My Einstein: Essays by Twenty-four of the World's Leading Thinkers on the Man, His Work, and His Legacy (Hardcover)

~ (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

For "generations of ambitious young Jewish kids like me," observes Lawrence M. Krauss, Albert Einstein provided the inspiration to pursue the study of theoretical physics. Several of these scientists share their thoughts in an anthology edited by Brockman, a literary agent and editor of popularizing science books (What We Believe but Cannot Prove). But not every contributor is a physicist, and not every piece relates directly to Einstein: historian George Dyson (son of physicist Freeman Dyson) was babysat by the great man's personal secretary, while New York Times science writer George Johnson looks back at the books that introduced him to relativity. For some, Einstein looms as an iconic figure, while others actually met Einstein during his later years at Princeton. The overall tone is respectful, even reverential. The Einstein who emerges possesses no surprising characteristics, making the book seem a light afterthought to a year of celebrating 2005 as the centenary of Einstein's world-changing papers on relativity. (July 25)
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From The Washington Post

He was a sexy flirt. He admitted to having difficulties with mathematics. He was only 12 when he decided that "the stories of the Bible could not be true and became a fanatical freethinker." His theory of relativity, which changed the way we view the world, "came from thinking about what it would be like to ride along on a beam of light." "The story goes that [he] liked to sleep ten hours a night -- unless he was working very hard on an idea; then it was eleven."

All these observations appear in My Einstein: Essays by Twenty-four of the World's Leading Thinkers on the Man, His Work, and His Legacy, edited by John Brockman (Pantheon, $25), whose own devotion to "relative" thinking can be discerned in the title of his previous book, By the Late John Brockman. The essayists include Jeremy Bernstein, Gino C. Sergré and Maria Spiropulu, and the titles of their pieces range from the vaudevillian ("Einstein, Moe, and Joe") to the tantalizing ("The Greatest Discovery Einstein Didn't Make").

My Einstein delivers even more than its lengthy title promises. Philosopher Marcelo Gleiser's contribution helps explain why Einstein's ideas "became an obsession to so many. . . . In a world torn apart by the bloodiest war of all time, this Jewish scientist was proclaiming the existence of a reality wherein space and time are unified in a four-dimensional space-time, where space may contract and time may slow down, where matter is nothing but lumped-up energy. Who wouldn't want to step out of the miserable state that Europe was in in the early 1920s and into the rarefied atmosphere of a world beyond the senses?"

The Radicalism of Albert Einstein
Copyright 2006, The Washington Post. All Rights Reserved.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Pantheon (July 25, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375423451
• ISBN-13: 978-0375423451
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 4.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #676,123 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Other Scientists Look At Einstein, May 6, 2009

By	Joel Jacobs (Formerly Milan and Naples Italy) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

For those wanting to know how other scientists view Einstein's work this is an essential book.

4.0 out of 5 stars Great read to give your life some direction, August 14, 2007

By	armchairinterviews.com (Minnesota) - See all my reviews

He's no Einstein" is a crass but possibly fitting denouncement of a student who shows little academic potential. Most have at least heard of Albert Einstein, however, or are able to quote his most famous formula: E = mc2. Perhaps it is not common knowledge that Einstein's greatest accomplishments were completed in humble circumstances. When not working as a patent clerk by day, Einstein was feverishly working on experiments to reconcile quantum mechanics and electromagnetism that would forever change the face of science. Undiscovered protégés, who burn the candle at both ends, can find inspiration in Einstein's example.

Personal gems, such as the cumbersome nature of scientific discovery while employed otherwise, are sprinkled throughout My Einstein: a compilation of two dozen essays by modern scientists who were influenced by Einstein. Each scientist extols some detail about Einstein as the motivation to actually enter scientific careers themselves. Many of the writers point out that Einstein had an entirely different way of looking at nature-and they were inspired to enter theoretical physics to recapture some of his cavalier thinking style. One can not intelligently discuss the modern research of theoretical physicists without grappling with Einstein's original ideas.

The casual reader will find the depth to which the writers explain their own scientific prowess a little cumbersome-if not downright boring. Weaving a tale of their own technical competence initially, most writers return to a common idea about Einstein: his best work derived when he was young. These scientists steer the reader away from the image of Einstein as a disheveled, wild-haired, tongue-poking-out mad scientist.

Great men, such as Albert Einstein, happen upon humanity accidentally. John Brockman has edited a collection of essays that are a great read if you are seeking direction in life. Many readers will identify with a burst of inspiration, where even reading about the works of one person, can send the curious on an entirely different pathway. Within the legacy of Einstein is a simple admonition: Pursue your passion-your weekend project might very well cause you to be named the next Einstein.

Armchair Interviews says: You don't have to be an Einstein to get some value from this collection.

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting and Fairly Consistent Perspectives on Einstein, January 28, 2007

By	G. Poirier (Orleans, ON, Canada) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Science buffs will likely recognize many, if not most, of the names of the 24 contributors to this fascinating book of essays on Einstein. In a completely painless way, the reader is guided through various discussions on Einstein and parts of his life but mainly his science. As can be expected in a book such as this, there is much repetition, from one essay to the next, with regards to some of the highlights in Einstein's life: the cosmological constant (his "greatest blunder"), his favorite sayings, e.g., "God does not play dice", his passionate dissatisfaction with quantum mechanics, his "questionable" work on a unified field theory, etc. With perhaps one exception, the writing styles are very similar in that they are clear, friendly, focused, authoritative and engaging. Although the book was obviously written for a broad audience, it is likely that science buffs will relish it the most.