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Einstein: Eine Biographie
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First published January 1, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
August 31, 2022
Tikrai patiks tiems, kas skaitydami mėgsta googlinti, apie ką skaito, nes čia to daryti nebereikės arba reikės mažiau - visa realiatyvumo teorija paaiškinta. Man tai pliuso nepridėjo ir aš vėl bambėsiu, bet knygos vertimas tikrai galėjo būti geresnis. Keisčiausia tai, kad smagūs A. Einsteino eilėraštukai išversti žaismingai ir nepriekaištingai, tačiau pats tekstas vietomis atrodo lyg būtų tiesiog į Google vertėją įmestas. O kadangi fizikos supratimas ir šiaip iš manęs pastangų reikalauja, kai reikia suprast dar ir vertimo nuansus, suprasti nebesinori. O gaila, nes šiaip atrodo, kad pats knygos užmanymas tikrai įdomus - pabandyti atkurti, kokiomis aplinkybėmis ir kaip Einsteinas kūrė savo teorijas.
March 27, 2011
Bei aller Relativitätstheorie sind dem Autor in diesem Werk die Relationen abhandengekommen. Wenn ich eine Wissenschaftsbiografie lesen möchte, dann gibt es bessere populärwissenschaftliche Autoren, die mir die Physikgrundlagen viel verständlicher und spannender erklären können. Auf ca. 300 Seiten werden bis zum Exzess in endlosen Wiederholungen die eh schon bekannte spezielle und allgemeine Relativitätstherorie und ihre Konkurrenztheorien ausgewalzt bis zum letzten Schnipsel der Grundlagen und Bücher, die Einstein gelesen bzw. verwendet hat. Das ist wirklich nicht notwendig! Der klägliche Rest von ca. 150 Seiten und eigentliche Grund, warum man überhaupt eine Biografie liest, wird hingegen extrem spärlich abgehandelt: Der Mensch Einstein (Frauen, politische Einstellung, Umgang mit seinen Kindern, Skrupel, jüdische Identität, Religiosität....) Diese Aspekte haben mir aber wirklich spannende und neue Erkenntnisse beschert.
Weiters ist auch noch der Stil des Autors sehr mühsam. Da er die Kapitel in Themen und nicht chronologisch organisiert hat, springt er ziemlich in den Zeiten herum, unverständlicherweise auch innerhalb der Kapitel.
Fazit ein Teil super, der Rest bekannt und auch noch schlecht beschrieben! Lest die Kapitel 6, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 19 und 20 - die sind es wert, gelesen zu werden!
Weiters ist auch noch der Stil des Autors sehr mühsam. Da er die Kapitel in Themen und nicht chronologisch organisiert hat, springt er ziemlich in den Zeiten herum, unverständlicherweise auch innerhalb der Kapitel.
Fazit ein Teil super, der Rest bekannt und auch noch schlecht beschrieben! Lest die Kapitel 6, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 19 und 20 - die sind es wert, gelesen zu werden!
June 19, 2025
Couldn't stop reading. amazing
August 13, 2007
I once again discovered some patterns in Einsteins life:
- "Geniuses" do not exist actually - even Einstein is just another very smart guy who happened to have fitting basic skills - but exactly at the right time and exactly on the right place.
- The "right place" for real important scientific progress happens to be outside the scientific institutions - I would go so far to think that Einstein would not have come to his paradigm-changing conclusions if he had suceeded in finding a job as University Assistant before 1905. He would have found himself working on less challenging topics and ghostwriting book chapters about topics his professor would have been involved in.
- The difference between Einstein and other extraordinary 20th century physicists? Not so many differences, but: he was born with a perfect "trademark" as surname - and became the first scientific media-"star" of the first massmedia-century.
- "Geniuses" do not exist actually - even Einstein is just another very smart guy who happened to have fitting basic skills - but exactly at the right time and exactly on the right place.
- The "right place" for real important scientific progress happens to be outside the scientific institutions - I would go so far to think that Einstein would not have come to his paradigm-changing conclusions if he had suceeded in finding a job as University Assistant before 1905. He would have found himself working on less challenging topics and ghostwriting book chapters about topics his professor would have been involved in.
- The difference between Einstein and other extraordinary 20th century physicists? Not so many differences, but: he was born with a perfect "trademark" as surname - and became the first scientific media-"star" of the first massmedia-century.
April 22, 2016
I read through the first half of this book before I decided I was satisfied enough to put it down. That first half got me a lot of good information. However, the book was taking too long to read and it was time for me to move onto other things in my life.
The book was organized by aspects of Einstein's life instead of chronologically. For example, there was a chapter that was dedicated to his relationship with his children. What this lead to was a lot of things being hinted at in previous chapters until the author had time to devote to them. It also meant that each chapter was a mini biography in chronological order of Einstein's life. A lot of ideas were repeated and that bogged me down a little bit.
I might pick it up again some day and finish it, but probably not. I'm not currently left wondering about any parts of his life and don't really see what the last 200 pages would add that would make it worth the read for my idle curiosity of Einstein's life.
The book was organized by aspects of Einstein's life instead of chronologically. For example, there was a chapter that was dedicated to his relationship with his children. What this lead to was a lot of things being hinted at in previous chapters until the author had time to devote to them. It also meant that each chapter was a mini biography in chronological order of Einstein's life. A lot of ideas were repeated and that bogged me down a little bit.
I might pick it up again some day and finish it, but probably not. I'm not currently left wondering about any parts of his life and don't really see what the last 200 pages would add that would make it worth the read for my idle curiosity of Einstein's life.
August 23, 2024
ইয়ুর্গেন নেফের এই জীবনীগ্রন্থটি পড়ে আমি অনির্বচনীয় আনন্দলাভ করেছি।
এই বই এমন একজনের জীবনবোধের বর্ণনা করে, যিনি শুধু একজন অবিস্মরণীয় বিস্ময়কর বৈজ্ঞানিক প্রতিভাই নন, মানব-প্রীতি, বিশ্ব ভ্রাতৃত্ববোধ ও স্বাধীনতার প্রতি অনুরাগী এক সমাজ দিশারি।
এই বইয়ের এক্কেবারে গোড়ায় লেখক বলছেন: "Rarely has a single individual been so farsighted and myopic at the same time. He was one of the first to recognize the danger posed by the Nazis, the degree to which the Jews were being persecuted, and the threat to democracy in the United States by the American militarization after World War II, yet he never failed to startle his friends and colleagues with the extent of his political naïveté. Discoveries that shook the world on the one hand, errors and miscalculations on the other. With his theory of relativity and his ground-breaking writings on quantum theory, he enhanced and transcended classical physics. But no sooner was he famous than he wielded his authority to impede further advances, and the younger generation regarded him as a stubborn mule who steered clear of progress."
একদম মাঝমধ্যিখানে ওঁর জীবনালেখ্য দেখি চলুন।
১৯৩৩ সাল. সে সময়ে জার্মানিতে ইহুদি নির্যাতন চরম আকার ধারণ করল। হিটলারের গেস্টাপো বাহিনী বেছে বেছে ইহুদিদের হত্যা করতে শুরু করল। এমন কি তারা আইনস্টাইনের বাসভবনেও হানা দিয়েছিল। আইনস্টাইন তখন বিশ্ববরেণ্য। তিনি তখন বিদেশে।
এই খবর শোনামাত্র তিনি তাঁর পদত্যাগপত্র বার্লিনে পাঠিয়ে দিলেন। বিশ্ববিখ্যাত বিজ্ঞানী ম্যাক্স প্লাঙ্ক, তাঁর প্রিয় ছাত্র হেইজেনবার্গ, তাঁকে জার্মানিতে ফিরে আসবার জন্য আকুল আবেদনও জানিয়েছিলেন।
কিন্তু তিনি আর ফিরে আসেননি।
তিনি চলে আসেন আমেরিকার নিউ জার্সিতে। সেখানকার প্রিন্সটন ইনস্টিটিউট অফ অ্যাডভান্স স্টাডিতে তিনি অধ্যাপক পদে যোগদান করেন। এই প্রতিষ্ঠানে যোগদানের প্রাক্কালে বেশ একটি মজার ঘটনা ঘটেছিল।
নিয়োগপত্রে বেতনের স্থানটি ফাঁকা রাখা হয়েছিল। আইনস্টাইন স্ত্রীর সঙ্গে পরামর্শ করে খরচাপাতির হিসাব করে ফাঁকা জায়গায় তিন হাজার ডলার বসিয়ে দিলেন।
প্রিন্সটন ইনস্টিটিউট কর্তৃপক্ষ আইনস্টাইনের কাঙ্ক্ষিত বেতনের অঙ্ক দেখে তো অবাক। যিনি গ্রহ, নক্ষত্রের গতিপথের হিসাব নির্ভুল দিতে পারেন, নিজের সংসার খরচের হিসাবে এত ভুল কেন?
কর্তৃপক্ষ তাঁকে বললেন, "মাননীয় অধ্যাপক, আপনি বোধ হয় এখানকার জীবনযাত্রার ব্যয় সম্পর্কে ওয়াকিবহাল নন, আমরা আপনাকে ছয় হাজার ডলার বেতন দেব।"
তখনকার ছয় হাজার ডলার আজকের কোটি টাকার সমান।
আধুনিক বিজ্ঞানের আদি জনক আইনস্টাইন।
১৯৩৯ খ্রিস্টাব্দে ‘অ্যানালস অব ম্যাথমেটিক্স’ জার্নালে এক পেপার লিখলেন তিনি। শিরোনাম ‘অন আ স্টেশনারি সিস্টেম উইথ স্ফেরিকাল সিমেট্রি কনসিস্টিং অব মেনি গ্র্যাভিটেটিং মাসেস’। প্রতিপাদ্য স্পষ্ট। মহাশূন্যে ব্ল্যাক হোল— প্রচণ্ড ভারী বস্তু, যাদের করাল গ্রাস থেকে আলোও নিস্তার পায় না— থাকা সম্ভব নয়। মজার ব্যাপার, ওই সিদ্ধান্তে পৌঁছতে আইনস্টাইন কাজে লাগালেন তাঁরই আবিষ্কৃত জেনারেল রিলেটিভিটি।
এর কয়েক মাস পরে ‘ফিজিকাল রিভিউ’ জার্নালে এক পেপার লিখলেন দুই গবেষক রবার্ট ওপেনহাইমার এবং হার্টল্যান্ড স্নাইডার। প্রবন্ধের শিরোনাম ‘অন কন্টিনিউড গ্র্যাভিটেশনাল কনট্রাকশন’।
প্রবন্ধের দাবি, ব্ল্যাক হোল তৈরি হওয়া সম্ভব। ওপেনহাইমার এবং স্নাইডার কিন্তু ওই সিদ্ধান্তে পৌঁছলেন আইনস্টাইন-আবিষ্কৃত জেনারেল রিলেটিভিটির সাহায্যেই। এ কারণে আইনস্টাইন হলেন ‘ব্ল্যাক হোলের অনিচ্ছুক পিতা’।
অসামান্য ছিলেন তিনি। তাঁর মতো কেউ আসেননি আর আসবেনও না। এই বইয়ের লেখক বলছেন, "Einstein was one of the most renowned people ever to walk the planet. Certainly no other scientist has come close to his degree of fame and mythic transfiguration. His seemingly paradoxical nature—bourgeois and bohemian, superman and scalawag—lent him an air of mystery. He could reconcile discrepant views of the world, but he was a walking contradiction. Einstein polarized his fellow man like no other. He was a friend to some, an enemy to others, narcissistic and slovenly, easygoing and rebellious, philanthropic and autistic, citizen of the world and hermit, a pacifist whose research was used for military ends."
যদিও মানুষটি ছিলেন নানাবিধ বৈপরীত্যে ভরপুর।
এই বইয়ের লেখক বলছেন : "On the one hand, he upheld the ideals of the French Revolution, advocating freedom and fraternity; on the other, he had a blind spot when it came to the female half of humanity. He carried moral authority, but he was rumored to have illegitimate children and syphilis. With his marked sense of justice, he had as much in common with a queen as with a vagrant, but the equality of the sexes was of no concern to him. Quite the opposite: he valued and used women as lovers, but never really accepted them as companions on an equal level (except perhaps as musicians), and could not tolerate displays of femininity. He failed miserably at marriage—twice."
তথাপি তিনি আইনস্টাইন।
তিনিই সেই প্রথম মানুষ, শৈশবে শিক্ষকদের দ্বারা ভর্ৎসিত, প্রেমে বিফল, যৌবনে অধ্যাপকদের চক্ষুশূল, ব্যক্তিজীবনে এক্কেবারে complete zero, এক এমন মানুষ যিনি বলে দিতে পেরেছিলেন, এই ব্রহ্মাণ্ডের মূল চালিকাশক্তির কোনও বিনাশ নেই।
সেই শক্তি অবিনাশী! ব্রহ্মাণ্ড কালে কালে যুগে যুগে দিনে দিনে যতই ফুলে-ফেঁপে উঠুক না কেন, ছড়িয়ে পড়ুক না কেন হই��ই করে চার পাশে, সেই আদি, অনন্ত চালিকাশক্তির ঘনত্ব (বা ডেন্সিটি) আগেও যা ছিল, এখনও তাই আছে। কোটি কোটি বছর পরেও ব্রহ্মাণ্ডের সেই চালিকাশক্তির ঘনত্ব একই থাকবে। এটাকেই তিনি নাম দিয়েছিলেন ‘কসমোলজিক্যাল কনস্ট্যান্ট’।
তিনি বলেছিলেন, “A human being is a part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feeling as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.”
বইটি বেশ অসামান্য। আমার মতো সম্পূর্ণ পদার্থবিদ্যামূর্খকেও আষ্টেপৃষ্টে বেঁধে রেখেছিল শেষ পৃষ্ঠা পর্যন্ত।
আগেও বলেছি , আবারো বলবো : যে বই অন্যান্য বই রেফার করতে ও google কনসাল্ট করতে বাধ্য করে অ্যাডভান্সড পাঠকককেও , সেই বইটাই অন্যদের রেকমেন্ড করুন।
I recommend this tome , unreservedly !!
এই বই এমন একজনের জীবনবোধের বর্ণনা করে, যিনি শুধু একজন অবিস্মরণীয় বিস্ময়কর বৈজ্ঞানিক প্রতিভাই নন, মানব-প্রীতি, বিশ্ব ভ্রাতৃত্ববোধ ও স্বাধীনতার প্রতি অনুরাগী এক সমাজ দিশারি।
এই বইয়ের এক্কেবারে গোড়ায় লেখক বলছেন: "Rarely has a single individual been so farsighted and myopic at the same time. He was one of the first to recognize the danger posed by the Nazis, the degree to which the Jews were being persecuted, and the threat to democracy in the United States by the American militarization after World War II, yet he never failed to startle his friends and colleagues with the extent of his political naïveté. Discoveries that shook the world on the one hand, errors and miscalculations on the other. With his theory of relativity and his ground-breaking writings on quantum theory, he enhanced and transcended classical physics. But no sooner was he famous than he wielded his authority to impede further advances, and the younger generation regarded him as a stubborn mule who steered clear of progress."
একদম মাঝমধ্যিখানে ওঁর জীবনালেখ্য দেখি চলুন।
১৯৩৩ সাল. সে সময়ে জার্মানিতে ইহুদি নির্যাতন চরম আকার ধারণ করল। হিটলারের গেস্টাপো বাহিনী বেছে বেছে ইহুদিদের হত্যা করতে শুরু করল। এমন কি তারা আইনস্টাইনের বাসভবনেও হানা দিয়েছিল। আইনস্টাইন তখন বিশ্ববরেণ্য। তিনি তখন বিদেশে।
এই খবর শোনামাত্র তিনি তাঁর পদত্যাগপত্র বার্লিনে পাঠিয়ে দিলেন। বিশ্ববিখ্যাত বিজ্ঞানী ম্যাক্স প্লাঙ্ক, তাঁর প্রিয় ছাত্র হেইজেনবার্গ, তাঁকে জার্মানিতে ফিরে আসবার জন্য আকুল আবেদনও জানিয়েছিলেন।
কিন্তু তিনি আর ফিরে আসেননি।
তিনি চলে আসেন আমেরিকার নিউ জার্সিতে। সেখানকার প্রিন্সটন ইনস্টিটিউট অফ অ্যাডভান্স স্টাডিতে তিনি অধ্যাপক পদে যোগদান করেন। এই প্রতিষ্ঠানে যোগদানের প্রাক্কালে বেশ একটি মজার ঘটনা ঘটেছিল।
নিয়োগপত্রে বেতনের স্থানটি ফাঁকা রাখা হয়েছিল। আইনস্টাইন স্ত্রীর সঙ্গে পরামর্শ করে খরচাপাতির হিসাব করে ফাঁকা জায়গায় তিন হাজার ডলার বসিয়ে দিলেন।
প্রিন্সটন ইনস্টিটিউট কর্তৃপক্ষ আইনস্টাইনের কাঙ্ক্ষিত বেতনের অঙ্ক দেখে তো অবাক। যিনি গ্রহ, নক্ষত্রের গতিপথের হিসাব নির্ভুল দিতে পারেন, নিজের সংসার খরচের হিসাবে এত ভুল কেন?
কর্তৃপক্ষ তাঁকে বললেন, "মাননীয় অধ্যাপক, আপনি বোধ হয় এখানকার জীবনযাত্রার ব্যয় সম্পর্কে ওয়াকিবহাল নন, আমরা আপনাকে ছয় হাজার ডলার বেতন দেব।"
তখনকার ছয় হাজার ডলার আজকের কোটি টাকার সমান।
আধুনিক বিজ্ঞানের আদি জনক আইনস্টাইন।
১৯৩৯ খ্রিস্টাব্দে ‘অ্যানালস অব ম্যাথমেটিক্স’ জার্নালে এক পেপার লিখলেন তিনি। শিরোনাম ‘অন আ স্টেশনারি সিস্টেম উইথ স্ফেরিকাল সিমেট্রি কনসিস্টিং অব মেনি গ্র্যাভিটেটিং মাসেস’। প্রতিপাদ্য স্পষ্ট। মহাশূন্যে ব্ল্যাক হোল— প্রচণ্ড ভারী বস্তু, যাদের করাল গ্রাস থেকে আলোও নিস্তার পায় না— থাকা সম্ভব নয়। মজার ব্যাপার, ওই সিদ্ধান্তে পৌঁছতে আইনস্টাইন কাজে লাগালেন তাঁরই আবিষ্কৃত জেনারেল রিলেটিভিটি।
এর কয়েক মাস পরে ‘ফিজিকাল রিভিউ’ জার্নালে এক পেপার লিখলেন দুই গবেষক রবার্ট ওপেনহাইমার এবং হার্টল্যান্ড স্নাইডার। প্রবন্ধের শিরোনাম ‘অন কন্টিনিউড গ্র্যাভিটেশনাল কনট্রাকশন’।
প্রবন্ধের দাবি, ব্ল্যাক হোল তৈরি হওয়া সম্ভব। ওপেনহাইমার এবং স্নাইডার কিন্তু ওই সিদ্ধান্তে পৌঁছলেন আইনস্টাইন-আবিষ্কৃত জেনারেল রিলেটিভিটির সাহায্যেই। এ কারণে আইনস্টাইন হলেন ‘ব্ল্যাক হোলের অনিচ্ছুক পিতা’।
অসামান্য ছিলেন তিনি। তাঁর মতো কেউ আসেননি আর আসবেনও না। এই বইয়ের লেখক বলছেন, "Einstein was one of the most renowned people ever to walk the planet. Certainly no other scientist has come close to his degree of fame and mythic transfiguration. His seemingly paradoxical nature—bourgeois and bohemian, superman and scalawag—lent him an air of mystery. He could reconcile discrepant views of the world, but he was a walking contradiction. Einstein polarized his fellow man like no other. He was a friend to some, an enemy to others, narcissistic and slovenly, easygoing and rebellious, philanthropic and autistic, citizen of the world and hermit, a pacifist whose research was used for military ends."
যদিও মানুষটি ছিলেন নানাবিধ বৈপরীত্যে ভরপুর।
এই বইয়ের লেখক বলছেন : "On the one hand, he upheld the ideals of the French Revolution, advocating freedom and fraternity; on the other, he had a blind spot when it came to the female half of humanity. He carried moral authority, but he was rumored to have illegitimate children and syphilis. With his marked sense of justice, he had as much in common with a queen as with a vagrant, but the equality of the sexes was of no concern to him. Quite the opposite: he valued and used women as lovers, but never really accepted them as companions on an equal level (except perhaps as musicians), and could not tolerate displays of femininity. He failed miserably at marriage—twice."
তথাপি তিনি আইনস্টাইন।
তিনিই সেই প্রথম মানুষ, শৈশবে শিক্ষকদের দ্বারা ভর্ৎসিত, প্রেমে বিফল, যৌবনে অধ্যাপকদের চক্ষুশূল, ব্যক্তিজীবনে এক্কেবারে complete zero, এক এমন মানুষ যিনি বলে দিতে পেরেছিলেন, এই ব্রহ্মাণ্ডের মূল চালিকাশক্তির কোনও বিনাশ নেই।
সেই শক্তি অবিনাশী! ব্রহ্মাণ্ড কালে কালে যুগে যুগে দিনে দিনে যতই ফুলে-ফেঁপে উঠুক না কেন, ছড়িয়ে পড়ুক না কেন হই��ই করে চার পাশে, সেই আদি, অনন্ত চালিকাশক্তির ঘনত্ব (বা ডেন্সিটি) আগেও যা ছিল, এখনও তাই আছে। কোটি কোটি বছর পরেও ব্রহ্মাণ্ডের সেই চালিকাশক্তির ঘনত্ব একই থাকবে। এটাকেই তিনি নাম দিয়েছিলেন ‘কসমোলজিক্যাল কনস্ট্যান্ট’।
তিনি বলেছিলেন, “A human being is a part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feeling as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.”
বইটি বেশ অসামান্য। আমার মতো সম্পূর্ণ পদার্থবিদ্যামূর্খকেও আষ্টেপৃষ্টে বেঁধে রেখেছিল শেষ পৃষ্ঠা পর্যন্ত।
আগেও বলেছি , আবারো বলবো : যে বই অন্যান্য বই রেফার করতে ও google কনসাল্ট করতে বাধ্য করে অ্যাডভান্সড পাঠকককেও , সেই বইটাই অন্যদের রেকমেন্ড করুন।
I recommend this tome , unreservedly !!
September 24, 2020
Very good biography. Written by a German author and translated into English. Follows a different format than most biographies.. chapters are organized by themes rather than chronologically, which can leave the reader confused at times as it does jump around a lot. What I liked about this book was its strong emphasis on the science that influenced Einstein as well as the science that he created and how his ideas have influenced modern-day science. This book doesn't shy away from the confusing complexities and paradoxes of Einstein's special and general theories of relativity and their implications, but instead delves into them with gusto, which I appreciated. The book is just as interested in what was going on in Einstein's mind as it is in the details of his life, perhaps more so. I learned a lot from it.
June 20, 2018
Uma boa biografia, mas se as vezes o fato de não estar em ordem cronológica, e sim por temas, ajuda a entender melhor a situação, em certos temas fica extremamente cansativo pois não conseguimos lembrar de tudo que aconteceu para chegar até ali.
E também, alguns temas podem ser considerados bem chatinhos, e focar 30-50 páginas nele, pode as vezes desestimular a leitura.
E também, alguns temas podem ser considerados bem chatinhos, e focar 30-50 páginas nele, pode as vezes desestimular a leitura.
January 16, 2020
In “Einstein: A Biography”, I felt I had learned a lot of things, not just about Einstein but his family, friends, and teachers. If I were to pick an interesting thing I learned in this non-fiction biography it would have to be the development of Einstein’s intelligence. The author really tries to emphasize how Einstein isn’t born a genius and neither is he simply assumed a genius. During the reading, I had realized how unique Einstein had behaved during his time exiting the late 1800s to the 1900s improving the twentieth century. At this time Einstein was more after things such as ‘reading books’ and trying to understand early scientists and astronomers, the way he had behaved unlike other children made a lot of researchers believe he had some sort of social disorder.
The book itself in terms of writing is a whole different story. The author tends to go on and on about certain things Einstein was involved in. This technique can be good for certain people as proof and facts mean 90% of a biography, although it can become rather confusing when the writing goes back and forth between timelines. One page you’re talking about Einstein in school during the 1900s, then you’re talking about him becoming the teacher in a school later years. The book is a very good source of information about Einstein and I really suggest it is used for any other writing. I wouldn’t suggest it if you’re willing to read Einstein for the sake of direct facts relating to him; the book constantly goes off-topic on what Einstein saw through his eyes. To conclude, Einstein: A biography is a fascinating fact book to read and in itself a good conclusion about Einstein and the stereotypes relating to him.
The book itself in terms of writing is a whole different story. The author tends to go on and on about certain things Einstein was involved in. This technique can be good for certain people as proof and facts mean 90% of a biography, although it can become rather confusing when the writing goes back and forth between timelines. One page you’re talking about Einstein in school during the 1900s, then you’re talking about him becoming the teacher in a school later years. The book is a very good source of information about Einstein and I really suggest it is used for any other writing. I wouldn’t suggest it if you’re willing to read Einstein for the sake of direct facts relating to him; the book constantly goes off-topic on what Einstein saw through his eyes. To conclude, Einstein: A biography is a fascinating fact book to read and in itself a good conclusion about Einstein and the stereotypes relating to him.
January 30, 2020
Jürgen Neffe’s book, Einstein: A Biography, describes the intriguing life of Albert Einstein and the many theories, concepts, and ideas he brought to this world. I highly recommend this book to anyone fascinated by Albert Einstein’s life and his works. Albert Einstein was born in 1879 in Germany, and he was the first child of a bourgeois Jewish couple. From an early age, Einstein displayed an interest in science but was disappointed with the principles of obedience and conformity that governed his Catholic elementary school. In 1902, he settled in Bern, Switzerland, where he received a job as a technical expert in a patent office, and he married Mileva Maric. In 1905, Einstein’s miracle year, he published three important documents describing concepts involving the quantum theory, special relativity, and Brownian motion. Overall, this book was more than just a biography as it includes information everyone should either implement or avoid in their lives, but most importantly, it describes the story of one of the most famous scientists in history and what many consider to be the most influential and inspirational scientist.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 12, 2023
Great book. Gives a set of distinct perspectives of Einstein's life. Keen in separating the man and the scientist. Although, if the reader is fascinated about Einstein concerning his scientific work and would like to keep this positive impression, then the enlightenment this book provides about Einstein, the man, the husband and father is a big red flag.
Abstain of reading this book, or a dark shadow will be projected upon the previous great impression the reader might have had.
Also, this biography has an uncommon organization, instead of following strict chronological order, the chronological facts are arranged by topics, such as scientific work, marriage, family, expatriation, etc. which may be confusing at the beginning.
Abstain of reading this book, or a dark shadow will be projected upon the previous great impression the reader might have had.
Also, this biography has an uncommon organization, instead of following strict chronological order, the chronological facts are arranged by topics, such as scientific work, marriage, family, expatriation, etc. which may be confusing at the beginning.
February 25, 2020
German is a second language for me. The author is scientifically trained (undergraduate in physics and Phd in Biochemistry), and he does not shy away from detailed explanations of special relativity, general relativity and quantum mechanics. I appreciated that fact but sometimes the understanding on my part was only partial probably due to the difficult nature of the subject mater and not a deficiency in his writing. Enjoyed learning so many detailed aspects of all the dimensions of Albert Einsteins life. For me well worth the read.
June 21, 2023
Eine wirklich genial geschriebene Biographie! Dieses Buch bringt auch Lesern, denen Einsteins wissenschaftliche Themen im Detail noch unbekannt sind, diese auf eine gut verständliche Art und Weise nahe! Die wissenschaftslastigen Kapitel sind schlüssig und abwechslungsreich mit Kapiteln zu seinem persönlichen Leben verwoben.
September 28, 2023
Ar sutinkate, kad Einšteinas yra garsiausias visų laikų mokslininkas?
Daugelis (vargšeliai) mano, kad jis sukūrė atominę bombą. Mažesnė dalis galvoja, kad gravitacija yra genijaus kūrinys (nekomentuotina). Negalvojantys, pamatę jo atvaizdą, pasakytų Einšteinas.
Kodėl?
Dalis atsakymų glūdi jo biografijoje.
Daugelis (vargšeliai) mano, kad jis sukūrė atominę bombą. Mažesnė dalis galvoja, kad gravitacija yra genijaus kūrinys (nekomentuotina). Negalvojantys, pamatę jo atvaizdą, pasakytų Einšteinas.
Kodėl?
Dalis atsakymų glūdi jo biografijoje.
January 1, 2025
Enjoyed this book. Did not mind the non-linear organization. There were some parts missing, but other parts went into more depth. I appreciated Neffe’s non-American perspective. Emphasized Einstein’s shortcomings as a parent. Was also surprised how much Einstein seemed to be a eugenicist. Had some good summaries of Einstein’s views and discoveries that I thought were pretty accessible.
March 8, 2021
I was irritated at times by the deep dives into the murky waters of Einstein's personal relationships. But the outline not only of his accomplishments but also of his lifelong determination to find the next step, was inspiring.
June 6, 2010
488 Pages.
Albert Einstein is an icon of the twentieth century. Born in Ulm, Germany, in 1879, he is most famous for his theory of relativity. He also made enormous contributions to quantum mechanics and cosmology, and for his work he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1921. A self-pronounced pacifist, humanist, and, late in his life, democratic socialist, Einstein was also deeply concerned with the social impact of his discoveries.
Much of Einstein’s life is shrouded in legend. From popular images and advertisements to various works of theater and fiction, he has come to signify so many things. In Einstein: A Biography, Jürgen Neffe presents a clear and probing portrait of the man behind the myth. Unearthing new documents, including a series of previously unknown letters from Einstein to his sons, which shed new light on his role as a father, Neffe paints a rich portrait of the tumultuous years in which Einstein lived and worked. And with a background in the sciences, he describes and contextualizes Einstein’s enormous contributions to our scientific legacy.
Einstein, a breakout bestseller in Germany, is sure to be a classic biography of the man and proverbial genius who has been called “the brain of the [twentieth:] century.”
Albert Einstein is an icon of the twentieth century. Born in Ulm, Germany, in 1879, he is most famous for his theory of relativity. He also made enormous contributions to quantum mechanics and cosmology, and for his work he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1921. A self-pronounced pacifist, humanist, and, late in his life, democratic socialist, Einstein was also deeply concerned with the social impact of his discoveries.
Much of Einstein’s life is shrouded in legend. From popular images and advertisements to various works of theater and fiction, he has come to signify so many things. In Einstein: A Biography, Jürgen Neffe presents a clear and probing portrait of the man behind the myth. Unearthing new documents, including a series of previously unknown letters from Einstein to his sons, which shed new light on his role as a father, Neffe paints a rich portrait of the tumultuous years in which Einstein lived and worked. And with a background in the sciences, he describes and contextualizes Einstein’s enormous contributions to our scientific legacy.
Einstein, a breakout bestseller in Germany, is sure to be a classic biography of the man and proverbial genius who has been called “the brain of the [twentieth:] century.”
August 17, 2012
I had to return this book and check it out again to finish it. The reading process was brutal. The author would try to explain things like the theory of general relativity that are way over my head. At the end of several paragraphs, I would think, "Okay. It's like a train that's moving, and means something or other." I also didn't know before that Einstein was such a douche. The chapter about his relationship with his kids broke my heart and colored my view of him in a way that all his brilliance could not change. I have to see that he truly was a unique man who did many wonderful things despite the parts that make his story so sad.
PS The book starts by describing doctors who were stealing body parts from Einstein's corpse. That is what got me hooked.
PS The book starts by describing doctors who were stealing body parts from Einstein's corpse. That is what got me hooked.
August 14, 2015
I would give it 2.5 stars, because it was something between "okay" and "kind of like it". What I liked in this book was getting to know the not-so-glorious side of Einstein. However, some parts of the book were annoying - some dates mentioned in the text did not accord to the dates indicated in the footnotes; some things that I found important were reviewed very superficially, while others - not so significant - got more attention, for example, when talking about the theory of black holes the author of the book emphasized little to do with the topic details about Stephen Hawking, such as that a neuron disease has got him chained to a modern wheelchair and that he can make a computer talk. Wow, magic...
Of course, maybe I'm just too picky.
Of course, maybe I'm just too picky.
May 16, 2013
Not only the story of an amazing scientific mind but also of the 'human Einstein' -- with his flaws, mistakes and his strong political stand for freedom. Parts of the book goes through his science and tries to reflect on his thought process (using lots of interesting sources), which is quite interesting to read and to guess how his mind worked. There is also quite a bit of history around his life, including his fascinating forecasts about Hitler/Nazis and the future with nuclear bombs. This is a book definitely worth reading.
June 3, 2016
Labai gera knyga susipažinti su vienu iš reikšmingiausių visų laikų mokslininkų. Skaitant biografiją neapleidžia jausmas, kiek mažai mes žinome apie mus supantį pasaulį ir kiek dar daug reikia nuveikti, kad jį pažinti geriau. Kuo daugiau sužinai ir supranti, tuo daugiau kyla abejonių. Visapusiškai atskleista biografija, kuri neapsiribojo asmeninio gyvenimo detalėm. Alberto Einšteino biografija įpareigoja ir įkvepia mokytis, nes kaip yra mus perspėjęs pats genijus mokslininkas, jeigu ateities kartos netobulės, tai mus užgrobs velnias.
June 4, 2022
Como qualquer biografia de um homem histórico, você recebe informações de que ele era um lixo em sua vida pessoal kkkkk
Tive algumas dificuldades para entender tudo, pois os jargões e explicações científicas passavam da minha compreensão (culpa mais minha do que do livro, entendo eu).
De qualquer forma uma boa leitura para humanizar e melhor entender a genialidade pratica de Einstein (e compreender quais habilidades ele abriu mão para se tornar do tamanho que se tornou)
Tive algumas dificuldades para entender tudo, pois os jargões e explicações científicas passavam da minha compreensão (culpa mais minha do que do livro, entendo eu).
De qualquer forma uma boa leitura para humanizar e melhor entender a genialidade pratica de Einstein (e compreender quais habilidades ele abriu mão para se tornar do tamanho que se tornou)
January 31, 2017
Parts about science and career was catchy. However, I found parts about personal life boring at first. Later I noticed that the author of the book was harsh on protagonist, which made me doubt about how objective the book was. However, from further information given, I understood that Einstein really was kind of a person i would hate as a human being.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 19, 2017
A lot of the historical information was pure speculation and the physics was just completely wrong. The author pretended that this was not the case. Otherwise, an interesting read about Einstein's life.
July 25, 2016
Profound book on Einstein's life and amazing discoveries. Neffe manages to explain the physics behind Einstein's theories of relativity - as well as the concepts of quantum mechanics - in a tangible fashion. It's a pleasure for the reader to think along! Great read!
October 3, 2016
Good: Einstein is an interesting and fascinating character, and this book covers all parts of his life, organised thematically.
Bad: A tough book to get through. Often felt very tedious. Relieved to get it over with.
Bad: A tough book to get through. Often felt very tedious. Relieved to get it over with.
Read
July 6, 2007halah belajar dari orang jenius...sugan we ka tularan jenius...he..he
December 20, 2007
He was a brute as a child, but who wasn't? Still fascinating to get an in-depth view of his childhood and greatest achievements. It just goes to show that some are born for greatness.
Currently reading
July 9, 2008this one's gonna take a while.
March 31, 2008
A great bio with new info.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews