was the complete 1952, fifteenth edition, which actually cost a dollar LESS than the incomplete version. The 1916 version is in public domain, so the publisher does not have to pay anything to the Einstein estate. Thus, the publisher makes more money from purchasers who are not savvy enough to realize that they are getting an inferior edition for the same or even a higher price than a complete one. Caveat emptor.
The four stars do not in any way refer to my view of Einstein or his work. Were they the basis of the review I would have given it five stars. I am qualifying my recommendation because I believe that only some readers will find the book to be suitable for their needs. Thus, I am giving it only four stars because this book is too elementary for someone studying relativity in a graduate course but too complex for someone with little or no physics background. Thus, the readership is somewhat limited.
Pros:
1) This book is Einstein's classic presentation of his special and general theories of relativity, prepared for a general audience. As such, it has interesting historical value as well as being illuminating for some readers. The fifteenth edition contains all of Einstein's corrections and all of his appendices.
2) A reasonably good presentation of the special theory.
3) Good for someone with a physics background (engineers, physicists at the BS or MS level, chemists, etc.) It is, however, too elementary for someone studying relativity at a graduate level. For them, it is primarily useful as a historical document. They would probably get more from Einstein's papers than from this book, which was written for the general public.
Cons:
1) The bulk of this book was written in 1916, in German, and then translated into English. As such, it is somewhat convoluted in places and generally has the typical flavor of 19th century prose.
2) I feel that while the special theory is presented in a reasonably straightforward manner the general theory is not. Einstein uses a little math here, but it is insufficient for a physicist and is probably incomprehensible for someone with little or no math or physics background. I believe that Martin Gardner's book "Relativity Simply Explained" is a better choice for someone with little or no science background. It does a very much better job of explaining the general theory for a general audience.
3) While Einstein explains how the basic assumptions of his theories differ from those of classical physics, these differences are not, in my opinion, highlighted sufficiently. I recommend Isaacson's recent biography of Einstein for those who wants these differences more clearly delineated. Isaacson clearly shows why Einstein's theories were so radical a departure from those of Newton.
All in all, this is a good book for the right audience.
Still The Best.......2007-08-11
After reading books by Hawking, Kaku, Greene, and others on the topic, none are more lucid as Einstein himself in describing relativity to the non-physicist.
Worthwhile Read.......2007-07-12
This is a very short book and is quick reading. I have read other books with better explainations of relativity. I didn't like the writing style -- it was translated by an Englishman in the early 20th century so the sentence structure doesn't flow like normal reading.
Readable, for the Science-Minded.......2007-06-05
This is a good, concise exposition of general and special relativity from the man who wrote the book. However, it will be above the heads of some... If you're interested in reading this book, I'd suggest looking for it in the library to see if it's really the book for you. Or even browse the text in a bookstore before you buy. If you think you'll need a course in Calculus, find a review of the theories that you can follow.
Not as good as the real thing.......2007-05-23
Having owned a 1968 paperback reprint of the genuine, 1954, Methuen, London, 15th edition publication, for many years, I was extremely disappointed to receive this Penguin out-of-copyright-rip-off replacement for my original (now falling apart) paperback copy. The vitally important (1956) fifth appendix is missing, as is the earlier 4th appendix. The reason for this is obvious. Penguin have merely re-published that part of the real thing which is now already more than 70 years old, and, therefore, out of copyright.
Even the quality of the employed paper is at, or below, newspaper standard. I now know why the Amazon price seemed cheap. As Einstein's definitive final word on this subject, this particular excuse for Einstein's popular exposition is, IMO, not even worth the paper it is written on.
Amazon.com
E=mc2. Just about everyone has at least heard of Albert Einstein's formulation of 1905, which came into the world as something of an afterthought. But far fewer can explain his insightful linkage of energy to mass. David Bodanis offers an easily grasped gloss on the equation. Mass, he writes, "is simply the ultimate type of condensed or concentrated energy," whereas energy "is what billows out as an alternate form of mass under the right circumstances."
Just what those circumstances are occupies much of Bodanis's book, which pays homage to Einstein and, just as important, to predecessors such as Maxwell, Faraday, and Lavoisier, who are not as well known as Einstein today. Balancing writerly energy and scholarly weight, Bodanis offers a primer in modern physics and cosmology, explaining that the universe today is an expression of mass that will, in some vastly distant future, one day slide back to the energy side of the equation, replacing the "dominion of matter" with "a great stillness"--a vision that is at once lovely and profoundly frightening.
Without sliding into easy psychobiography, Bodanis explores other circumstances as well; namely, Einstein's background and character, which combined with a sterling intelligence to afford him an idiosyncratic view of the way things work--a view that would change the world. --Gregory McNamee
Book Description
Already climbing the bestseller lists-and garnering rave reviews-this "little masterpiece"* sheds brilliant light on the equation that changed the world.
"This is not a physics book. It is a history of where the equation [E=mc2] came from and how it has changed the world. After a short chapter on the equation's birth, Bodanis presents its five symbolic ancestors in sequence, each with its own chapter and each with rich human stories of achievement and failure, encouragement and duplicity, love and rivalry, politics and revenge. Readers meet not only famous scientists at their best and worst but also such famous and infamous characters as Voltaire and Marat...Bodanis includes detailed, lively and fascinating back matter...His acknowledgements end, 'I loved writing this book.' It shows." (The Cleveland Plain Dealer)
"E=mc2, focusing on the 1905 theory of special relativity, is just what its subtitle says it is: a biography of the world's most famous equation, and it succeeds beautifully. For the first time, I really feel that I understand the meaning and implications of that equation, as Bodanis takes us through each symbol separately, including the = sign...there is a great 'aha!' awaiting the lay reader." (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
"'The equation that changed everything' is familiar to even the most physics-challenged, but it remains a fuzzy abstraction to most. Science writer Bodanis makes it a lot more clear." (Discover)
"Excellent...With wit and style, he explains every factor in the world's most famous and least understood equation....Every page is rich with surprising anecdotes about everything from Einstein's youth to the behind-the-scenes workings of the Roosevelt administration. Here's a prediction: E=mc2 is one of those odd, original, and handsomely written books that will prove more popular than even its publisher suspects." (Nashville Scene)
"You'll learn more in these 300 pages about folks like Faraday, Lavoisier, Davy and Rutherford than you will in many a science course...a clearly written, astonishingly understandable book that celebrates human achievement and provides some idea of the underlying scientific orderliness and logic that guides the stars and rules the universe." (Parade )
"Bodanis truly has a gift for bringing his subject matter to life." (Library Journal [starred review] )
"Entertaining...With anecdotes and illustrations, Bodanis effectively opens up E=mc2 to the widest audience." (Booklist )
"Accessible...he seeks, and deserves, many readers who know no physics. They'll learn a handful-more important, they'll enjoy it, and pick up a load of biographical and cultural curios along the way." (Publishers Weekly)
Customer Reviews:
Interesting History of Science.......2007-09-21
This is not a book for people who are looking to learn science. It is a book for people who want to learn about scientists. Bodanis includes lots of fascinating biographical snippets, some about people, such as Emilie du Châtelet, who are entirely overlooked in most textbook histories. His book is a great introduction for those who want to fill in some of the gaps in their knowledge about the people who created modern civilization.
Simple equation, enormous implications.......2007-09-13
A well written story about this famous equation, its history, and perhaps it's future. I STILL don't fully understand it all, but hey, the author tried.
Another masterpiece by Bodanis.......2007-07-20
David Bodanis as a way of writing that one can enjoy. I love all his work and this book was no disappointment. A masterful mix of history and physics that makes science come alive. I can recommend all Bodanis's books.
Even more undrstanding.......2007-04-14
This was a splendid documenation of the actions and thoughts of the individuals involved in the revelations of the most important discoveries in physics ever made. It was told in an exceptionally clear manner by the author. It was very obvious that his research was thorough. He also documented all his discoveries so that the reader could easily do more research.
Personally, I had a hard time putting it down even though I have read other books on the subject. It is the best technical writing I can remember.
Havent read it yet.......2007-03-22
Really havent read it yet, I just bought it for a class, but it looks boring.
Book Description
The most advanced and celebrated mind of the 20th Century, without a doubt, is attributed to Albert Einstein. Instead of his hard science and advanced mathematical theories, which often go far beyond the minds of average people, this book allows us to meet him as a person. This interesting book allows us to explore his beliefs, philosophical ideas, and opinions on many subjects so we can walk away afterwards knowing and understanding one of the world's greatest intellectual giants. Subjects include politics, religion, education, the meaning of life, Jewish issues, the world economy, peace and pacifism. One does not need an advanced degree in math or physics to appreciate the genius of Einstein, shared so clearly by the man himself in this book.
Customer Reviews:
Enlightning.......2007-05-09
The book could have been structured a little better, but noone can argue with the words of Einstein. Several of the quotes in the book are about random and old-time topics that were lost on me, only being 23. However, this is still an amazing glipse into the man that changed the 20th Centery.
Brilliant Scientist and Great Humanitarian.......2006-06-06
Albert Einstein as I see it was one of the greatest humanitarians that ever lived. His brilliance and simplicity of thought shines through on many of his complex theories. You come away saying "Why didn't I think of that? It is so simple!" Einstein's humor is dazzling to match and rounds out my perception of this wonderful unique human being. I enjoyed this book.
There is a more comprehensive and cheaper book out there!!!.......2006-05-18
+++++
This book (first published in 1934) contains brief writings of physicist Albert Einstein (1879 to 1955), one of the most creative intellects of the twentieth century. It contains articles (speeches, letters, statements, etc.) from early in his career.
This book gives a personal portrait of the man behind the scientific legend.
The book itself is divided into four parts:
(1) The world as I see it (about 30 articles). This is my favorite part.
(2) Politics and pacifism (almost 20 articles). Einstein was a pacifist (one who opposes the use of force under any circumstances).
(3) Germany (3 articles). Einstein was born in Ulm, Wurttemberg, Germany. (He later emigrated to the United States in late 1932.)
(4) The Jews (just over 10 articles). Einstein was Jewish.
Finally, if this book is so good, then why did I give it the rating I did? Two reasons.
First, there is a much more comprehensive book that also has gathered Einstein's writings. It is called "Ideas and Opinions" (first published in 1954 and sold by Amazon). It contains almost all the articles (it excludes seven) contained in "The World as I See It." As well, it contains selected articles from other publications (most notably the books "Out of my Later Years" and "Mein Weltbild.")
As well, the book "Ideas and Opinions" has a fifth part called `Contributions to Science' (which contains almost 20 articles). Here, Einstein discusses topics such as relativity, theoretical physics, science, and gravitation. He even gives tributes to such people as Isaac Newton and Copernicus.
Second, this book's price. It costs $9.20 and you get 65 articles. But the hardcopy version of "Ideas and Opinions" costs about $6.00 and you get 120 articles (almost double the amount)!! (Note that all prices quoted are as of May 2006.)
In conclusion, instead of this book, I recommend the more comprehensive and cheaper book called "Ideas and Opinions." In my opinion, this recommended book is the definitive collection if Albert Einstein's popular writings!!!
+++++
great book!.......2006-02-26
I found this book in my uncle's library. After hearing some islamist authors were interpreting Einstein's book as a proof of "science without religion is not science etc" I have decided to read this book . Then I realized those writers never really read this book and they were talking non sense it was just a sentence from this book.
The book is nice, he is not only a scientist also a philosoph. It helped me to look at some of the things with a different point of view.
The world as Einstein sees it .......2005-06-26
This volume consists of writings of Einstein collected in the year 1932. Another Amazon reviewer has pointed out that it omits Einstein's writings on science which he rightfully says is something like speaking about Mozart without speaking about his music.
Yet Einstein was already by 1932 a world - figure. And one of the great tests of his life, and proofs of his being , beside a great genius, a very decent and moral human being , was the way he reacted to the Nazis. When they were beginning their racist attacks on the Jews, Einstein proudly announced his Jewish origin. Instead of trying to play up to authority as did for instance Heidegger he showed an ability to sacrifice his own private position within Germany , then the great center of scientific research.
This volume contains a chapter on his relation to the Germany of the time. It also contains a more extensive chapter on his relation to the Jews, to the building of a homeland , to the conception of peace between Jew and Arab in the Holy Land.
The volume opens with Einstein's reflections on the meaning of life, and on the way he sees the world. They come , I think, very much out of his own sense of himself. Einstein highly prized the private individual. He believed that the individual did not exist to be absorbed in or be a slave to the State, but rather the State existed in order to enable individuals to pursue their lives and creative endeavors. In this work he champions the political system of the United States because he believes it best enables individuals to find their way to real creative and productive human endeavor.
He says,"The real valuable thing in the pageant of human life seems to me not the State, but the creative, sentient,individual , the personality: it alone creates the noble and sublime."
Einstein in his humble away talks about the dependence of the individual, of himself on the contributions of so many others in society.
And he talks about the fundamental values for which he has lived, Truth, Goodness and Beauty.
When one thinks of the other outsized giant of science, Newton and compares Einstein with him, one is again struck at how remarkable it is that a person of Einstein's incredible genius in scientific work, should also have been in so many ways a decent, sane, moral human being.
Mankind is enriched by his being one of us.
Book Description
From the Commentary by Robert Geroch (The corresponding section of Einstein's text can be found below the comment. Please note that in the book, the Commentary is placed after the complete text of Relativity.)
Section 17. Space-Time
Minkowski's viewpoint represents a "geometrization" of relativity. These ideas have, over the years, come to the forefront: They reflect the perspective of the majority of physicists working in relativity today. Let us expand on this viewpoint. The fundamental notion is that of an event, which we think of as a physical occurrence having negligibly small extension in both space and time. That is, an event is "small and quick," such as the explosion of a firecracker or the snapping of your fingers. Now consider the collection of all possible events in the universe—all events that have ever happened, all that are happening now, and all that will ever happen; here and elsewhere. This collection is called space-time. It is the arena in which physics takes place in relativity. The idea is to recast all statements about goings-on in the physical world into geometrical structures within this space-time. In a similar vein, you might begin the study of plane geometry by introducing the notion of a point (analogous to an event) and assembling all possible points into the plane (analogous to space-time). This plane is the arena for plane geometry, and each statement that is part of plane geometry is to be cast as geometrical structure within this plane. This space-time is a once-and-for-all picture of the entire physical world. Nothing "happens" there; things just "are." A physical particle, for example, is described in the language of space-time by giving the locus of all events that occur "right at the particle." The result is a certain curve, or path, in space-time called the world-line of the particle. Don't think of the particle as "traversing" its world-line in the same sense that a train traverses its tracks. Rather, the world-line represents, once and for all, the entire life history of the particle, from its birth to its death. The collision of two particles, for example, would be represented geometrically by the intersection of their world-lines. The point of intersection—a point common to both curves; an event that is "right at" both particles—represents the event of their collision. In a similar way, more complicated physical goings-on—an experiment in particle physics, for example, or a football game—are incorporated into the fabric of space-time. One example of "physical goings-on" is the reference frame that Einstein uses in his discussion of special relativity. How is this incorporated into space-time? The individuals within a particular reference frame assign four numbers, labeled x, y, z, t, to each event in space-time. The first three give the spatial location of the event according to these observers, the last the time of the event. These numbers completely and uniquely characterize the event. In geometrical terms, a frame of reference gives rise to a coordinate system on space-time. In a similar vein, in plane geometry a coordinate system assigns two numbers, x and y, to each point of the plane. These numbers completely and uniquely characterize that point. The statement "the plane is two-dimensional" means nothing more and nothing less than that precisely two numbers are required to locate each point in the plane. Similarly, "space-time is four-dimensional" means nothing more and nothing less than that precisely four numbers are required to locate each event in space-time. That is all there is to it! You now understand "four-dimensional space-time" as well as any physicist. Note that the introduction of four-dimensional space-time does not say that space and time are "equivalent" or "indistinguishable." Clearly, space and time are subjectively different entities. But a rather subtle mixing of them occurs in special relativity, making it convenient to introduce this single entity, space-time. In plane geometry, we may change coordinates, i.e., relabel the points. It is the same plane described in a different way (in that a given point is now represented by different numbers), just as the land represented by a map stays the same whether you use latitude/longitude or GPS coordinates. We can now determine formulae expressing the new coordinate-values for each point of the plane in terms of the old coordinate-values. Similarly, we may change coordinates in space-time, i.e., change the reference frame therein. And, again, we can determine formulae relating the new coordinate-values for each space-time event to the old coordinate-values for that event. This, from Minkowski's geometrical viewpoint, is the substance of the Lorentz-transformation formulae in Section 11. A significant advantage of Minkowski's viewpoint is that it is particularly well-adapted also to the general theory of relativity. We shall return to this geometrical viewpoint in our discussion of Section 27.
Download Description
"""It is remarkable that Einstein should have produced such an account for the lay public so soon after his general theory was completed. This view has now superbly survived the tests of time.... In this new edition we are fortunate in having the advantage of an excellent exposition of Einstein's foundational ideas on relativity from a more modern perspective in Robert Geroch's commentary.""
¿From the Introduction by Roger Penrose, author of The Emperor's New Mind and The Road To Reality.
""One good way to get a feeling for what relativity theory is all about is to read, in these pages, what the originator of the subject had to say. I have provided comments, attached to various sections of Einstein's book. The key to understanding relativity is to think about it for yourself.""
¿From the Commentary by Robert Geroch, Professor of Physics, University of Chicago.
""Relativity was a highly technical new theory that gave new meanings to familiar concepts and even to the nature of theory itself. The general public looked upon relativity as indicative of the seemingly incomprehensible modern era, educated non-scientists despaired of ever understanding what Einstein had done, and political ideologues used the new theory to exploit public fears and anxieties¿all of which opened a rift between science and the broader culture that continues to expand today.""
¿From the Historical Essay by David C. Cassidy, author of J. Robert Oppenheimer and the American Century, and Einstein and Our World.
""All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree. All these aspirations are directed toward ennobling man's life, lifting it from the sphere of mere physical existence and leading the individual toward freedom.""
¿Albert Einstein
"
Customer Reviews:
Quite elevated language.......2006-03-09
It very difficult to critisize the man himself, but after all he was not a writer per se and was used to discussing relativity with other physicists. I can follow him. But thats only because I have read other books which make the subject much easier. Acually this was my first book on relativity which I bought years ago and threw it down in frustration. Then, recently I tried again with "Relativity Visualized" by L C Epstein. Now, finnaly I get it. It took a lot of intense concentration and re-reading, but I got it. And when it hit me my jaw dropped and all I could say was "WOW!" Of course, I lost it the next day and had to go thru it again. That's how difficult relativity is to comprehend and RETAIN. (Retaining it for more than a few minutes can seem as hard as learning it. Special Relativity is very evasive to the mind. And General Relativity is about ten times more difficult. But WHEN YOU GET IT, it's a feeling you never had before. It will change your life.)So I recommend the Epstein book. Lots of great "Thought Experiments" and a bit of neat "unique" (odd) humor, too. Einstein's book should be read, tho. After you've read other books about relativity and understand it at least "generaly" (pardon The Pun)If only to get a sense of the man. I read German quite well and still, I am sure I'd have problems reading the original, but someday I'll give it a shot.
Still not for the layman...............2005-09-15
Is is an awesome thing to be able to read in Einstein's own words his explanation of these ground breaking concepts. It is not an easy read however. His language is elaborate and eloquent, but to a person like me who is trying very hard to make mental images of the concepts, distracting. I read other sources to attempt to clarify my understanding and found sources on the internet to support the book. The expanations in the appendices did not help either; they were not quite at layman's level as well.
Still, it was exciting to read and have a view into the thoughts of the great man.
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