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41 of 44 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Einstein by Einstein!, July 25, 1998
By A Customer
This review is from: Albert Einstein, Philosopher-Scientist: The Library of Living Philosophers Volume VII (Paperback)
The philosopher Paul Schilpp directed, for many years, a series of books like this one, each around an eminent scholar. I recall, for instance, those on Russell and Popper. They started with an intellectual autobiography, followed by articles by specialists both pro and against the protagonist. They all had, it seems, a very high quality. No one surpassed,though, or even equalled, the volume on Einstein. And that because of the absolutely extraordinary quality of his intellectual autobiography, which he insisted in naming his "obituary". This is one of the great moments of written expression, rivalling Augustine's "Confessions". Is is written in German, and faced, page by page, with a translation by Schilpp. At a certain point, Einstein engages himself in answering the question he just proposed: "What, precisely, is thinking". The defense rests.
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14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Al Einstein only Autobiography...so called "Obituary", October 7, 2002
This review is from: Albert Einstein, Philosopher-Scientist: The Library of Living Philosophers Volume VII (Paperback)
Albert Einstein lived the last thirty years of his life in the United States and passed away in 1955 in New Jersey. He wrote three great papers in 1905 at the age of 26. This book is the only thing ever coming close to an autobiography that Einstein ever wrote. Needless to say, offers of money and prizes were offered to him, unlike the millions offered to ex-U.S. presidents to write a book. He never accepted any of these offers. The only offer he accepted was from Professor Schilpp to write an intellectual autobiography of himself. Incredible and Timeless is only ways to describe this book. Einstein labels as his "obituary", for a man who was considered the "Person of the Century" by Time Magazine. Friends, his own "obituary" in his own hand is a worthy read and cost of the book. It is not a "personal" life but his "thinking" on science and of course on physics. We all know the two great theories of physical was created in the early 20th. century: the theory of relativity and quantum mechanics. Einstein alone created relativity and was also one of the founders of the quantum theory. We also know now that Einstein never accepted quantum theory till the end. Here, Einstein fully describes the failure of classical mechanics and the rise of the electromagnetic field, the theory of relativity and of the quanta. Of note, Einstein's "Evolution of Physics" is a general lay discussion of the same issues. This is Einstein's technical discussion of the evolution of physics. "When I was a fairly precocious young man the nothingness of the hopes and strivings which chases most men restlessly through life came to my consciousness with considerable vitality" This comment alone is worth price of the book. The essays sections includes writing of the great scientist of the 20th century. We only read about them in textbook but here they are in their own words: Niels Bohr, Louis De Broglie, Arnold Sommerfeld, Max Born, Kurt Godel, Hans Reichenbach and Wolfgang Pauli. One only sees their picture in physics textbooks. This book really belongs in all who are professional scientists or are interested in science. Unlike Newton "Principia" or Darwin's "The Origin of Species" Einstein papers are scattered everyone. This is the only definitive book on Einstein by Einstein himself. Moreover, it is a scholarly and scientific book, so it should last for a long time and of value to all future generations.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Uncle Albert's Legacy, December 28, 2005
This review is from: Albert Einstein, Philosopher-Scientist: The Library of Living Philosophers Volume VII (Paperback)
In spite of his lasting fame and eminence, Albert Einstein remains largely misunderstood by most of us to this day. Yet it's not for lack of trying. His presence is ubiquitous in high school math classrooms throughout the United States, where he is often depicted on glossy posters as an old man amid the stars with e=mc2 hovering nearby. Most children eventually learn that Einstein and his famous equation are the reason we have atomic bombs. Beyond that, they know next to nothing. But "Albert Einstein: Philosopher-Scientist" edited by Paul Arthur Schilpp can change all that, provided one makes the effort. After the introduction and preface the book opens with Einstein's "Autobiographical Notes," written in German at the age of 67. We may read both the German text and English translation on the facing pages, and compare the two, which I often did, especially with difficult passages. And there are some "difficult passages" to be sure. The next section contains a series of essays by Einstein's esteemed colleagues and contemporaries. Among them are Wolfgang Pauli, Max Born, Niels Bohr, Kurt Godel, Gaston Bachelard and others of equal stature. Some contributors disagree with Einstein's position on statistical quantum theory, Max Born in particular. Others tackle the epistemological issues of their time, illuminating subtle philosophical considerations that quickened the numerous advances in theoretical physics during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. One essay: Philipp G. Frank's "Einstein, Mach, and Logical Positivism" reveals an astounding fact. "Because of the close connection, which obviously exists between Einstein's theory of relativity and Mach's philosophy, Lenin feared that Einstein's theories might become a Trojan horse for the infiltration of idealistic currents among Russian scientists and among educated classes in general." I find this appalling. Apparently, even devout atheists can lack an open mind. Happily, Einstein answers each contributor at the end of the book in his "Remarks to the Essays Appearing in this Collective Volume." He begins with Pauli and Born, primarily because of their position on statistical quantum theory, whereupon Einstein launches into a fascinating defense of his own position. But as with all the contributors, the tone throughout was gentle and respectful. And one comes away with the impression that Einstein was beloved by his contemporaries because he returned that love in kind. The result was a mighty collusion of powerful minds that changed the world. Now, if only politicians and preachers could do the same!
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