With contributions from Freeman Dyson, Stephen Hawking, Joco Magueijo, Steven Weinberg, Philip Anderson, Robert Schulmann, Philip Glass, Max Jammer, Sir Joseph Rotblat, I. Bernard Cohen, and Sir Arthur C. Clarke
This definitive illustrated study of one of the foremost icons of the 20th century commemorates the centenary of Albert Einstein's annus mirabilis of 1905, the same year when Einstein, at age 26, published his groundbreaking Special Theory of Relativity, and when the most famous equation in science, E = mc2, was introduced to the world. Here author Andrew Robinson and 11 essayists, including three Nobel laureates, explore every facet of the life and achievements of the great physicist and humanitarian, honored by "Time" magazine in its Millennium issue as "Person of the Century."
As the book explains clearly, Einstein's dramatic papers of 1905 overthrew the Newtonian worldview and revolutionized our understanding of space, time, energy, matter, and light. His work had impact far beyond the field of physics, playing a leading role in the century's technological advances and influencing modernism in every field. Except for his last interview that was previously published, all the essays here are original works written especially for this book. The photographs draw on an exceptional archive Einstein bequeathed to Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
"The eternal mystery of the world is its comprehensibility … The fact that it is comprehensible is a miracle."
--Albert Einstein, 1936
Albert Einstein's universal appeal is only partially explained by his brilliant work in physics, as Andrew Robinson demonstrates in this authoritative, accessible, and richly illustrated biography. The main narrative is enriched by twelve essays by well-known scientists, scholars, and artists, including three Nobel Laureates. The book presents clearly the beautiful simplicity at the heart of Einstein's greatest discoveries, and explains how his ideas have continued to influence scientific developments such as lasers, the theory of the big bang, and "theories of everything." Einstein's life and activities outside of science are also considered, including his encounters with famous contemporaries such as Chaplin, Roosevelt, and Tagore, his love of music, and his troubled family life. The book recognizes that Einstein's striking originality was expressed in many ways, from his political and humanitarian campaigns against nuclear weapons, anti-Semitism, McCarthyism, and social injustices, to his unconventional personal appearance.
Published in association with the Albert Einstein Archives at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the book draws on this exceptional resource of Einstein's private papers and personal photographs.
This new edition, published to recognize the centenary of the publication of Einstein's General Theory of Relativity, includes an important new afterword by Diana Kormos Buchwald, the director of the Einstein Papers Project at the California Institute of Technology.
The contributors are Philip Anderson, Arthur C. Clarke, I. Bernard Cohen, Freeman Dyson, Philip Glass, Stephen Hawking, Max Jammer, Diana Kormos Buchwald, João Magueijo, Joseph Rotblat, Robert Schulmann, and Steven Weinberg.
