Product Description

This book takes a subversive look at lesser-known aspects of the famous scientist's intellectual life, the man whom the FBI thought was "too clever not to track." It presents Einstein's denunciation of U.S. use of nuclear bombs in 1945, his socialism and his passionate opposition to war as a profound advocate of radical humanism.

"What I like most about Albert Einstein is that he was a troublemaker." -- Fred Jerome, author of The Einstein File

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"We were born into an unjust system. We are not prepared to grow old in it." -- Bernadette Devlin

Rebel Lives books feature writings both by and about individuals who have played significant roles in humanity's ongoing fight for a better world. The series shows the not-so-well-recognized political views of some well-known figures and introduces some not-so-famous rebels. Strongly representative of race, class and gender, these books are smaller format, inexpensive, accessible and provocative.

Customer Reviews (2)

mind-blowing book by the genius
Although Albert Einstein is re-known physicist and ultimately a genius who created mind-blowing ideas about universe and such, his activist and social stance on the world problems and issue is less known. This small book contains his speeches and letters at different occasion, which portrayAlbert Einstein as truly as son of humankind, citizen of the world. You might disagree with statements of assessments of the world relations, but you can not deny that the genius physicist has risen to the occasion on social and world issues as a true giant of mind and kind and fair heart. Truly great read and highly recommended for everyone who still believe in humankind and humanity in the world. Edward, Baltimore

A pleasant surprise
I didn't have great expectations for this "subversive" look at Albert Einstein, so I was pleasantly surprised when I got around to reading it.Though by no means a complete biography, this "Rebel Lives" volume provides a thoughtful and thought-provoking look at a side of the famous physicist not widely known.

This book is a collection of letters, articles and essays, all by Einstein, on various social issues to which he devoted his spare time: pacifism; internationalism and world government; human rights and civil rights; humanism; socialism; and opposition to nationalism, capitalism, militarism, fascism, and weapons of mass destruction.Organized into six sections by topic, it opens with a brief biographical sketch, chronology, and introductions to the documents by editor Jim Green.Also included is a brief bibliography of electronic and printed resources for more information.

Many of the documents were interesting, though since I was already familiar with several of them they were not such a revelation to me as they might be to others who didn't know Einstein was a socialist and pacifist.For instance, I long ago read his article "Why Socialism", published in the first issue of the socialist magazine "Monthly Review" in 1949 and available free online.In general, I felt that such a look at Einstein could have been both more comprehensive and more in-depth, especially for the relatively high price.I would also have preferred the backgrounds on the documents to be spread amongst the documents themselves, instead of all grouped together in the introduction.That way the reader wouldn't have to flip back to the beginning of the book to review the context of any particular document.

However, this subversive look at Einstein should be of interest to those who are curious about, but have little or no knowledge of, his leftist social and political stances.It may also be of special value to teachers looking for primary sources on any of the topics addressed. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Unknown if there is any corroboration for this book
Passages from this book are quite often cited to demonstrate that Einstein had some degree of "faith", and that he believed that Jesus was an actual historical figure.However, there seems to be very little information and evidence to back up the claims made by this book.Considering its subject matter is indeed controversial and the book is out of print, I would consider its source and legitimacy dubious at best.

There are better documented sources of information on Einstein's thoughts on religion.Most recently, a letter was sold at auction in London:

Albert Einstein described belief in God as "childish superstition" and said Jews were not the chosen people, in a letter to be sold in London the week of May 12, 2008.

The father of relativity, whose previously known views on religion have been more ambivalent and fuelled much discussion, made the comments in response to a philosopher in 1954.

As a Jew himself, Einstein said he had a great affinity with Jewish people but said they "have no different quality for me than all other people".

"The word God is for me nothing more than the expression and product of human weaknesses, the Bible a collection of honourable, but still primitive legends which are nevertheless pretty childish.

"No interpretation no matter how subtle can (for me) change this," he wrote in the letter written on January 3, 1954 to the philosopher Eric Gutkind, cited by The Guardian newspaper.

The German-language letter is being sold Thursday by Bloomsbury Auctions in Mayfair after being in a private collection for more than 50 years, said the auction house's managing director Rupert Powell.

In it, the renowned scientist, who declined an invitation to become Israel's second president, rejected the idea that the Jews are God's chosen people.

"For me the Jewish religion like all others is an incarnation of the most childish superstitions," he said.

"And the Jewish people to whom I gladly belong and with whose mentality I have a deep affinity have no different quality for me than all other people."

And he added: "As far as my experience goes, they are no better than other human groups, although they are protected from the worst cancers by a lack of power. Otherwise I cannot see anything 'chosen' about them."

Previously the great scientist's comments on religion -- such as "Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind" -- have been the subject of much debate, used notably to back up arguments in favour of faith.
Powell said the letter being sold this week gave a clear reflection of Einstein's real thoughts on the subject. "He's fairly unequivocal as to what he's saying. There's no beating about the bush."

A Beautiful and Enlightening Book
Albert Einstein has become almost a symbol for the concept of human intelligence.But what I admire most about Einstein wasn't so much his intelligence but his wisdom.In Einstein's God, Robert Goldman displays that wisdom in a manner that those of us of lesser intelligence can understand.

Einstein's God is nothing less than the God of Spinoza, the 17th century Dutch Jew who was excommunicated by the Amsterdam rabbinate for his heretical views.Goldman fully acknowledges Einstein's love of, and indebtedness to, Spinoza.But Goldman also explains how Einstein was able to extend Spinoza's concepts through his own theory of relativity, which unifies the notions of "space" and "time" into a single "spacetime" continuum.Readers with an interest in exploring the concept of immortality should find Goldman's discussion fascinating on that point.

I was saddened to see that nine years after this wonderful little book was published, nobody had reviewed it on Amazon.com.I can only blame that on the reality that Einstein's spirituality has failed to capture the public's imagination. What a shame.In an era where people become best selling authors by claiming to have "conversations" with God, we are neglecting our true geniuses who pursued God with the greatest of humility.

Descartes taught us that since we think, we must exist.But Einstein taught us that since we can contemplate the ultimate, the eternal, the infinite -- and since our own thoughts will never even approach that standard -- who are we to doubt its existence?And who are we to say that the word "God" shouldn't be used to describe such ultimacy?

Indeed, maybe the modern scientist doesn't "need" God.But no lesser a scientist than Einstein realized that we might still "want" God just the same. ... Read more

Product Description
Albert Einstein's life took him to many countries. But his mind journeyed even further - further than any explorer had ever traveled. On the outside, he was a quiet child who grew into a quiet man with messy hair and rumpled clothes. On the inside, his mind soared like a bird, seeing a world that others could never even imagine. His deep love for math and science launched us into the atomic age. As a world-famous scientist, he devoted his life to research. As a man who had seen too much war, he devoted himself to the cause of world peace. ... Read more

Product Description
This classic book is a gathering of letters between the two Nobel-prize winning physicists Albert Einstein and Max Born. For the forty years of their friendship, Einstein and Born wrote to each other regularly, discussing their views and feelings on the world wars, quantum theory, music, their families, the tragic plight of Europe's Jewry, and their own roles in the tumultuous politics of the time. Fascinating historically, The Born-Einstein Letters is also highly topical: scientists continue to struggle with quantum physics, their role in wartime, and the public's misunderstanding. Now reissued for "The Year of Physics," commemorating the centennial of Einstein's 1905 paper on relativity, the book will include a new preface by Kip Thorne and Diana Buchwald.
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Customer Reviews (3)

A vivid account of XXthcentury history and science
This book is the history of a lifelong frienship between two great scientists, but is much more than this as it covers perhaps the most dramatic period of the history of humanity. Their lives were conditioned by the two world wars which originated the scene in which we all live now in XXI century.

A peculiar glimpse into the relationship of two physicists
Take a great mathematician, add to it the talent of a philosopher, the mindfulness of a Buddhist monk and the intuition of a gifted doctor and you get a world's greatest physicist. This book is a peculiar glimpse into the relationship of two accomplished physicists. The letters touch up on a number of scientific, humanitarian, and political issues. Enlightening account of two intelligent people dealing with the inevitable intellectual and personal differences within the context of their freindship. A fascinating account of Einstein's state of mind during his last days and his general attitude towards dying at the end of the book. The translations are done in questionable English but it only adds to the charms. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Revealing the Human Side of Two Brilliant Scientists!!
+++++

The highlight of this book by Nobel Prize-winning physicist Max Born (1882 to 1970) is the letters he and Nobel Prize-winning physicist Albert Einstein (1879 to 1955) exchanged between the years 1916 and 1955.These letters (that were never meant to be published) show the human side of these brilliant physicists.

This book has an overall introduction broken up into seven sections:

(1) Note on this new edition by Gustav Born (one of Max Born's sons).
(2) Acknowledgements for this new edition again by Gustav.
(3) A Modern Preface to this new edition by historian Diana Buchwald and physicist Kip Thorne.
(4) Forward to the original edition by Nobel Prize-winning philosopher Lord Bertrand Russell.
(5) Introduction to the original edition by Nobel Prize-winning physicist Werner Heisenberg.
(6) Acknowledgements to the original edition by Max Born.
(7) A kind of Preamble to the letters again by Max.

Then we come to:

(8) "The Born-Einstein Letters"
(9) "Index"

I recommend reading the seven sections of the overall introduction first before reading the actual letters themselves.

Special mention should be given to the Modern Preface (written in Sept. 2004) to this new edition.This section is very thorough (it has more than 60 footnotes) explaining everything you need to know about the letters themselves.

The "Born-Einstein Letters" themselves are numbered for easy reference.The first letter is dated (Feb. 27, 1916) while the last is dated (Jan. 29, 1955).There are commentaries, explanations, and autobiographical remarks by Born accompanying almost every letter. As the modern preface says:

"These commentaries are striking in their candor, in their admiration for Einstein and the apparent need for Born to comprehend and explain some of the major disagreements with Einstein over the years."

This collection of 120 translated letters itself can be broken down as follows:

(i) 39 letters from Einstein to Born
(ii) 7 from Einstein to (Born and his wife Hedwig nicknamed "Hedi")
(iii) 17 letters between Einstein and Hedi
(iv) 48 from Born to Einstein
(v) 3 from (Born and Hedi) to Einstein
(vi) 1 from Born to Einstein's second wife
(vii) 1 in each direction between Einstein and Born and Max's friend, the physicist James Franck
(viii) 3 from Wolfgang Pauli, a theoretical physicist, to Born

As the modern preface says:

"The letters themselves constitute one of the most vivid and valuable testimonies in the development of modern science.They also tell us much about the personal hardships that Einstein and Born overcame during two world wars, the vagaries of academic life, the daily grind of administrative work, and the steadfastness and frailty of human relationships.Throughout runs a scientific dialogue that was central to their lives...

[Most of these letters] attest to the close, lively, and at times turbulent relationship among [Born, Hedi, and Einstein].Esteem, affection, and occasional criticism from the Borns is countered by warmth from Einstein with occasional flirtatiousness toward Hedi and at times defensive, even wounded humor...

Born included [the 3 letters from Pauli (as indicated in viii above)] as they illuminate a misunderstanding between himself and Einstein about quantum mechanics...

The frequency, topics, and tone of the letters...reflect the initial closeness, and cooling and final rapprochement between Einstein and Born.Between 1916 and 1920 both wrote to each other eagerly.After Einstein's rise to national and international fame, they exchanged less than four letters per year on average, until the final year and a half of Einstein's life, when the early warmth returned and their correspondence regained its original intensity."

The themes in these letters and Born's commentaries impart an "impressive tapestry."Some include those of a personal nature such as Einstein's philosophy of life; his relaxed attitude towards mistakes in his scientific work; and Born's disappointment over the poor early recognition of his contributions to quantum theory.Larger social and political themes include Communism; Zionism; Born's and Einstein's extensive efforts to help Jewish scientists in the wake of Hitler's rise to power; the Holocaust; the atomic bomb; Hiroshima and Nagasaki; and the evolution of Germany after World War Two.

In these letters we meet a large number of distinguished scientists of the era.We also see the extensive range of scientific issues that occupied Born and Einstein during their careers.

A highlight of this book (for me, at least) is the historical 1927 black and white photo of almost 30 distinguished scientists (all men except one woman) of that time.Born and Einstein are highlighted in this photo.

Don't worry!You don't have to know any science to read this book.You can simply skip those science parts you don't understand.However, knowing some science or having access to a good science dictionary would be beneficial.

Finally, there were two problems I found with this book:

First, there is no table of contents.I thought this odd since the book is so well organized.Instead there is only a title page that only lists (without giving page numbers) 5 of the 9 sections indicated above.For a book of such important historical and scientific historical magnitude, I thought this was a major oversight.

Secondly, the index is only a name index.There is no subject index.Why?There is an impressive array of topics covered in these historical letters (some of which I touched on above).Thus, I think a subject index should have been mandatory.

In conclusion, this is a unique book that includes the actual letters between Albert Einstein and Max Born.Be sure to read this book and see why Born said, "With [Einstein's] death, we, my wife and I, lost our dearest friend."

(first published in English 1971;this edition published 2005;overall introduction of 7 sections;120 letters with commentaries;overall introduction and letters comprise 270 pages;name index)

+++++
... Read more

Product Description
This volume of The Collected Papers of Albert Einstein presents Einstein's writings for the two-year period starting in October 1909. The initial date marks Einstein's departure from the Swiss Patent Office at Bern, which had been his professional home for seven years, and the beginning of his first academic appointment, at the University of Zurich. The volume concludes with the masterful report that Einstein, by then a full professor at the German-language university in Prague, gave to the original Solvay Congress, the first international meeting devoted to the problems of radiation and the quantum theory. Most of Einstein's efforts during these years went into his struggle with these ever more perplexing problems of quanta, on which he made discouragingly little progress.

Einstein's new academic career naturally required him to teach, and almost half of this volume consists of the previously unpublished notes he wrote in preparation for his lectures on mechanics, on electricity and magnetism, and on kinetic theory and statistical mechanics. The last of these is particularly interesting in reflecting some of his research interests.

Several papers here are concerned with aspects of the special theory of relativity, but it is Einstein's article of June 1911 that is a harbinger of things to come: it contains his calculation of the bending of light in a gravitational field on the basis of his equivalence principle.

Martin J. Klein is Bass Professor of the History of Science and Professor of Physics at Yale University and Senior Editor of The Collected Papers of Albert Einstein. A. J. Kox teaches history of science at the University of Amsterdam, Jürgen Renn is Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Physics at Boston University, and Robert Schulmann is Assistant Professor of History at Boston University. ... Read more

Product Description
Einstein the man, living amid tremendous social transformation and upheaval, became for many the embodiment of, and spokesman on behalf of, human dignity and reason. Yet, for many others, Einstein the physicist symbolized the incomprehensible new world in which they now found themselves....

For others, the success of Einstein's physics, which lies at the very foundations of our understanding of nature, resulted in an association of his name with the triumph of twentieth-century science-both its enormous success and the enormous economic, political, and military power that derived from it....

How should we, living a half-century after Einstein's death and years after the nuclear cold war that occupied his last days, comprehend this man and his influence on our world? The answer requires a closer look at the interconnections among history, people, and science. ... Read more

Product Description
The year the future was born.

At the dawn of the twentieth century, young physicist Albert Einstein had quit university life, proved a failure as a teacher, and, in desperate need of means to support his wife and newborn child, had taken a job as a patent office expert. It was during this time, in the year 1905, that Einstein truly established his presence as one of the greatest minds in the history of humankind. In this period of self-imposed isolation from colleagues and academia-which has since been dubbed by the scientific community annus mirabilis (the miracle year)-Einstein, at twenty-six years of age, wrote a series of three papers whose subject eventually became known as the Theory of Relativity.

Now, bestselling authors John Gribbin and Mary Gribbin present, for the 100th anniversary of that astounding year, the fascinating story of how one man's genius helped shape our world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Worth $6, but not the original $25 list price
This book was clearly put together to cash in on the 100th anniversary of Einstein's Annus Mirabilis. It is a bit or a rip-off at the original $25 list price, but is more properly priced at $6.The book is divided into 5 parts.There is a 41-page section covering Einstein's life up to 1905.Then there is a 62 page chapter covering the papers that were written during the Annus Mirabilis.This is followed by a 22-page chapter covering the last 50 years of Einstein's life.These 125 pages constitute the contribution of the authors. This contribution is supplemented by Einstein's 1916 monograph describing relativity theory for a general audience and a DVD of an A&E Einstein biography.
Let me review each of these components separately:
1) The two biographical chapters covering the period up to 1905 and the period after 1905.--- These 63 pages give a thumbnail portrait of Einstein.It is compact, covers most of the salient points, but is no substitute for any of the recent full-length biographies that are available.There was, however, one important fact that I learned from the discussion of his life prior to 1905.Between 1902 and 1904 he published 3 papers in which he laid the groundwork for Statistical Mechanics.Unfortunately, (unbeknownst to Einstein) in 1902 J. Willard Gibbs published his classic work on Statistical Mechanics (which is still in print).Both approaches were similar.Thus, prior to 1915, Einstein came close to scooping one of the most important scientists that ever lived.(Gibbs is generally ranked at the level of James Clerk Maxwell, just behind Einstein and Newton.)
2) The papers of the Annus Mirabilis. --- In my opinion this 62 page section is the main reason to buy this book.It shows the importance of each of the Annus Mirabilis papers.The treatment is non-mathematical, but still requires some physics background.If you do not know what Avogadro's number is you will probably not get very much from this section.I found that this section cleared up some popular misconceptions concerning the development of these papers.For instance, his paper on the "Photoelectric Effect" (which was not titled as such) was much more fundamental than just an explanation of the Photoelectric Effect.He used this effect as just one example of a much more fundamental idea concerning light quanta (photons).As another example, he did not use the Lorentz transformation in the special relativity paper (it appeared only the year before in a somewhat obscure Dutch journal, which he did not read before writing his paper), he derived the same expression, but interpreted it in a much more fundamental manner.(Most books imply that Einstein took the Lorentz transformations and just applied them in a different way.)
3) Einstein's relativity monograph --- The publishers used the 1916 version of this monograph because it is in the public domain, so they did not have to pay any royalty to Einstein's estate.Unfortunately, there are a large number of errors in this version that were corrected in subsequent editions.The best edition is the last one, the 15th, published in 1952.The errors are corrected and two additional appendices are included.If you are going to spend the time to read this monograph, you might as well read the most up-to-date version.(Both versions are available as standalone books, and often the 1916 version is priced higher, even though the publisher is able to print it without paying any royalty.)
4) Biography DVD --- This focuses on the more salacious aspects or Einstein's life (his marriages, out of wedlock child, infidelities and run-in's with the FBI and Senator Joe McCarthy) but not his physics.

The sum of these parts is clearly worth $6 and it is on this basis that I am giving the book 4 stars. It is a shame that the complete book was not focused on the Annus Mirabilis papers.If someone writes such a book I hope that they do not dumb it down by stripping out all of the mathematics.I would love to read an annotated version of these critical papers.Now that would be a 5 star book.

A brief biography of Einstein
This is an interesting biography of Einstein emphasizing his family history and his "miracle year" when he published his greatest work. Part of the book is an explanation of the theory of relativity. This follows the biographical section. The writing style is easy to understand and the author is an authority being an astronomer.

Well written except for typos in 1916 paper
Although the new material in this book is relatively short (about 130 pages per previous reviewer), it is extremely well written. The historical perspective is more precise than in many other books.Brevity is a virtue in this case.The DVD is done in the now typical quick, "talking head" style. You put a few experts in front of a camera and record whatever they say. There are also repetitions that were obviously meant to be presented after commercial breaks. So the DVD is choppy. But there is some material such as J Edgar Hoover's paranoia regarding Einstein that I haven't seen anywhere else. Taken as a whole, the package is a bargain. I suspect with a title in English that included Einstein's name, this book would have sold much better. (Also check out "Great Physicists" by William H. Cropper, a bargain at full price.)

Einstein's 1916 paper written for the laymen has unfortunately been marred by typos from the first edition.The original printer used the capital I for the dimensionless number one. This awkward notation led to confusion when "I" was used in two places to represent distance. (First, in Appendix 1, equation 7. Second, the first I in the second equation of Chapter 12.) This edition not only perpetuates these errors but introduces new ones.Divisor signs mysteriously appear over some math expressions. On page 191, the expression in the middle should have an "= 0" at the right. On page 252, the 2nd equal sign should be a plus sign.And of course, the table of definitions added in this edition on page 148 declares "I" to always represent distance. It is almost inexcusable that a paper this important should not have been more carefully edited. There are several other publishers who have reprinted this paper in recent years without any of the above typos. So if your main reason for getting this book is the 1916 paper, choose a recent edition by a different publisher.

Book actually better than DVD
This book on Einstein gave me (someone who previously knew next to nothing about him save for E=mc2) some background and insight into the man behind the myth.

Like many geniuses, Einstein seems to have been a wizard with physics, but not quite so adept at his personal relationships.

The book was very linear and instructive, although half of the actual pages are devoted to a reprint of Einstein's papers from 1905, so the read is actually very short.

However, the book is much better than the accompyaning Biography DVD program which is anything but linear and jumps around in Einsteins life.If I'd watched the DVD first instead of reading the book my understanding of what happened in his life when would have been totally askew.

That being said, I enjoyed the book very much and now feel that I have at least more than the average insight into the life of a man who will forever be remembered as the world's greatest physicist.

Old wine in a nice new bottle
The idea opf presenting Albert Einstrein's own popularization of his ideas alongside an essay setting his magical year in context is absolutely brilliant, but I can't understand why the book cover doesn't make the Einstein connection clear.John Gribbin (and Mary) does his usual great job of simplifying the science, with every single paper of the five published in 1905 explained.It even turns out that special relativity wasn't the most important!The free DVD is also a really neat bonus.Whether you think of this as a book with a free DVD, or a DVD with a free book, it is fantastic value.
Charles T. Hardin
... Read more

Product Description
This book takes the reader on a fantastic journey through a wide range of cultures and traditions to examine the phenomenon of ecstatic visionary experiences -- from Sumerian Gilgamesh and the Taoist Immortals to the imaginative fiction of Jorge Luis Borges. The author provides a comprehensive tour of otherworldly journeys common from immemorial times among shamans, magicians, and witches, and illustrates their connection with such modern phenomena as altered states of consciousness, out-of-body experiences, and near death experiences. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Great piece of work
This is an excellent overview of out-of-body journeying across cultures. I won't review in detail, but if you have any interest in the history of 'astral projection' practices, and how they fit into spiritual traditions worldwide, you really won't want to miss it. The list of referenced volumes alone is worth the price of the book, although without Couliano's 8 languages I won't be able to take full advantage.

I particularly liked the Greek section which includes an excellent overview of the iatromantis tradition -- the Greek healer-shaman-prophets they never taught you about in school, unless they called them 'philosophers' or 'mathematicians' -- and everything else from Homer to Plato and beyond, including caves that teleport you to and from the underworld. The Chinese section has excellent material, the Jewish and Gnostic traditions are also well-covered, and the Iranian/Zoroastrian stuff was quite new to me and very intriguing. The only puzzlement for me is that no norse traditions are included; they have some amazing non-physical legends, heroes and geography which will need discovery in a different book.

This man was quite a scholar -- a worthy successor to his fellow countryman Eliade, with a real feel for this material. Anyone with an interest in mysticism will enjoy the journey into journeying.

Wonderful introductory text on a fun subject
This is the most accessible book written by one of the greatest scholars of the subject, who was stolen from us at too young an age. Backed up by footnotes to a wide range of scholarship, Couliano demonstrates his learning at the same time that he amazes the reader by explaining it all so well. This book will help you become familiar with many important figures and concepts in religious studies--at a detailed and thoughtful level. It is also an excellent sourcebook for spiritual seekers, mystics and occultists who desire a convenient solid academic treatment of the highlights of the historical topic. The treatment is not merely dry and historical, for Couliano had a knack for bringing the mystical, mythical and magical to life. We can only lament his tragic passing and hope that his readers will pick up on the topics he treated so well and write the books that he would have written. An economical and deeply intellectual contribution to any library on religious studies or esotericism.

The Shaman's Journey
This book, written by well known religious scholar I.P. Couliano, provides a wonderful background to the shamanic journey and how it can be found within all societies. He does a very nice cross cultural survey of Shamanism (and relatd concepts) in the early part of the book, showing the similarities of belief in the Americas, Siberia, Melanesia and elsewhere, as well as in Africa and Australia. From there he goes on to show the otherworldly journeys of the Mesopotamians, Egyptians, Chinese Taoists, Buddhists, Iranian mystics, Greek Medicine Men and Hebrew Qabbalists. Remarkable intellectuals and visionaries fill out the last couple chapters, including Neo-Platonic philosopher Plotonius, the Prophet Mohammad and Dante Alighieri, author of the Divine Comedy. Over all, this is perhaps the greatest non-culture specific survey of the Shamanic journey available. I strongly recommend that anyone interested in Shamanism, religious experiences and mysticism in general check out this book. Considering how widely varied Shamanism is (incorporating everything from Siberian and Polynesian religions to the ecstasies of Voudon and Santeria to Sufi mysticism and beyond), it might be a good beginning book.

WOW!Yes with capital letters!
WOw!This is very important to read,especially that this was Culianu's last book to be published. WHen he wrote it, he was receiveing threating phone calls from somebody(?), and if you think a little bit.. Out of this world....hmmm? What does that mean??It necessarily means that he knew that he was going to die?Well if you want to know more about Couliano's death(the first case in USA of a teacher killed in this way) read Ted Anton's book. Anyway, this book is a must read for anybody interested in the meta's(metaphysics,metempsychosis,etc)or in the study of religions . ... Read more

Product Description
“Splendidly satisfying reading, designed for a nonspecialist audience.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred reviewEvalyn Gates, a talented astrophysicist, transports readers to the edge of contemporary science to explore the revolutionary tool—”Einstein’s telescope”—that is unlocking the secrets of the Universe. Einstein’s telescope, or gravitational lensing, is so-called for the way gravity causes space to distort and allow massive objects to act like “lenses,” amplifying and distorting the images of objects behind them. By allowing for the detection of mass where no light is found, scientists can map out the distribution of dark matter and come a step closer to teasing out the effects of dark energy on the Universe—which may forever upend long-held notions about where the Universe came from and where it is going. 8 pages of color; 40 b/w illustrations ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

Not a good fit for the Kindle
Love this book, love my Kindle, but the illustrations don't translate well in electronic ink.

A thorough, lively account
EINSTEIN'S TELESCOPE: THE HUNT FOR DARK MATTER AND DARK ENERGY IN THE UNIVERSE provides a powerful scientific examination of one of Einstein's most intriguing theori4es: that gravitational distortions would allow space to act as a telescope more powerful than humans could build. Cosmologists are using his technique to detect revolutionary realms - and EINSTEIN'S TELESCOPE provides a fine blend of astronomy theory and practice as it tells of the concept and how it's being applied. Both science holdings and general-interest libraries will find this a thorough, lively account.

Thoroughly Enjoyable!
This is a book about humanity's recent efforts in unravelling the composition of the universe. In very clear and eloquent prose, the author gently and painlessly guides the reader through problems in cosmology - focussing primarily on dark matter and dark energy. The main tool that is prominent throughout the book is gravitational lensing - hence the book's title. The author has taken the time to carefully explain the various theories and mechanisms involved; for illustration purposes, she has made extensive use of very helpful analogies from everyday experience. In my opinion, the author has succeeded admirably in writing a book that can be fully enjoyed by a general readership. She has remained well-grounded throughout, illustrating the practical aspects of scientific problems in light of well-established (and well-explained) theories. The writing style is friendly, clear, authoritative, widely accessible, lively and quite captivating. Complete with several useful figures and colour plates, this book can be enjoyed by anyone interested in humanity's quest to understand the composition and machinery of our universe.

I'm almost convinced
I started reading Einstein's Telescope with the idea of refuting many of its conclusions.After all, Dark Matter and Dark Enegy were invented to explain why the universe is the way it is - are they real, or just convenient patches on a flawed model?

After reading the book, I find it hard to deny the existence of the Dark Universe.(It isn't actually Dark.In fact, if real, Dark Matter is completely transparent.)The case for Dark Matter in Evalyn Gate's book is pretty conclusive.[Now, I can bring in MOG (or MOND) and explain things another way, but MOG stands on "unusual" ground.]Einstein's Telescope is using the observable universe for its proof, and I am fairly convinced that Dark Matter is real.She, Evalyn, can be very persuasive.Dark Energy is a greater mystery not yet explained or explainable by current science(or Evalyn).I can still hang on to one of my prejudices.

Einstein's Telescope is a good read, but I found myself annoyed by ocassional statements like, "Dark Matter is undetectable by even our most powerful telescopes".If Dark Matter is real, there should be some just about anywhere/everywhere.Why not look locally, instead of billions of lightyears away?It may be concentrated in certain places, but should be detectable (somehow)in almost any portion of the Universe - like in a particle accelerator on Earth, maybe.I guess it would help to know what to look for, but is that going to come from a telescope?

Don't mind my criticisms.I would recommend Einstein's Telescope to anyone as the best available description of the current understanding of the universe we live in.We live in a time when more and more questions are being asked in cosmology and quantum mechanics whose possible answers are so varied that they can't all be right.We can't be sure of the accuracy of our knowledge without more information.The one area which seems to be producing new and verifiable knowledge is cosmology based on the gravitational lensing techniques described in Einstein's Telescope:The Hunt for Dark Matter and Dark Energy in the Universe by Evalyn Gates.

Get it, and read it.

Savy and Scientific
I read this book alongside Dan Hooper's new book on Supersymmetry (see related review of this book). While Mr. Hooper comes at dark matter from the perspective of a particle physicist and supersymmetry, Ms. Gates provided a very nice juxtaposition (for me at least) by coming at dark matter from the cosmic perspective as an astrophysicist, and from the distinct perspective of gravitational lensing - the essence of the title of the book. As a current graduate student in Astronomy, I really enjoyed the obvious knowledge and background that Ms. Gates brought to this subject. I also enjoyed Ms. Gates' humorous presentation. Handled wrongly, sometimes humour can detract from the flow and presentation, but Ms. Gates (in my opinion) nicely used her dry wit to add to the presentation and to provide moments of levity throughout the text. The book will be very enjoyable to any reader interested in science and provides a very nice summary of dark matter and the techniques employed to quantify it. It doesn't deal too much with dark energy, other than to confirm that observations show that the Universe's expansion is accelerating and giving possible explanations for it in a summary way. But I don't fault the author for this; dark energy is very much more mysterious than dark matter at this point, and it seemed the author's intent here was to concentrate on dark matter. I very much recommend this book. ... Read more

Product Description
Tens of thousands of people enjoyed the first edition of The Quotable Einstein. This enlarged and updated version offers even more fascinating insight into Time magazine's "Man of the Century." The Expanded Quotable Einstein includes about 375 new quotations and covers topics that have recently appeared in the media--such as the most current research on Einstein's brain, the possible collaboration of his wife Mileva in his work, and the newly discovered love letters that Einstein sent to an alleged Soviet spy. An entirely new section on music has been added, the section on science has been expanded greatly, and new photographs add fresh visual appeal. Finally, the new appendix contains an account of the editor's personal peek into the FBI's Einstein file and shows us Einstein's famous letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, which ushered in the atomic age in the United States.

Einstein continues to be a global icon as we enter the new millennium, and this new edition shows us why. The revelation that he was, after all, a human being in his personal life rather than a secular "saint" has detracted neither from his fame nor from his great scientific achievements. Above all, Einstein is shown to be a loyal letter writer, keeping up a lively correspondence with those whom he loved and respected, and expressing an opinion on just about everything and everyone, including himself.

Much more than a series of soundbites, this book of documented quotations and supplementary information about Einstein's life, family, and work puts his thoughts into context. A fairly complete biographical account of this multifaceted man emerges--as son, husband, father, lover, scientist, philosopher, aging widower, humanitarian, and friend. It shows us vividly why the real and imagined Einstein continues to fascinate people the world over ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Lots of quotes, maybe too many
There are all kinds of quotes from Einstein to all sorts of people in all sorts of situations including many that are meaningless to anyone other than the person that he spoke or wrote to. For example, here is a quote to the Lebach family: "Here in Pasadena it is like paradise....Always sunshine and fresh air, gardens with palm and pepper trees, and friendly people who smile at one and ask for autographs." Here is another quote, this one to Ernesta Marangoni "The happy months of my sojourn in Italy are my most beautiful memories."

There are many pearls in this book to be sure, but I feel that just because Einstein said it, it is not necessarily noteworthy.

One Incredible Man to Quote
I absolutely love this book, and the myriad of areas Albert Einstein touches upon.
From deeply personal thoughts about himself, to humankind, science, music, life, war and peace, religion, God, and philosophy, Alice Calaprice did a fantastic job in collecting and compiling the moving and meaningful quotes in this book.
Here are three of my favorites:

On Pacifism: " No person has the right to call himself a Christian or Jew so long as he prepares to engage in systematic murder at the command of an authority, or allow himself to be used in any way in the service of war or the preparation for it."

On Success: "Try to become not a man of success, but try rather to become a man of value."

On His Family: (To Mileva, 10-3-1900 in a love letter) "I am so lucky to have found you - a creature who is my equal, and who is as strong and independent as I am."

Einstein's wisdom is timeless. Whether you want to just read his wisdom, or share it with others, this is one great compilation. Highly recommended!

Barbara Rose, Ph.D. author of Stop Being the String Along: A Relationship Guide to Being THE ONE and If God Was Like Man
Editor, inspire! magazine

Very enjoyable
A very quick read and I read this book as fast as I could.It was hard to put down, as it was very enjoyable.There are quotes that I will use over and over again in my life, writing, and public speaking.You'll find yourself saying, Wow!, this is his best quote, only to be surprised again on the next page.

It showed the good and bad of Einstein (this was not a happily married man), and readers will probably get a better sense of the man than reading some sappy one-sided lovefest biography.

Very Interesting - Pick it up
Once you pick up this book, you will be hard-pressed to put it down. I fully enjoyed reading this book of quotations of one of the most influential people in recent history. A wide selection of topics are covered including quotations about his colleagues. If you like Einstein, you will enjoy this.

Better than a biography
If you're anything like me, you hate learning about a subject through a biased source.Be it the news, history, or a biography, when knowledge is passed on second hand, one is always left wondering what was lost in the translation, intentionally orotherwise.

This is why The Expanded Quotable Einstein is such a breath of fresh air; it allows one to learn about Einstein, his life, his thoughts, his character, in the purest way--through his own words.With over 400 pages of quotes, many of which are as poetically astute as you would expect from a top-notch professional writer, you can discover all there is to know, and draw your own conclusions, instead of being lead there on a leash by an author.Also, with factual information mixed in without the propaganda associated with a full-length biography, one can learn as many dates-names-places as one needs (unless you wish to write a complete fact-based synopsis of his life) and get to the heart of the matter: his spirit.

I feel that overall, this is the best way to present a historical figure, especially Einstein, whose thoughts and ideas need no embellishment, and for whom his own words serve as the best guide through his intricate mind.

One note:many people equate Einstein with E = MC^2, however do not be scared; this is a book of his quotes on everything, from politics to family to religion.No knowledge of mathematics or physics is required to enjoy the surprising insightful and well-rounded character that is Albert Einstein. ... Read more

Product Description
This little volume is chock-full of fun and intriguing quotes from everyone's favorite scientist: Einstein. Read what he has to say about life, morality, philosophy, art and music, science and mathematics, politics, religion, social issues, war and peace, and himself. His views on life, religion, philosophy, and many other issues are as relevant today as they were when he was living. Including a brief biography of the physicist and an amusing bit of doggerel by Einstein himself, Bite-Size Einstein reveals his brilliant perspective on the human condition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

"Only two things are infinite,the universe and human stupidity,and I'm not sure about the former." ..Einstein

When one thinks about the most brilliant scientist of the 20th century;the name of Albert Einstein immediately comes to mind.
But what did this great genius think about life in general.As much as he dealt with the most complicated ideas in science;he really thought about many other things and was able to put his ideas in very simple words.After all,if there was anything that he really admired ,it was simplicity itself.
This is a small book of only 92 pages but in it you will find many statements on many subjects that show that his brain considered all sorts of things that mankind has to deal with and in fact has given much thought to for centuries.
If you think that such a brilliant scientistwould come up with complicated statements on highly complicated subjects;you will be amazed at how he can express his ideas with ultimate simplicity.
I will quote just a couple of things from this little tome;that should show this,and tempt you to get this book and see for yourself what Einstein thought about many things;

"Imagination is more important than knowledge.Knowledge is limited.Imagination
encircles the world."

"One reason why mathematics enjoys special esteem,above all other sciences,is
that its laws are absolutely certain and indisputable,while those of all
other sciences are to some extent debatable and in constant danger of being
overthrown by newly discovered facts."

"Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute,and it seems like an hour.Sit with
a pretty girl for an hour,and it seems like a minute.That's relativity."

"How will World War III be fought" I do not know;but I do know hiow WW IV will
be--withsticks and stones."

"People will not disarm step by step;they willdisarm one blow or not at all."

Einstein quotes
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Humanity is more important than national citizenship

In this year of intense political contention, based in part on a spiteful opposition to immigrants, it is worth reading these concise but poignant quotes by America's most illustrious immigrant.

"I am a democrat," said Albert Einstein.Today, such use of "democrat" means "small 'd' democrat" to avoid confusion with "big 'D' Democrat" which some accuse of being traitors to America.Such is our new intolerance.

However, consider:

--"The foundation of all human values is morality.

--"The destiny of civilized humanity depends more than ever on the moral forces it is capable of generating.

--"Comfort and happiness have never appeared to me as a goal.I call these ethical bases the ideal of the swineherd."

Comfort and happiness?In an era of global warming, perhaps drivers of SUVs really are modern swineherds with scrubbed faces and clean fingernails.It's not that Einstein is so perfectly correct;but, his comments should cause every intelligent person to re-think.After fleeing a Europe where a master race destined to rule the world was being created by government edict, it's hardly surprising Einstein should write, "The state is made for man, not man for the state."

Despite offering a wide range of provocative and stimulating ideas, he has enough common sense to understand, "As a human being, one has been endowed with just enough intelligence to be able to see clearly how utterly inadequate that intelligence is when confronted with what exists."

Has anyone come up with a better description of politics?let alone human events?let alone physics?

Einstein's fame is based on questioning the status quo;he did not want change we can believe in, he wanted questions to discover a new reality instead of preserving old bad habits.In contrast to Bible Thumpers (or Physics book thumpers and every other thumper), "The foundation of morality should not be made dependent on myth nor tied to any authority lest doubt about the myth or about the legitimacy of the authority imperil the foundation of sound judgment and action."

Such quotes make this book a gem.It encourages one to think (which infuriates politicians to no end).As he once said, which applies to today's "huddled masses yearning to breathe free" just inside the golden door, "Humanity is more important than national citizenship."

Wisdom and Wit
When one thinks of Einstein, wisdom and logic seem to prevail.. This book proves that he has a number of one-liners which will blow your socks off and make you laugh out loud.It will also confirm your suspisions thatsmart people and funny people have a lot in common. ... Read more

Product Description
After 1905, Einstein's miraculous year, physics would never be the same again. In those twelve months, Einstein shattered many cherished scientific beliefs with five extraordinary papers that would establish him as the world's leading physicist. This book brings those papers together in an accessible format. The best-known papers are the two that founded special relativity: On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies and Does the Inertia of a Body Depend on Its Energy Content? In the former, Einstein showed that absolute time had to be replaced by a new absolute: the speed of light. In the second, he asserted the equivalence of mass and energy, which would lead to the famous formula E = mc2.

The book also includes On a Heuristic Point of View Concerning the Production and Transformation of Light, in which Einstein challenged the wave theory of light, suggesting that light could also be regarded as a collection of particles. This helped to open the door to a whole new world--that of quantum physics. For ideas in this paper, he won the Nobel Prize in 1921.

The fourth paper also led to a Nobel Prize, although for another scientist, Jean Perrin. On the Movement of Small Particles Suspended in Stationary Liquids Required by the Molecular-Kinetic Theory of Heat concerns the Brownian motion of such particles. With profound insight, Einstein blended ideas from kinetic theory and classical hydrodynamics to derive an equation for the mean free path of such particles as a function of the time, which Perrin confirmed experimentally. The fifth paper, A New Determination of Molecular Dimensions, was Einstein's doctoral dissertation, and remains among his most cited articles. It shows how to calculate Avogadro's number and the size of molecules.

These papers, presented in a modern English translation, are essential reading for any physicist, mathematician, or astrophysicist. Far more than just a collection of scientific articles, this book presents work that is among the high points of human achievement and marks a watershed in the history of science.

Coinciding with the 100th anniversary of the miraculous year, this new paperback edition includes an introduction by John Stachel, which focuses on the personal aspects of Einstein's youth that facilitated and led up to the miraculous year. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

great works of art
The material in this book is on a par with other great masterpieces of the human intellect, like Newton's Principia, the Sistine Ceiling, and Bach's B-minor Mass. Each of the five papers is revolutionary, the product of a 25-year-old genius with a rigorous education in science and math and an unsurpassed intuition for how the physical world works. There are two papers which provide a firm basis for the atomic theory of matter, still controversial in 1905; one which explains the photoelectric effect by introducing a new theory of light as quantum particles; and two which announce special relativity, a remarkable new way of looking at space and time. At the time of their publication Einstein was employed as a patent examiner in Bern, having failed to find an academic job. He worked largely alone, supplementing his reading of the current physics literature with discussions with a few close friends. His ideas sprang from penetrating insights into how the world should work, supplemented by brilliant use of math to bring these insights into fruition as full-fledged physical theories. He was fearless in pursuing the strange implications of his ideas regardless of their consequences, and was of course ultimately rewarded by the confirmation of his theories by the scientific community at large.

It is fascinating to read these papers. To understand them requires a background in calculus and differential equations. Each is characterized by a remarkable clarity and simplicity in the exposition which belies the profundity and far-reaching implications of the conclusions. The paper on Brownian motion in particular is a gem: just a few pages of unassailable mathematical logic leading to a prediction that if particles of a certain size are suspended in a liquid composed of atoms of a certain size, then Brownian motion of a certain magnitude would be observed. And so it was.

The paper which introduces special relativity is entitled "On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies". The title refers to the paper's starting point: that depending on an observer's frame of reference a certain electromagnetic force may or may not be present, which strikes Einstein as unsatisfactory. He then proposes two simple axioms: 1) that the laws of physics are the same in all inertial (unaccelerated) frames of reference; and 2) that the speed of light is the same in all inertial frames of reference. He then shows that these two axioms lead to the striking result that there is no absolute time, i.e., that different observers will disagree as to whether two events are simultaneous. They also lead directly to the Lorentz-Fitzgerald transformations of time and space previously developed by the Dutch physicist Lorentz in an attempt to explain why the Michelson-Morley experiment looking for changes in the velocity of light based on the earth's motion through the ether gave a null result. The same transformations are then shown to be compatible with Maxwell's equations of electromagnetism, and to resolve the unsatisfactory situation with which the paper started, the presence of a certain force in one inertial frame but not in another.

To the reviewer who believes this paper is erroneous, I would simply say that the predictions of special relativity have been fully borne out by experiment, and are validated every day in high-energy accelerators.

To the reviewer who believes that Einstein somehow borrowed all this from Poincare, I would point out that although Poincare came to the same mathematical conclusions, it was Einstein who derived them by starting with the two simple axioms outlined above, without recourse to any additional justification, thereby achieving the revolution in our understanding of space and time that Poincare never fully grasped.

Then there is the famous paper deriving E=mc2, the equation which ultimately earned Einstein the sobriquet "father of the atomic bomb", a largely undeserved title. The real "father of the atomic bomb" was Leo Szilard, who first realized the potential for a nuclear chain reaction and was tireless in urging the American scientific establishment and government to develop it as a weapon before Nazi Germany did. Only to the extent that a letter signed by Einstein was instrumental in convincing President Roosevelt to commit America's resources to this task does he deserve the title.

Finally, there is the paper explaining the photoelectric effect as a quantum effect induced by particles of light with discrete energies equal to multiples of the quantum of action discovered by Planck 5 years earlier. Although Planck had used this discovery to explain blackbody radiation, he did not consider it a feature of light itself, but only of the emission of light by matter. In Einstein's hands it became an entirely new theory of light, a revolutionary departure from the wave theory of light which then held sway and had been highly successful in explaining a wide range of optical phenomena. That Einstein was willing to propose an alternate theory of light as particles (in a way a reversion to Newton's original theory) indicates just how self-confident and fearless he was. Indeed, it was only in the 1920s after the Compton effect demonstrated that light particles had momentum did the scientific community as a whole accept Einstein's theory of light as quantum particles.

By the way, the first paper on special relativity and the paper on light quanta taken together neatly dispose of that mythic relic of 19th century physics, the ether. Conceived as the medium in which light waves travel, but never directly observed and possessing impossible qualities, it was simply ignored in special relativity, and shown to be unnecessary for the propagation of light since particles can move in empty space.

Much more than just Einstein's 1905 papers
I purchased this book so that I could read Einstein's 1905 papers (in an English translation).The book gives you these (actually instead of the paper written from his thesis, the book provides the thesis itself), and much more.The book starts with a short, interesting, forward by Roger Penrose, which puts these papers in the context of previous and contemporaneous physics.There is then a lengthy (70 page) new introduction to this centenary edition of the book.This introduction provides interesting historical information about Einstein's life and the development of these 1905 papers, particularly with regard to the charge (clearly refuted in this introduction) that Einstein's wife Mileva was an unsigned co-author of these 1905 papers (or the perhaps the real author). Then there is the original 25-page introduction that provides more information regarding the development of these 1905 papers.Following this are the papers themselves, each of which is preceded by a technical discussion of the paper.Finally, there are editor's notes following each paper that correct mistakes and help explain a few points.

The material that is provided in addition to the papers actually occupies more pages than the papers themselves and is definitely a very welcome addition.In fact, I think that they are a primary reason to get his book.Einstein's papers, while generally quite short are not the easiest to follow (at least I found this to be the case), so the notes preceding and following each paper defiantly helped me understand the papers and the context in which they were written.This is happily a case where I got much more than I had expected.

I highly recommend this book to those interested in Einstein, the history of science and the development of his physics.A reader will find some prior understanding of physics to be very helpful, but there is enough general historical material to make the book interesting to those without such a background.

A reader reaction to the collection of 1905 papers
Einstein's Miraculous Year: Five Papers That Changed the Face of Physics
What a pleasure to read the original papers on Special Relatvity with eactly the content provided by Einstein.In our physics classes we we studied this original material in conjunction with later material added by Lorentz and Minkowski..The original material is fascinating in its simplicity.The rest of the book is other work done by Einstein in 1905, incuding hs dissertation onthe size of molecules, Brownian Motion, and the quantum hypothesis.We find out things we havenever heard in John Stachel's interesting introductions to the papers.For example, the only comment that his thesis advisor had on Einstein's dissertation was that it was too short.Einstein then added a single sentence and the paper was accepted.If any grad student ever deserved a PhD, he must surely be Einstein. This book is an invaluable reference to anyone studying the history of modern physics.

Special Relativity Doesn't Work(written by Jim Spinosa)
Einstein's Miraculous Year is edited by John Stachel. The genius of Einstein is presented with clarity in these translations. Surprisingly,
I find the special relativity theory presented in his paper "On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies" unconvincing.
If we don't accept Einstein's definition of time,special relativity is invalidated. His definition on page 126 is deliberately inadequate and only proper for a system at absolute rest. On page 129, he tacitly acknowledges this, when he describes the time it takes for a light ray to
make a round-trip journey in a moving system. The formulas in the middle of page 132 attempt to reconcile his inadequate definition with the behavior of a light ray in a moving system. Scrutiny reveals the formulas
are hoaxes. A calculus textbook such as Calculus and its Applications with
its chapter on partial derivatives,which explains "total differential", is
helpful.
Ambiguously,on page 130,Einstein states, "Let there be two coordinate systems, i.e. two systems of three mutually perpendicular rigid material
lines originating from one point. Let the X-axes of the two systems coincide...." If the two coordinate systems are made of rigid material lines, it is impossible for the X-axes to coincide.

E = mc²
This book is a compilation of five important papers including Albert Einstein's dissertation, all published in Annalen der Physik the year 1905. The papers are;

(1) "A new determination of molecular dimensions". Which is Einstein's dissertation.

(2) On the motion of Small particles Suspended in Liquids at Rest Required by the Molecular-Kinetic Theory of Heat. This is what is referred to as Brownian Motion.

(3) On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies. This is what is referred to as the special theory of relativity. This paper is to some degree a synthesis of work done by H.A. Lorentz and Henri Poincare, which is common in science (and Lorentz is given his fair due).

(4) Does the Inertia of a Body Depend on Its Energy Content? This is essentially E = mc² and is an extension of the aforementioned paper.

(5) On a heuristic Point of View Concerning the Production and Transformation of Light. This is his paper on the photo electric effect and the quantum hypothesis. This is what Einstein got his Nobel price for. However, both (2) and (3) above are often considered to be Nobel Prize work.

The way I see it, these papers are of great historical value and it is awesome to be able to read the originals. However, I do not recommend this book as a good introduction to any of this material. As an engineering physics student I encountered most of the content of these papers in a more complete and clearer format. For example, the special theory of relativity is explained better in many text books on physics. Remember these papers are research papers not educational texts. That does not mean that I endorse the many non-mathematical popularizations of the topic that often end up misleading the reader. I should add, however, that in many texts on the special theory of relativity its foundation in electrodynamics is lost or downplayed, so reading the original will remind the student where it really came from.

I was surprised to see how the formula K0 - K1 = Lv²/ (2V²) was derived. This formula states the change in the kinetic energy of a body emitting radiation with energy L/2 in each direction. An implicit approximation (K = mv²/2, classic kinetic energy) was cancelled out by a MacLaurin/Taylor expansion and a corresponding approximation (when dropping terms). This is not wrong, and the proof is still valid, but it seems unnecessary to use approximations from classical mechanics when it is just as easy to make do without them. In any case from this formula it is concluded that when a body that emits the energy L in the form of radiation, then its mass decreases by L/V², or E = mc² ("V" is "c" plus classic formula above).

However, the formula E = mc² can be easily derived directly from the special theory of relativity without any approximation, which he did at a later date. You integrate E = F S (where S is distance) using the relativistic formulas for force and mass. In any case the paper proves the genial insight that "that the mass of a body is a measure of its energy content", which is worth perhaps yet another Nobel Prize. It is also short paper.

I can add that Einstein's opus magnum, the general theory of relativity, came much later 1915/1916. Some other huge achievements were "stimulated emission" the principle behind the laser, Bose-Einstein statistics, and relativistic cosmology. In addition he also did the following, critical opalescence, the geometrization of physics, unified field theory, the EPR paradox, the Einstein refrigerator, a refrigerator without any moving parts, and much more. So 1905 was a very good start, a miracle year, but still just the beginning.

Anyway, reading the originals is thrilling. It is recommended reading to anyone who is literate in physics, and also recommended to anyone who would like to have these master pieces in his library.
... Read more

Product Description
"This book tells the story of how Einstein reacted to the racism he saw around him, and to the fight against it by Princeton’s long-established black community. It is a fascinating story and, unfortunately for our country, it is not just history but a contribution to contemporary struggles against American racism, at home and abroad."—John Stachel, director of the Center for Einstein Studies, Boston University, and founding editor of The Collected Papers of Albert Einstein

"For many people around the world, Einstein’s name is a household word, and yet Fred Jerome and Rodger Taylor’s important new book reveals in startling ways how little we know about his profound insights into the realities of race and racism. We owe Fred and Rodger a huge debt of gratitude."—Danny Glover, actor

"A fascinating and timely upgrade to our current perceptions of Einstein, redeemed from the careful silences of official narrative. Allowing the voices of the people who lived it to tell the story, Jerome and Taylor have brilliantly given us back a part of our history, refocusing attention on the heart and soul of what Einstein’s life was always about."—Thomas Pynchon

"Thanks to Fred Jerome and Rodger Taylor, we have unimpeachable evidence that the ‘Man of the Century’ wrestled fearlessly and insightfully with what his friend W.E.B. Du Bois termed the century’s greatest problem: the color line. This is one of the year’s most important books."—Michael Eric Dyson, author of The Michael Eric Dyson Reader

"This is insightful scholarship that explores race and racism, drawing on the analytical insights of innovative giants of divergent social and professional recognition."—Prosper Godonoo, director, Paul Robeson Cultural Center, Rutgers University

Nearly fifty years after his death, Albert Einstein remains one of America’s foremost cultural icons. A thicket of materials, ranging from scholarly to popular, have been written, compiled, produced, and published about his life and his teachings. Among the ocean of Einsteinia—scientific monographs, biographies, anthologies, bibliographies, calendars, postcards, posters, and Hollywood films—however, there is a peculiar void when it comes to the connection that the brilliant scientist had with the African American community. Nowhere is there any mention of his relationship with Paul Robeson, despite Einstein’s close friendship with him, or W.E.B. Du Bois, despite Einstein’s support for him.

This unique volume is the first to bring together a wealth of writings by the scientist on the topic of race. Although his activism in this area is less well known than his efforts on behalf of international peace and scientific cooperation, Einstein spoke out vigorously against racism both in the United States and around the world. Fred Jerome and Rodger Taylor suggest that one explanation for this historical amnesia is that Einstein’s biographers avoided "controversial" topics, such as his friendships with African Americans and his political activities, including his involvement as co-chair of an antilynching campaign, fearing that mention of these details might tarnish the feel-good impression his image lends topics of science, history, and America.

Combining the scientist’s letters, speeches, and articles with an engaging narrative that places his public statements in the context of his life and times, this important collection not only brings attention to Einstein’s antiracist public activities, but also provides insight into the complexities of antiracist culture in America. The volume also features a selection of candid interviews with African Americans who knew Einstein as children.

For a man whose words and reflections have influenced so many, it is long overdue that Einstein’s thoughts on this vital topic are made easily accessible to the general public. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Einstien on Race and Racism
A friend of mine told me about the book.I was very pleased to find someone had asked one the most brilliant minds his views on race.I am impressed and very grateful for the observations of Mr. Einstein.I hope others will read and learn how riduculous the idea of racial superiority or inferiority has affected millions of people.

Einstein's shines the light on racism in 1930's America
Members of Turning Pages Book Club found,"Einstein On Race and Racism"to be written withhistorical facts that truly show the compassion and contstant activism, of the genius we know as " Albert Einstein". This is a part of American history regarding the African American community and "Einsteins" involvement and friendships,that has somehow been deleted, lost or left out of history, until this book; which should be required reading of all school age children age 12-adulthood.
The setting for this book is while "Einstein" was living and teaching at the prestigious "Princeton University" and the surrounding township which during this era was very,very racist;however, this book shows an entirely different light on the way American has portrayed "Einstein" and how he viewed "racism".This book has shown us a positive part of history from an era that was very negative and demoralizing for African Americans.
Einstein On Race and Racism, details his close friendships with everyday,African American people on his journeys through the Princeton neighborhood along with controversial African Americans such as, Paul Roberson and W.E.B.Du Bois who constantly fought against the racial injustices during their era.
Albert Einstein is well know for his humanitarian efforts, through his speeches,lectures to the world; now it will be known through this excellently researched book, that "Einstein" also constantly fought against racism throughout the world!

Einstein's Sense of Justice
This volume is a tremendous piece of writing on a subject little known to the general public.It's an important contribution that adds to Einstein's genious, his humanity, his sense of justice for all people living in the narrow straits of prejudice.

It's authors have done a permanent service for both Paul Robeson and Einstein, Princton's African American community and the history of a period probably hidden from view on purpose.

Einstein on Race and Racisn by Jeerome and Taylor should be required reading for high school, college and the general public.It's just that important.

Common Ground...Einstein on Race & Racism
This book is a timely, fascinating and important read about thecommon ground between Albert Einstein and members of the African American community of Princeton, NJ in the 40's. This book should be a requirement in every public library and recommended reading in many college & high school history curriculums. The example of fearlessness of Einstein, Robeson, DuBois and others in their activism against racism in America and abroad is one that needs to be emulated in today's society... if change is to come. The authors, Jerome and Taylor have produced and excellent literary work.

Einstiein on Race and Racism
This book presents a revealing, fascinating and compelling side of Albert Einstein relative to the Black community.The story is totally unknown and undocumented anywhere else.It provides an example ofhow racism is treated in our society.Denial of the existenceof racism and overlooking the impact of the problem will never leadto a appropriateway to address,and certainly not solvethe reprecussions suffered because of racism.It is an impotant work that should awaken a sleeping society. ... Read more

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Mi visión del mundo recoge, en una primera parte, casi a modo de diario, todos los escritos de einstein en los que no sólo reflexiona sobre su propia vida, sino también sobre la sociedad, la religión, la política y la economía. En la segunda parte, el lector encontrará los textos en que einstein expone en términos sencillos y al alcance de todo el mundo cómo nació y qué es la teoría de la relatividad, de la que en 2005, el año einstein, se celebra el centenario, además del cincuentenario de la muerte de su genial creador.

A book that gathers thereflections of AlbertEinstein about his own lifeand also about society,religion, politics andeconomy. He alsoexplains, as only hecould, the theory ofrelativity in simple termsfor the lay reader.(Fábula) ... Read more

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One of the 20th century’s most profound thinkers not only transformed the direction of scientific endeavor but also influenced other fields such as psychology, linguistics and ethics. This volume comprises 23 papers delivered at a 1979 symposium and includes examinations of Einstein’s impact on scholarship, culture, and more.
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Customer Reviews (2)

Touching and Insightful
Einstein is certainly one of the most beautiful and concise thinkers of all time. His most famous equations contain fewer than ten characters and can be jotted down in a few seconds. Their implications are still being drawn out by physicists and mathematicians. What many people fail to understand is that Einstein was also an incredibly deep and poetic student of metaphysics and spiritual life. Such sayings as "God does not play Dice," and "God is crafty, but He is not malicious," are both deep and whimsical. This book celebrates this complementary cultural side of the Great Man.

This book does not avoid the complexities of quantum mechanics, special and general relativity, but the reader can easily skip over the equations. The reader who comes away wanting more can turn to Abraham Pais' biography of Einstein, Subtle is the Lord, and Alice Calaprice's compendium of Einstein's sayings.

The Poop on Einstein
This book is an excellent introduction to Einstein - if one happens to be a theoretical physicist with an IQ of 186.In other words, this book is abstruse in the extreme.The essays describing Einstein's theories dependheavily on formulas and equations.This begs the question, "so whatis the book for?"Other sections of the book dealing with Einsteinand the Bomb draw from Einstein's letters, which is good, but the lettersreally speak for themselves anyway.The section I thought might interestme, Einstein's perspective on language and thought, turned out to be abunch of psychobabble that obviously comprises someone's ill-conceivedthesis.The tone of the book, furthermore, is sickeningly sycophantic.Weall recognize Einstein as a great man.What a pity that this book doesn'tbring us any closer to knowing why.The picture on the cover, however, isprecious.It looks like Inspector Clouseau on the trail of the dreadedLibrary Fine Evader.I do not recommend this book to any but scholarswho've already read everything else on the subject. ... Read more

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An autobiography of Albert Einstein written for children with a forward by his son stating that even though it is fictionalized in places that it gives an accurate understanding of the character of his father. ... Read more

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Albert Einstein ist in den Augen der Öffentlichkeit längst zu einem Idol und überragenden Genie geworden. Doch bisher geschickt verheimlichte und erst in den letzten Jahren ans Licht gekommene quellen aus dem Privatleben des wohl berühmtesten aller Wissenschaftler zwingen zu einer revision des gängigen Einstein-Bildes. Es wird deutlich, dass Einsteins Leben nicht nur von der Wissenschaft geprägt war, sondern in hohem Maße auch von Frauen, auf die er eine geradezu magische Anziehungskraft ausübte. Die Autoren lüften den Schleier der geheimhaltung und Mystifizierung, der Albert Einstein immer umgab, und liefern so das Porträt eines faszinierenden Mannes, der trotz mancher fehlbarkeiten nichts von seiner Großartigkeit verliert. ... Read more