E = Einstein: His Life, His Thought, and His Influence on Our Culture - Hardcover

Astrophysicist Goldsmith and science journalist Bartusiak (Einstein's Unfinished Symphony) have gathered 21 previously published pieces by an all-star cast, including Stephen Hawking, Owen Gingerich, Steven Weinberg and others, and added two new but weak essays of their own to create an eclectic collection on the life and science of Albert Einstein. Reading expositions of the same events from different perspectives in different essays is fascinating, to a point—but this collection occasionally exceeds that point. Equally unfortunate is chapters targeting different audiences. Some—like Andrea Gabor's wonderful analysis of the life of Mileva Maric, Einstein's first wife; A. Zee's engaging discussion of the meaning of gravity; and Jeremy Bernstein's thoughtful piece wondering how Einstein's revolutionary science can be differentiated from pseudoscience—are perfect for the general reader. Others—like John Stachel's chapter examining how Einstein came to grips with special relativity and G. Holton's essay on the impact Einstein had on nonscientific culture—are designed for more specialized readers. And because each chapter is relatively short, none delves much beneath the surface so that the whole is far less satisfying than are any of its constituent parts. Illus. (Feb.)
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Einstein, the quintessential genius, looms large in humankind's collective imagination and is, therefore, a magnet for writers. Astrophysicist Goldsmith and science writer and professor Bartusiak have constructed an incandescent spectrum of essays that deliver fresh knowledge and lively interpretations of Einstein's life, achievements, failings, and legacy. Generously designed to circumvent science-phobia, this zestful compendium is illustrated with historic photographs, useful diagrams, and entertaining cartoons. Copernicus expert Owen Gingerich writes of Einstein's "well-tuned intuition and his remarkable sense of the aesthetic" and marvels that his "workshop was in the mind," with most of his experiments "thought experiments." Stephen Hawkings offers insights into "why Einstein was so unhappy about quantum mechanics." Andrea Gabor writes of Einstein's unsatisfying marriage to Mileva Maric. Physicist Brian Greene focuses on "that famous equation," and others chart the implications of Einstein's breakthroughs and hang-ups. Einstein in popular culture inspires lively discussion, and many contributors muse over how much we can still learn from his theories. After all, our perception of the universe, as Bartusiak concludes, "is unmistakably his." Donna Seaman
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