Subtle Is the Lord: The Science and the Life of Albert Einstein (Oxford Paperbacks) [Paperback]

Abraham Pais (Author)

Book Description

Series: Oxford Paperbacks | Publication Date: November 1983

Abraham Pais and Albert Einstein were friends and correspondents for the last nine years of Einstein's life. This definitive account of the life and work of the 20th century's most famous scientist draws on a wealth of previously unpublished papers and personal recollections.

Editorial Reviews

Review

`A really superb biography of Einstein and all his work. Here, surely, is the biography that Einstein would have wanted. .' Roger Penrose, Times Higher Education Supplement

`The definitive life of Einstein.' Brian Pippard, Times Literary Supplement

`By far the most important study of both the man and the scientist.' Paul Davies, New Scientist

`A coherent account of almost everything of scientific significance that Einstein did...Unique and indispensable.' Science

`A sympathetic but clear-eyed view of his life and work...examined mainly in his own plentiful papers, supplemented by a remarkably wide list of unusual sources...a fine book.' Scientific Amrican

`An outstanding biography of Albert Einstein that one finds oneself reading with sheer pleasure.' Physics Today

`the best biography of Einstein' Jim Holt, Wall Street Journal

About the Author

The late Abraham Pais ws Detlev W. Bronk Professor at the Rockefeller University and winner of the J.R. Oppenheimer Memorial Prize for 1979.
--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 568 pages
• Publisher: Oxford Univ Pr (T) (November 1983)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0192851381
• ISBN-13: 978-0192851383
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,205,800 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

52 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book for scientists, slightly less for others., December 24, 2001

By 

GPK (The Netherlands) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Subtle Is the Lord: The Science and the Life of Albert Einstein (Oxford Paperbacks) (Paperback)

This book is a very good *scientific* biography of Einstein. This is both its strength and weakness. It is a strength because the author is clearly very knowledgeable about the subject, and therefore I couldn't think of a better book than this one. However, to appreciate the ins and outs of the scientific work of Einstein, you need to be a scientist yourself, or at least be very interested in the subject, because Pais does not avoid technical discussions. Not at all.

Therefore, for people without knowledge on this level, the book is not so accessible (I think), which may lead to disappointments. However, for this group of readers there is also good news: the author has organized the book into two interwoven 'sections': a part that is purely biographical and contains no technical discussions, and a technical part. The two parts are easily recognizable in the table of contents. This makes the book interesting and useful for a broad public.

Summarizing: this high quality book makes no light reading, but it is worth the effort, and the money.

34 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A scholarly scientific biography, February 6, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Subtle is the Lord: The Science and the Life of Albert Einstein (Hardcover)

Subtle is the Lord is a scholarly biography that tries to illuminate both the life and work of Albert Einstein. There is none of the sensationalism here of some other recent biographies. The picture that emerges is of a complex character who defies the iconic images - either of the absent-minded professor, or the man whose work laid the foundations for the atomic bomb - and whose interests and concerns ranged far beyond the abstruse theoretical physics that made him celebrated even in his own lifetime. It is a fascinating story, and one which left me as ever wondering as to the origins of such singular genius. Pais does not spare the reader the details of Einstein's scientific achievements, and inevitably that means that without a degree in physics or mathematics large sections of the book would be hard going indeed. With some familiarity with the physics though, this is a comprehensive and inspiring account of some of the great scientific revolutions of the century.

31 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Subtle is the Lord...but malicious He is not.., July 28, 2001

By 

Kumar (San Mateo, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Subtle Is the Lord: The Science and the Life of Albert Einstein (Oxford Paperbacks) (Paperback)

that is what Einstein had to say, when in 1921 he was confronted with rumours that a non-zero aether drift had been discovered by Dayton Miller, a one-time junior of Albert Michaelson. When asked what he meant by this, he remarked "Nature hides her secrets because of her essential loftiness, but not by means of ruse". He is also said to have opined that he had "not for a moment taken [Miller's results] seriously". That was the kind of faith that Albert Einstein had in the laws of Nature that he discovered...a deep faith not capable of rational foundation..

Albert Einstein...the man...the philosopher...the scientist...the physicist...the humanist...the legend...so much has already been written about this one extraordinary human being, that you can be forgiven for grimacing when you see this book and thinking, 'oh, no ! not another one in this never-ending craze'...but think again...this is THE definitive scientific biography of Herr Professor Einstein, coming as it is from a physicist who was close to this great man towards the end of his life. Abraham Pais does a superb job of presenting the state of physics before Einstein, how he changed that and how it has evolved since his times. Science was Einstein's life, his devotion, his refuge, and his source of detachment...Science was his religion...In order to understand the man, then, it is necessary to follow his scientific ways of thinking and doing...and that is what the book precisely does...

One more thing...this is not a layman's book...if you have only a little idea of physics, and are averse to mathematical details, then look elsewhere...this is not for you...but if you have that 'holy curiosity' and 'wonderment of the spectacle that is science', with loads of perseverance, this book does an excellent job of satisfying that quest...it can inspire you to seek greater heights of understanding...(there are tons of references to other more detailed texts)...in the end, you will have had but just a glimpse of Einstein's oeuvre. Thank you.