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Einstein in the Attic
Winner of the Literary Titan Award, Firebird Book Award, Maincrest Media Book Award, Best Book Award Finalist by The American Book Fest, and THREE honorable mentions at the New York, Hollywood, and San Francisco Book Festivals, "Einstein in the Attic" is the sci-fi of the year!
Einstein in the Attic is a page-turning, thought-provoking, mind-bending sci-fi adventure…with more than a little charm, drama, and humor sprinkled in. It will appeal to lovers of intelligent science fiction that grapples with big questions, such as Story of Your Life by Ted Chiang, Embassytown by China Mieville, The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell, and Kindred by Octavia E. Butler.
Written by Dana Dargos and Said Al Bizri, "Einstein in the Attic" is about the "search for truth by those that transcends time."
Set against the backdrop of the war between science and God, reason and faith, Einstein in the Attic is the story of one scientist’s search for truth and meaning when faced with the ultimate question: Is there a God? Fleeing war-torn Lebanon, Adam Reemi’s faith is shaken by the hardships he has endured, but when he and a colleague successfully construct a nano hadron collider, and using sound waves, Adam finds unheard-of power at his fingertips. To help him answer the greatest question mankind has ever posed, he zaps the best philosophical minds of all time–namely Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton, Soren Kierkegaard, and Baruch Spinoza–from the past and into his attic. Not all goes according to plan, however, and Adam finds himself in a race against time to formulate an answer to the question of intelligent design… or risk losing everything.
Einstein in the Attic is a page-turning, thought-provoking, mind-bending sci-fi adventure…with more than a little charm, drama, and humor sprinkled in. It will appeal to lovers of intelligent science fiction that grapples with big questions, such as Story of Your Life by Ted Chiang, Embassytown by China Mieville, The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell, and Kindred by Octavia E. Butler.
Written by Dana Dargos and Said Al Bizri, "Einstein in the Attic" is about the "search for truth by those that transcends time."
Set against the backdrop of the war between science and God, reason and faith, Einstein in the Attic is the story of one scientist’s search for truth and meaning when faced with the ultimate question: Is there a God? Fleeing war-torn Lebanon, Adam Reemi’s faith is shaken by the hardships he has endured, but when he and a colleague successfully construct a nano hadron collider, and using sound waves, Adam finds unheard-of power at his fingertips. To help him answer the greatest question mankind has ever posed, he zaps the best philosophical minds of all time–namely Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton, Soren Kierkegaard, and Baruch Spinoza–from the past and into his attic. Not all goes according to plan, however, and Adam finds himself in a race against time to formulate an answer to the question of intelligent design… or risk losing everything.
357 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 31, 2022
29 people are currently reading
73 people want to read
About the author
Dana Dargos
1 book20 followersDana Dargos is a published Lebanese-American writer born and raised in the Bay Area. From the moment she created adventurous, crayon-scribbled tales in kindergarten, she knew writing would forever be a part of her life. She graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in English Literature. Einstein in the Attic is her award-winning debut novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
April 4, 2023
4.5 ⭐️ rounded up
After enduring a war-torn world and losing his mom, Adam Reemi begins to question life. Is there a God? What is the truth? Determined to figure it out he begins to obsess over philosophers and their ideas around life and religion. He’s intent on finding a way to zap them into his world so they can have a chat. When he talks a buddy, Muntz, into helping him, his visions soon becomes a reality. But is Adam really ready for what lies ahead?
This book was thoroughly thought-out, researched, written, and executed beautifully. Fast-paced and easy to follow you’ll be hooked from the start, not wanting to put it down. I think everyone could find some part of this book to relate to.
While the story deals with complicated intellectual and scientific theories I feel anyone could read this book and understand easily. Having studied some of these myself in school I can appreciate how the authors took these complex theories and explained them in a way that made sense.
I liked this book more than I thought I would. I think it’s going to stick with me for a while. I also liked how the story moved through time yet consistently held the same tone and feel. Lots of witty banter and laugh-out-loud moments.
After enduring a war-torn world and losing his mom, Adam Reemi begins to question life. Is there a God? What is the truth? Determined to figure it out he begins to obsess over philosophers and their ideas around life and religion. He’s intent on finding a way to zap them into his world so they can have a chat. When he talks a buddy, Muntz, into helping him, his visions soon becomes a reality. But is Adam really ready for what lies ahead?
This book was thoroughly thought-out, researched, written, and executed beautifully. Fast-paced and easy to follow you’ll be hooked from the start, not wanting to put it down. I think everyone could find some part of this book to relate to.
While the story deals with complicated intellectual and scientific theories I feel anyone could read this book and understand easily. Having studied some of these myself in school I can appreciate how the authors took these complex theories and explained them in a way that made sense.
I liked this book more than I thought I would. I think it’s going to stick with me for a while. I also liked how the story moved through time yet consistently held the same tone and feel. Lots of witty banter and laugh-out-loud moments.
April 12, 2023
I was provided an ARC of this book via the author, all opinions are my own.
I thought this book was going to be a sci-fi adventure story based on the synopsis, which I was very excited to read. This compares itself to Ted Chiang's Stories of Your Life and Others which is one of my favorite short story collections. I was expecting a fast paced adventure, but the synopsis is a bit misleading. This is a philosophical story that I found neither fast paced or adventurous. I appreciated the conversation about evolution vs an intelligent designer (aka God or a religious deity), but I found that the book took too long to get to the actual debate.
This follow Adam Reemi, a professor who has struggles with the questions of "Is there a God?" or "as a man of science can I only believe in evolution?" Adam has seen and lived through things that would make the most devout question their faith and beliefs in a higher power and Adam's own questions have caused a rift between himself and his father who never waivered in his beliefs despite living through some very tough situations. Adam finds himself in a sticky situation in a professional debate debating the existence of an intelligent designer vs evolution to save his job and reputation. I feel like the debate portion of the book which happens at the very end and the parts where Adam and his entourage are researching the debate points were well done and interesting, however that doesn't occur until about the 50% mark through the end of the book. I wanted more of the science and religion debate, but much of this book was spent leading up to that.
I found it really hard to connect to this book. I didn't really connect with any of the characters and the writing style was not my taste. I think that there is definitely an audience for this book, but this is a case of I was expecting a sci-fi adventure story and this is more of a philosophical, self-discovery journey with some sci-fi. This book would be a great conversation starter and makes you think. The concept is certainly unique.
I thought this book was going to be a sci-fi adventure story based on the synopsis, which I was very excited to read. This compares itself to Ted Chiang's Stories of Your Life and Others which is one of my favorite short story collections. I was expecting a fast paced adventure, but the synopsis is a bit misleading. This is a philosophical story that I found neither fast paced or adventurous. I appreciated the conversation about evolution vs an intelligent designer (aka God or a religious deity), but I found that the book took too long to get to the actual debate.
This follow Adam Reemi, a professor who has struggles with the questions of "Is there a God?" or "as a man of science can I only believe in evolution?" Adam has seen and lived through things that would make the most devout question their faith and beliefs in a higher power and Adam's own questions have caused a rift between himself and his father who never waivered in his beliefs despite living through some very tough situations. Adam finds himself in a sticky situation in a professional debate debating the existence of an intelligent designer vs evolution to save his job and reputation. I feel like the debate portion of the book which happens at the very end and the parts where Adam and his entourage are researching the debate points were well done and interesting, however that doesn't occur until about the 50% mark through the end of the book. I wanted more of the science and religion debate, but much of this book was spent leading up to that.
I found it really hard to connect to this book. I didn't really connect with any of the characters and the writing style was not my taste. I think that there is definitely an audience for this book, but this is a case of I was expecting a sci-fi adventure story and this is more of a philosophical, self-discovery journey with some sci-fi. This book would be a great conversation starter and makes you think. The concept is certainly unique.
November 24, 2022
This book wasn't able to live up to it's full potential. The story was consistent, was paced well, and had a strong message in the end, but the main character really held the story back. Most of the time he was whiny and his friends solved most of the problems and made the plans for him. And in the end he had the spotlight stolen from him, making him even less of a pronounced character.
The science related topics and facts were actually engaging and well thought out, which I have to commend. It really seemed like they did they're research and we were actually reading real scientists having a debate.
On a side note the book is full of typos and purple prose, but 3 stars is what I give the story itself.
The science related topics and facts were actually engaging and well thought out, which I have to commend. It really seemed like they did they're research and we were actually reading real scientists having a debate.
On a side note the book is full of typos and purple prose, but 3 stars is what I give the story itself.
February 1, 2023
I went into this book with an open mind and high hopes, unfortunately, this book just wasn't for me. I figured from the synopsis that the science aspect would outweigh the more religious aspects of this novel. However, I found this book VERY heavy with religion, to the point that it took me over a week to just get to page 109 as it got to the point it felt like a chore reading this book. I hate DNFing books, but I just could not finish this book. I am a quick reader so I figured I could power through it, I was wrong and for that, I think I will be a bit pickier with my next read. Reading this book for me was the equivalent of reading one of the curriculum books in high school, where even the idea of picking it up made me procrastinate.
I will say that this book had potential, and the beginning had a very strong start that made me interested but it quickly unraveled for me in under 40 pages. The main character Adam was extremely annoying, it was hard to find any way to connect with this character as he was very whiny and unbearable. The other characters didn't help the story either, I was surprised by how childish the scientists were. There is a part in the book where Einstein was described as sitting in a chair swinging his legs like an excited child. It was weird reading these descriptions considering each scientist was supposed to be in the later stages of their life. It was extremely weird and off-putting to the point I couldn't immerse myself in this book.
This whole book just wasn't for me, I can see how it could appeal to a completely different audience and they may love this book, but for me, this was not a good book. I am giving this book a 1-star rating as I really disliked this book. I cannot see myself reading another book by this author.
I was provided with an ARC directly from the author, this does not change my opinion or honest review.
I will say that this book had potential, and the beginning had a very strong start that made me interested but it quickly unraveled for me in under 40 pages. The main character Adam was extremely annoying, it was hard to find any way to connect with this character as he was very whiny and unbearable. The other characters didn't help the story either, I was surprised by how childish the scientists were. There is a part in the book where Einstein was described as sitting in a chair swinging his legs like an excited child. It was weird reading these descriptions considering each scientist was supposed to be in the later stages of their life. It was extremely weird and off-putting to the point I couldn't immerse myself in this book.
This whole book just wasn't for me, I can see how it could appeal to a completely different audience and they may love this book, but for me, this was not a good book. I am giving this book a 1-star rating as I really disliked this book. I cannot see myself reading another book by this author.
I was provided with an ARC directly from the author, this does not change my opinion or honest review.
November 27, 2023
Trash. Waste of time. curious about all those awards this book won …
Read
July 26, 2024DNF at 16%
I was so interested to read about this man's journey to find answers to such a polarizing question. Unfortunately, other than the very beginning when we meet Adam as a child during wartime in Lebanon, I could not stand this character.
Another bit of bad fortune is that I picked this one up right after I DNF'd another book that was in dire need of being looked at by a good editor. I do understand the formatting issues are likely because I was given a PDF by the author to review, and even though I tried the conversion trick when sending to my Kindle, it was still a mess to try and read. I can deal with a few typos and grammatical errors, but when there are too many, too close together, my brain starts focusing on that instead of the story.
There were strange time jumps in the narrative that I didn't understand and threw me off kilter. I believe if there had been a chapter break, that would have kept those from being so jarring. A couple of times, the author would tells us what a character thought instead of writing it in a descriptive way during the conversation.
I was so interested to read about this man's journey to find answers to such a polarizing question. Unfortunately, other than the very beginning when we meet Adam as a child during wartime in Lebanon, I could not stand this character.
Another bit of bad fortune is that I picked this one up right after I DNF'd another book that was in dire need of being looked at by a good editor. I do understand the formatting issues are likely because I was given a PDF by the author to review, and even though I tried the conversion trick when sending to my Kindle, it was still a mess to try and read. I can deal with a few typos and grammatical errors, but when there are too many, too close together, my brain starts focusing on that instead of the story.
There were strange time jumps in the narrative that I didn't understand and threw me off kilter. I believe if there had been a chapter break, that would have kept those from being so jarring. A couple of times, the author would tells us what a character thought instead of writing it in a descriptive way during the conversation.
June 10, 2022
Entertaining, stimulating, emotional and brilliant
Though the story's main topic challenges Evolution vs. Creationism and the actual meaning of ‘time’ the main characters are evidently built and become round through both creativity and evolutionary writing by bright authors. This is further portrayed by exposing the thoughts, questions, and doubts of the main character, Adam, on this arguable topic, combining serious and amusing scenes. Don’t let science fiction and the amazing conflict between science facts and religion divert you from the true, deep story which is a journey of how one’s childhood and past impact one’s faith, beliefs, self-regrets, and blame, and how one’s egoistic ‘missions’ may harm the people most dear to that person.
An example of such a touching text: ‘I wished I were dead and finally be happy in the afterlife with— “Afterlife.” Why did I even say that? ‘After life.’ Bullshit. If God was really there, he wouldn’t have made a kid suffer. He wouldn’t have allowed the people of war, Mama, Baba, Gibran—all of them—to suffer and face hardship after hardship.’ And another one: “If I sort out my religious beliefs, I can finally put my past behind me and focus on the present—“
The initial seven chapters before ‘the actual plot’ are important not only to understand the background of the main character, Adam, as a young boy but also emphasizing the natural way his family used the word God in daily life, hinting how important this factor be as the reading continues. Indeed, the dynamic dialogues are like an excellent film script, and the story, oh my God… turns exciting and even personal; Adam and Munts as close friends while Adam and Nelson contrast each other in nature and views, and also, Adam and his wife Evie - a perfect set of characters who create an optimal dose of tension and emotion. The use of sporadic Arabic words within the text authenticates the characters and emotionally intensified what drives Adam, who said: “I had just gotten out of a war, my mother died, my damn father became unbearably abusive and made me hate religion and lose hope in everything. I wanted to die...” Yet, later on, the heartwarming connection between Adam and Einstein further shaped Adam’s inner conflicts into an optimistic ones.
Philosophically, the question is not just if God exists and created the world, but rather how one can convincingly prove the existence of God even if the Evolution Theory could be convincingly dismissed? The story elegantly deals with it by asking what ‘kind’ of God is there and the answer to that question by the four philosophers tells us more about each one of them than about God. And then how to explain the evil in the world if God’s presence is everywhere? The text amazingly pushes the science to the limit: “It is mathematically impossible,” Esperanza continued, “to have a perfect, complex, and synchronized code—for all of these examples—randomly. The probability is over a trillion. There is no way that these codes could have occurred as a result of evolution. It’s a one in a trillion, trillion chance. So how could there be all of these cells and systems and whatnot?”
The moment Adam and Munts meet the revived Einstein is so funny made me laugh silently for a lengthy period. All in all, the differential generations between the two young inventors and the revived four old philosophers is a perfect premise for a lot of funny lines even more than seen in the Back to the Future film. Indeed, the fast-exchanged dialogues hinting this lovely story is perfect to be filmed and the short chapters further give us an opportunity to breathe than read more. There are also quite a few strong memorable statements about faith and life that kept my reading slow so I can think and absorb them well.
The good news is that the reader can side with any of the contrasting philosophers and the young scientists and still enjoy the arguments of the other sides - there are diverse opinions to the level that we might even change our mind toward the end, like in real life. More good news is that some physics terms passed over my head and yet I could still enjoy the read. And more, I could sense the satisfaction of the authors putting themselves in the shoes of Albert Einstein and pushing their brains to a high degree, benefiting us, the readers. That’s why this book deserves 5-stars and my recommendation.
Though the story's main topic challenges Evolution vs. Creationism and the actual meaning of ‘time’ the main characters are evidently built and become round through both creativity and evolutionary writing by bright authors. This is further portrayed by exposing the thoughts, questions, and doubts of the main character, Adam, on this arguable topic, combining serious and amusing scenes. Don’t let science fiction and the amazing conflict between science facts and religion divert you from the true, deep story which is a journey of how one’s childhood and past impact one’s faith, beliefs, self-regrets, and blame, and how one’s egoistic ‘missions’ may harm the people most dear to that person.
An example of such a touching text: ‘I wished I were dead and finally be happy in the afterlife with— “Afterlife.” Why did I even say that? ‘After life.’ Bullshit. If God was really there, he wouldn’t have made a kid suffer. He wouldn’t have allowed the people of war, Mama, Baba, Gibran—all of them—to suffer and face hardship after hardship.’ And another one: “If I sort out my religious beliefs, I can finally put my past behind me and focus on the present—“
The initial seven chapters before ‘the actual plot’ are important not only to understand the background of the main character, Adam, as a young boy but also emphasizing the natural way his family used the word God in daily life, hinting how important this factor be as the reading continues. Indeed, the dynamic dialogues are like an excellent film script, and the story, oh my God… turns exciting and even personal; Adam and Munts as close friends while Adam and Nelson contrast each other in nature and views, and also, Adam and his wife Evie - a perfect set of characters who create an optimal dose of tension and emotion. The use of sporadic Arabic words within the text authenticates the characters and emotionally intensified what drives Adam, who said: “I had just gotten out of a war, my mother died, my damn father became unbearably abusive and made me hate religion and lose hope in everything. I wanted to die...” Yet, later on, the heartwarming connection between Adam and Einstein further shaped Adam’s inner conflicts into an optimistic ones.
Philosophically, the question is not just if God exists and created the world, but rather how one can convincingly prove the existence of God even if the Evolution Theory could be convincingly dismissed? The story elegantly deals with it by asking what ‘kind’ of God is there and the answer to that question by the four philosophers tells us more about each one of them than about God. And then how to explain the evil in the world if God’s presence is everywhere? The text amazingly pushes the science to the limit: “It is mathematically impossible,” Esperanza continued, “to have a perfect, complex, and synchronized code—for all of these examples—randomly. The probability is over a trillion. There is no way that these codes could have occurred as a result of evolution. It’s a one in a trillion, trillion chance. So how could there be all of these cells and systems and whatnot?”
The moment Adam and Munts meet the revived Einstein is so funny made me laugh silently for a lengthy period. All in all, the differential generations between the two young inventors and the revived four old philosophers is a perfect premise for a lot of funny lines even more than seen in the Back to the Future film. Indeed, the fast-exchanged dialogues hinting this lovely story is perfect to be filmed and the short chapters further give us an opportunity to breathe than read more. There are also quite a few strong memorable statements about faith and life that kept my reading slow so I can think and absorb them well.
The good news is that the reader can side with any of the contrasting philosophers and the young scientists and still enjoy the arguments of the other sides - there are diverse opinions to the level that we might even change our mind toward the end, like in real life. More good news is that some physics terms passed over my head and yet I could still enjoy the read. And more, I could sense the satisfaction of the authors putting themselves in the shoes of Albert Einstein and pushing their brains to a high degree, benefiting us, the readers. That’s why this book deserves 5-stars and my recommendation.
September 8, 2023
There is so much promise and heart in Einstein In The Attic, the debut novel of Dana Dargos and Said Al Bizri. For one thing, I love the fact that this hits pretty close to home. The story follows Adam Reemi after seeing horrors in war-torn Lebanon and makes it to the US along with his parents. But even with such a reprieve, Adam suffers a huge loss in more ways than one that leads him to question everything he knows about faith and he struggles to comprehend just what it is all for.
Growing up to become a talented scientist and academic, Adam’s resentment continues to affect his professional and personal life, till fate brings him an opportunity to use science to finally give him an answer. Using the impossible technological breakthrough of time travel, Adam and his colleague are able to summon some of the foremost minds in science and philosophy, including his childhood hero and inspiration: Albert Einstein. Together, they must answer some of the most fundamental questions behind whether or not intelligent design exists, whether it is all random chaos that life has come to be the way it is, and whether it is enough to fill the void Adam has been carrying in his heart and mind.
The story’s scope is astounding and the build-up of Adam’s character hit me very hard. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m less than perfect when it comes to matters of faith and religion, so I know exactly the kind of struggles Adam must have seen growing up surrounded in a conservative community. His interactions growing up with his peers who challenged his rational beliefs in science and progress feel like conversations right out of any high school in my own country, and I felt as if Adam was channeling my thoughts there. The scientific aspects of the sort of time travel used here is explained very well, even for someone who isn’t a sci-fi enthusiast, and the theoretical and philosophical discussions are very well done if a little overwhelming at times. The characterizations of revered geniuses are done splendidly, though one tended to be a little too annoying, but there were enough quips for everyone.
What really struck me though was Adam and how his character, after witnessing all of the emotional turmoil of hardship, heartbreak, and trauma, has turned out. His scientific reasoning aside, it is his personality that has seen the brunt of the abuse that has come his way and affected him a great deal to lead to his life choices. His struggles in coping with the trauma of his sufferings are one of the primary aspects of the story and how this challenge to discover the answers he is searching for are going to lead him to his own personal catharsis.
All in all, a brilliant read and a completely unique story that is going to be informative, introspective, and heartwarming. Definitely a must-read!
Growing up to become a talented scientist and academic, Adam’s resentment continues to affect his professional and personal life, till fate brings him an opportunity to use science to finally give him an answer. Using the impossible technological breakthrough of time travel, Adam and his colleague are able to summon some of the foremost minds in science and philosophy, including his childhood hero and inspiration: Albert Einstein. Together, they must answer some of the most fundamental questions behind whether or not intelligent design exists, whether it is all random chaos that life has come to be the way it is, and whether it is enough to fill the void Adam has been carrying in his heart and mind.
The story’s scope is astounding and the build-up of Adam’s character hit me very hard. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m less than perfect when it comes to matters of faith and religion, so I know exactly the kind of struggles Adam must have seen growing up surrounded in a conservative community. His interactions growing up with his peers who challenged his rational beliefs in science and progress feel like conversations right out of any high school in my own country, and I felt as if Adam was channeling my thoughts there. The scientific aspects of the sort of time travel used here is explained very well, even for someone who isn’t a sci-fi enthusiast, and the theoretical and philosophical discussions are very well done if a little overwhelming at times. The characterizations of revered geniuses are done splendidly, though one tended to be a little too annoying, but there were enough quips for everyone.
What really struck me though was Adam and how his character, after witnessing all of the emotional turmoil of hardship, heartbreak, and trauma, has turned out. His scientific reasoning aside, it is his personality that has seen the brunt of the abuse that has come his way and affected him a great deal to lead to his life choices. His struggles in coping with the trauma of his sufferings are one of the primary aspects of the story and how this challenge to discover the answers he is searching for are going to lead him to his own personal catharsis.
All in all, a brilliant read and a completely unique story that is going to be informative, introspective, and heartwarming. Definitely a must-read!
January 2, 2024
This book is serious offend to every human being intelligence.
The use of names like Einstein and Baruch Spinoza in this book is inappropriate.Use of Einstein on the cover is a smart marketing trick, but it doesn't make this book smarter...
don't waste your time!
The use of names like Einstein and Baruch Spinoza in this book is inappropriate.Use of Einstein on the cover is a smart marketing trick, but it doesn't make this book smarter...
don't waste your time!
April 17, 2024
One Sentence Summary: Adam Reemi is a Quantum Mechanics professor with everything on the line, from his marriage to his career, so he teams up with another professor to bring back long dead philosophers to determine if there is an intelligent designer.
I enjoy reading outside of my preferred genres from time to time because those books have a tendency to make me think or will teach me something new. On the other hand, it makes it a lot harder to review because there tend to be things I just don’t understand or care for much, so it’s a lot harder to offer a balanced review. Einstein in the Attic is the kind of book that makes me think, but it’s also so far outside of what I usually read, as well as my general scope of knowledge, that it was sometimes difficult to tell reality from fiction. That said, it has an interesting premise, but felt a little long winded and I cannot comment to any accuracy in either the academic/scientific world or anything in relation to the long dead philosophers.
Einstein in the Attic starts strongly, introducing the reader to a young child named Adam Reemi. He appears to be a bright child who loves his mother, but his questions regarding religion to his very religious father present challenges and conflict. Fortunately, he meets the love of his life in school, Evie, who appears to balance him very well. Years later, they’re married and established in their careers, except challenges in Adam’s personal life leak into his professional life as a professor at the University of California, Berkley, where his headmaster is unhappy with his work and threatens to remove him. But Adam has a plan to save his career and his marriage, with the help of fellow professor Mark Muntz. Using a device Muntz invented to bring back things from history, they concoct a plan to bring back long dead philosophers and engage in philosophical debate to determine if there is an intelligent designer. But the clock is ticking as Adam now finds himself hurling towards a debate against the one man who would most like to see him fall.
As I mentioned, Einstein in the Attic has an interesting premise. I was fascinated with the idea of being able to bring back philosophers and being able to talk to them. But I also struggled to really envision what this story would look like, how it would play out, because a bunch of dead philosophers sitting around and talking to each other didn’t sound interesting. Fortunately, there are stakes thrown in, even if I felt they were flimsy at best. Still, the thought behind this book was intriguing, if not exactly as well executed as it could have been. It tended to feel more long winded and winding, with tidbits of information that might have been useful to a reader to mull over being cut out in favor of creating tension. Ultimately, the execution left me wanting and I felt the story went on for far too long and ruminated on the same general ideas too much.
The most difficult part of this book for me, though, was Adam, which doesn’t bode well as Adam is the main character. I liked him during the chapters during which he was growing up. Charmed, even, I might say. His childhood was tough and he went through hard changes, so I had high hopes for him when the book switched to his chapters as an adult established in his career and marriage. Unfortunately, after those early chapters, I found Adam to be thoroughly unlikable. He’s thoughtless and selfish and often came across as downright mean. I very often found myself feeling sorry for his wife, and struggled with understanding why she would stay with him, though I suppose this experiment Adam and Muntz decided to undertake would pique her interest. Who wouldn’t want to the chance to speak to and understand such notable historical figures? But I truly hated Adam for most of the book, so that made it difficult for me to read his story.
The philosophers were interesting characters. I cannot comment to any accuracy regarding their personalities, but it was fun to read about them, even if they were just so stuck in their own philosophies and nothing seemed able to alter their thoughts and ideas. Since the title references Einstein, I expected him to have more of a leading role, but I felt like the other personalities shoved him to the background, and his role at the end was disappointing in terms of Adam’s character. It was all rather too deus ex machina for my tastes and I felt it robbed Adam of something. On that note, the story just ends abruptly and, considering all that lead up to it, it was disappointing and I wanted at least an epilogue. I’m also stuck on how, exactly, these philosophers were going to get back to their own times, as well as whether or not history was going to shift because, suddenly, these four people were missing and surely they did things and interacted with people at the end of their lives and that’s going to have some kind of impact. Otherwise, I was amused by them. They were fun and the ways they had to deal with each other reminded me of a family. I was particularly tickled by Spinoza’s characterization, but, again, cannot comment on any accuracy as I know next to nothing about him, his life, and his ideas.
The story itself meandered too much for me and relied on understanding things I didn’t really get. I have no idea how academia at that level works, but it felt flimsy, what with the way Adam’s job is in jeopardy. Similarly, I couldn’t understand why Nelson, the man who wanted to take Adam down, was so intent on destroying him. I get this is basically a religion versus science story, but I felt like it leaned too hard into the dichotomy, and even seemed to try to persuade the reader to believe in the religion side. I was disappointed there wasn’t more of a balance, but mostly spent the book confused about why Nelson hated Adam so much. Since this isn’t my typical sort of read, I probably missed it, but it also never seemed to be referenced later on, that I could tell, anyways.
I really liked the premise of Einstein in the Attic, but it was just far too long for me and seemed to jump from one thing to another. First Adam has to come up with something ingenious to keep his job, and then he has to travel the world and speak to a single expert in different areas in order to craft an argument for a debate he gets thrown into. Certainly, it connects, but it was just too long and long winded. Perhaps someone who enjoys philosophy, science, and the debate of religion versus science might enjoy this, but it simply wasn’t my cup of tea.
Thank you to the authors for a review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.
I enjoy reading outside of my preferred genres from time to time because those books have a tendency to make me think or will teach me something new. On the other hand, it makes it a lot harder to review because there tend to be things I just don’t understand or care for much, so it’s a lot harder to offer a balanced review. Einstein in the Attic is the kind of book that makes me think, but it’s also so far outside of what I usually read, as well as my general scope of knowledge, that it was sometimes difficult to tell reality from fiction. That said, it has an interesting premise, but felt a little long winded and I cannot comment to any accuracy in either the academic/scientific world or anything in relation to the long dead philosophers.
Einstein in the Attic starts strongly, introducing the reader to a young child named Adam Reemi. He appears to be a bright child who loves his mother, but his questions regarding religion to his very religious father present challenges and conflict. Fortunately, he meets the love of his life in school, Evie, who appears to balance him very well. Years later, they’re married and established in their careers, except challenges in Adam’s personal life leak into his professional life as a professor at the University of California, Berkley, where his headmaster is unhappy with his work and threatens to remove him. But Adam has a plan to save his career and his marriage, with the help of fellow professor Mark Muntz. Using a device Muntz invented to bring back things from history, they concoct a plan to bring back long dead philosophers and engage in philosophical debate to determine if there is an intelligent designer. But the clock is ticking as Adam now finds himself hurling towards a debate against the one man who would most like to see him fall.
As I mentioned, Einstein in the Attic has an interesting premise. I was fascinated with the idea of being able to bring back philosophers and being able to talk to them. But I also struggled to really envision what this story would look like, how it would play out, because a bunch of dead philosophers sitting around and talking to each other didn’t sound interesting. Fortunately, there are stakes thrown in, even if I felt they were flimsy at best. Still, the thought behind this book was intriguing, if not exactly as well executed as it could have been. It tended to feel more long winded and winding, with tidbits of information that might have been useful to a reader to mull over being cut out in favor of creating tension. Ultimately, the execution left me wanting and I felt the story went on for far too long and ruminated on the same general ideas too much.
The most difficult part of this book for me, though, was Adam, which doesn’t bode well as Adam is the main character. I liked him during the chapters during which he was growing up. Charmed, even, I might say. His childhood was tough and he went through hard changes, so I had high hopes for him when the book switched to his chapters as an adult established in his career and marriage. Unfortunately, after those early chapters, I found Adam to be thoroughly unlikable. He’s thoughtless and selfish and often came across as downright mean. I very often found myself feeling sorry for his wife, and struggled with understanding why she would stay with him, though I suppose this experiment Adam and Muntz decided to undertake would pique her interest. Who wouldn’t want to the chance to speak to and understand such notable historical figures? But I truly hated Adam for most of the book, so that made it difficult for me to read his story.
The philosophers were interesting characters. I cannot comment to any accuracy regarding their personalities, but it was fun to read about them, even if they were just so stuck in their own philosophies and nothing seemed able to alter their thoughts and ideas. Since the title references Einstein, I expected him to have more of a leading role, but I felt like the other personalities shoved him to the background, and his role at the end was disappointing in terms of Adam’s character. It was all rather too deus ex machina for my tastes and I felt it robbed Adam of something. On that note, the story just ends abruptly and, considering all that lead up to it, it was disappointing and I wanted at least an epilogue. I’m also stuck on how, exactly, these philosophers were going to get back to their own times, as well as whether or not history was going to shift because, suddenly, these four people were missing and surely they did things and interacted with people at the end of their lives and that’s going to have some kind of impact. Otherwise, I was amused by them. They were fun and the ways they had to deal with each other reminded me of a family. I was particularly tickled by Spinoza’s characterization, but, again, cannot comment on any accuracy as I know next to nothing about him, his life, and his ideas.
The story itself meandered too much for me and relied on understanding things I didn’t really get. I have no idea how academia at that level works, but it felt flimsy, what with the way Adam’s job is in jeopardy. Similarly, I couldn’t understand why Nelson, the man who wanted to take Adam down, was so intent on destroying him. I get this is basically a religion versus science story, but I felt like it leaned too hard into the dichotomy, and even seemed to try to persuade the reader to believe in the religion side. I was disappointed there wasn’t more of a balance, but mostly spent the book confused about why Nelson hated Adam so much. Since this isn’t my typical sort of read, I probably missed it, but it also never seemed to be referenced later on, that I could tell, anyways.
I really liked the premise of Einstein in the Attic, but it was just far too long for me and seemed to jump from one thing to another. First Adam has to come up with something ingenious to keep his job, and then he has to travel the world and speak to a single expert in different areas in order to craft an argument for a debate he gets thrown into. Certainly, it connects, but it was just too long and long winded. Perhaps someone who enjoys philosophy, science, and the debate of religion versus science might enjoy this, but it simply wasn’t my cup of tea.
Thank you to the authors for a review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.
February 3, 2023
Note: The author has reached out to tell me another edit has been done to address some of the grammatical issues. While I haven’t seen the new copy, it is possible some of the issues have been corrected.
What I Did Like:
+The big overarching science vs religion theme is relatable. Who hasn’t at least thought about this? The idea of bringing science into a discussion about the existence of a religious figure is something I was excited to see.
+Love the consideration of vaccinations and things of that nature for time travel. That was brilliant! I would’ve liked it to be mentioned again, but I did like that it was considered.
+I do love science fiction that keeps science at its core. The conversations these characters have with experts don’t dumb down or shy away from true scientific explanations. That’s nice to see!
Who Should Read This One:
-In its present state, that’s tricky. I feel like this is a book that has a lot of potential but I would be hesitant to recommend it to anyone until the dialogue has been edited further and some of those plot holes have been filled. Of course, reviews are subjective and I’m only one person! If the concept of using time travel to bring major names in science to the present day to discuss the possible existence of God appeals to you … give it a read!
My Rating: 2 Stars
Good concept but it needs another editing pass.
For Full Review: https://tabathashipleybooks.com/2023/...
What I Did Like:
+The big overarching science vs religion theme is relatable. Who hasn’t at least thought about this? The idea of bringing science into a discussion about the existence of a religious figure is something I was excited to see.
+Love the consideration of vaccinations and things of that nature for time travel. That was brilliant! I would’ve liked it to be mentioned again, but I did like that it was considered.
+I do love science fiction that keeps science at its core. The conversations these characters have with experts don’t dumb down or shy away from true scientific explanations. That’s nice to see!
Who Should Read This One:
-In its present state, that’s tricky. I feel like this is a book that has a lot of potential but I would be hesitant to recommend it to anyone until the dialogue has been edited further and some of those plot holes have been filled. Of course, reviews are subjective and I’m only one person! If the concept of using time travel to bring major names in science to the present day to discuss the possible existence of God appeals to you … give it a read!
My Rating: 2 Stars
Good concept but it needs another editing pass.
For Full Review: https://tabathashipleybooks.com/2023/...
January 31, 2023
I received an advance reader copy of Einstein in the Attic for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Einstein in the Attic is a sci-fi story that offers a meditation on philosophy and religion, juxtaposing the two concepts against each other, bringing the brainstrust of Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton, Baruch Spinoza and Soren Kierkegaard to the modern day via time travel. Scientist Adam, with the help of his colleague and wife, sets about tapping into the world’s greatest minds to determine whether God truly exists.
It's an interesting concept that serves the novel well, with the sci-fi feeling plausible enough for the story, making it easy for the reader to suspend disbelief. But once the plot is moving, it doesn’t lean heavily into it, quickly explaining away elements that would deepen this further. It's more focused on the human aspects of the story, from Adam’s childhood in war-torn Lebanon to life as a Professor, in a tone that is lighthearted throughout.
Moving from the horrors of war in Lebanon to a lighthearted tale feels inconsistent. While Adam wrestles with issues in his marriage and the threat of losing his job, and a large part of his motives are reconciling his faith with his scientific mind in light of his abusive father’s death (scenes illustrating his childhood with his father are also moving), the book moves from haunting to comedic with little tying them together.
This is also apparent through the prose. Written in the first person, early in the book, it strikes a heart wrenching tone. These words communicate the horror of war and all that he endured. The tone shifts to heartwarming as it tells the story of an adolescent in school. When the book reaches the twenty-first century, it becomes more comedic, focusing on Adam’s misadventures. However, once the philosophers appear, the prose gives way to the dialogue. The remainder of the book is predominantly focused on the (often expletive-laden) conversations between the characters. A lot of this banter is truly amusing, with each character providing a source of amusement. While the copy I read included various formatting issues, this has since been remedied, and I understand the updated version is available now.
Adam is a relatable protagonist. He’s a character you can’t help but like, and his struggles throughout the story strike a chord. Likewise, both Evie, his long-suffering wife and Muntz, his colleague, are thoroughly enjoyable, if only seen through Adam’s eyes, while ancillary modern characters serve only to service the story. The famous figures are played for their humorous interactions with one another and the modern world, as well as moving the story forward. Despite this, they are written with love.
Adam has a strong story arc, which not only moves the story forward, but forms the heart of this tale. Readers follow his life from a young child in Lebanon to a professor desperate to save his marriage and career. He's flawed, but readers will hope he overcomes.
Religion plays a large part in the book. Although not explicitly stated (although there are several references that pinpoint it), Adam is a Muslim. This is deftly handled throughout the book, with the religious themes providing insight about a higher power, rather than the intricacies of individual religions.
Between the characters’ different belief systems, and the dialogue-heavy nature of the writing, the book provides a number of philosophical discussions about life and the existence of a higher power. It examines the linkage between science and God, and examines whether it is possible to hold both creationist and evolutionist belief systems.
There is a lot to like, between Adam's backstory and character arc, its philosophical nature, and its humour. While the different tones don’t completely gel, it remains an intriguing read.
My full review will be available on my website from 1 March 2023. To read it, and a host of other reviews, click here.
Einstein in the Attic is a sci-fi story that offers a meditation on philosophy and religion, juxtaposing the two concepts against each other, bringing the brainstrust of Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton, Baruch Spinoza and Soren Kierkegaard to the modern day via time travel. Scientist Adam, with the help of his colleague and wife, sets about tapping into the world’s greatest minds to determine whether God truly exists.
It's an interesting concept that serves the novel well, with the sci-fi feeling plausible enough for the story, making it easy for the reader to suspend disbelief. But once the plot is moving, it doesn’t lean heavily into it, quickly explaining away elements that would deepen this further. It's more focused on the human aspects of the story, from Adam’s childhood in war-torn Lebanon to life as a Professor, in a tone that is lighthearted throughout.
Moving from the horrors of war in Lebanon to a lighthearted tale feels inconsistent. While Adam wrestles with issues in his marriage and the threat of losing his job, and a large part of his motives are reconciling his faith with his scientific mind in light of his abusive father’s death (scenes illustrating his childhood with his father are also moving), the book moves from haunting to comedic with little tying them together.
This is also apparent through the prose. Written in the first person, early in the book, it strikes a heart wrenching tone. These words communicate the horror of war and all that he endured. The tone shifts to heartwarming as it tells the story of an adolescent in school. When the book reaches the twenty-first century, it becomes more comedic, focusing on Adam’s misadventures. However, once the philosophers appear, the prose gives way to the dialogue. The remainder of the book is predominantly focused on the (often expletive-laden) conversations between the characters. A lot of this banter is truly amusing, with each character providing a source of amusement. While the copy I read included various formatting issues, this has since been remedied, and I understand the updated version is available now.
Adam is a relatable protagonist. He’s a character you can’t help but like, and his struggles throughout the story strike a chord. Likewise, both Evie, his long-suffering wife and Muntz, his colleague, are thoroughly enjoyable, if only seen through Adam’s eyes, while ancillary modern characters serve only to service the story. The famous figures are played for their humorous interactions with one another and the modern world, as well as moving the story forward. Despite this, they are written with love.
Adam has a strong story arc, which not only moves the story forward, but forms the heart of this tale. Readers follow his life from a young child in Lebanon to a professor desperate to save his marriage and career. He's flawed, but readers will hope he overcomes.
Religion plays a large part in the book. Although not explicitly stated (although there are several references that pinpoint it), Adam is a Muslim. This is deftly handled throughout the book, with the religious themes providing insight about a higher power, rather than the intricacies of individual religions.
Between the characters’ different belief systems, and the dialogue-heavy nature of the writing, the book provides a number of philosophical discussions about life and the existence of a higher power. It examines the linkage between science and God, and examines whether it is possible to hold both creationist and evolutionist belief systems.
There is a lot to like, between Adam's backstory and character arc, its philosophical nature, and its humour. While the different tones don’t completely gel, it remains an intriguing read.
My full review will be available on my website from 1 March 2023. To read it, and a host of other reviews, click here.
February 19, 2023
I was given this ebook free of charge in exchange for a voluntary review.
My review shall follow the format of
CAWPILE
Characters
Atmosphere
Writing
Plot
Intrigue
Logic
Enjoyment
Characters
The Characters in this book are a big reason for my overall enjoyment. Although it may sound a little harsh the difficulties they had to face were grounded and well thought through. The character arcs and journeys throughout the course of the story were well paced and subtle which made for satisfying reading. The questioning of thoughts and feelings and even beliefs in religion and how that then impacts on the belief in science and vice versa in fact, I believe is what made this story so relevant. The progressive narrative of the main characters l feel made Adam relatable which I enjoyed. His life struggles from potentially loosing his job to marital difficulties aided in this also.
Atmosphere
The atmosphere felt a little bit inconsistent at times. There were times where the reader was being asked to wear a 'sci-fi hat' with a focus on the science and time travel elements, and then there were also moments of a heart wrenching nature that asked the reader to focus on the drama of the characters. Ordinarily this would be a positive for me but unfortunately it gave me a feeling of disconnection and disjointedness that meant I lost focus in the story as a whole because I found it hard to switch between the two elements seamlessly.
Writing
I enjoyed the writing style of this book. It was quite comfortable. There was some great moments of clever language especially through the more emotional parts of the story. The emotion and struggle were clearly portrayed in the writing which gave an extra dimension to the characters and the novel as a whole. I don't read a lot with writing styles such as this, I enjoy challenging myself with new books that at are out of my comfort zone. This book stayed very close to the edge of being too much for me but I am pleased to say I finished it.
Plot
The overall plot of this book was of interest to me. The struggle between belief and scientific understanding and knowledge has been an age old dispute for many, so to face it head on in a novel was a brave feat to attempt.
Intrigue
I wouldn't say this book was immersive I didn't get lost in it, determined to turn every page but I did enjoy the conflicts of the characters. The difficulties of the characters were what drew me to this book, so therefore when that intensity increased throughout the book it helped me to turn the pages on what would otherwise have been a struggle to read.
Logic
I don't really know how to explain my thoughts on this. There were moments for sure that I lost momentum because something would be uncharacteristic for a character I thought I understood so I guess therefore the logic slipped on occasion.
Enjoyment
Although overall I don't think this was a book I would have picked from a shelf of my own accord I did enjoy it. Whether or not the levels of confusion I feel having finished it will become clearer with time I am glad to have read this book.
Thank you again to the author for the free copy in order to review this book.
Star Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️
My review shall follow the format of
CAWPILE
Characters
Atmosphere
Writing
Plot
Intrigue
Logic
Enjoyment
Characters
The Characters in this book are a big reason for my overall enjoyment. Although it may sound a little harsh the difficulties they had to face were grounded and well thought through. The character arcs and journeys throughout the course of the story were well paced and subtle which made for satisfying reading. The questioning of thoughts and feelings and even beliefs in religion and how that then impacts on the belief in science and vice versa in fact, I believe is what made this story so relevant. The progressive narrative of the main characters l feel made Adam relatable which I enjoyed. His life struggles from potentially loosing his job to marital difficulties aided in this also.
Atmosphere
The atmosphere felt a little bit inconsistent at times. There were times where the reader was being asked to wear a 'sci-fi hat' with a focus on the science and time travel elements, and then there were also moments of a heart wrenching nature that asked the reader to focus on the drama of the characters. Ordinarily this would be a positive for me but unfortunately it gave me a feeling of disconnection and disjointedness that meant I lost focus in the story as a whole because I found it hard to switch between the two elements seamlessly.
Writing
I enjoyed the writing style of this book. It was quite comfortable. There was some great moments of clever language especially through the more emotional parts of the story. The emotion and struggle were clearly portrayed in the writing which gave an extra dimension to the characters and the novel as a whole. I don't read a lot with writing styles such as this, I enjoy challenging myself with new books that at are out of my comfort zone. This book stayed very close to the edge of being too much for me but I am pleased to say I finished it.
Plot
The overall plot of this book was of interest to me. The struggle between belief and scientific understanding and knowledge has been an age old dispute for many, so to face it head on in a novel was a brave feat to attempt.
Intrigue
I wouldn't say this book was immersive I didn't get lost in it, determined to turn every page but I did enjoy the conflicts of the characters. The difficulties of the characters were what drew me to this book, so therefore when that intensity increased throughout the book it helped me to turn the pages on what would otherwise have been a struggle to read.
Logic
I don't really know how to explain my thoughts on this. There were moments for sure that I lost momentum because something would be uncharacteristic for a character I thought I understood so I guess therefore the logic slipped on occasion.
Enjoyment
Although overall I don't think this was a book I would have picked from a shelf of my own accord I did enjoy it. Whether or not the levels of confusion I feel having finished it will become clearer with time I am glad to have read this book.
Thank you again to the author for the free copy in order to review this book.
Star Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️
February 4, 2023
Einstein in the Attic is a novel that tackles the long-written question of evolution in terms of the age-old argument between religion and science. I began reading with the expectation that the topic had been overdone and, therefore, it would be the same-old-thing. Boy, was I wrong! This debut novel is absolutely wonderful and well worth reading as the question is tackled in a completely new and mesmerizing way.
This is the story of Adam Reemi, a scientist, who is out to question the religious aspect of creation versus the scientific aspect of creation in order to learn more about himself. The beginning of the novel shows us Adam as a young boy living with his family in Lebanon. This is a family with a strong belief in God and, as the family has to flee from a war-torn country and Adam deals with so many true hardships, his belief in a real and merciful God is shaken to the core. What follows after is Adam’s tale. He becomes a scientist and, with the help of a colleague, develops a scientific power that makes him question himself, and even more, his beliefs. Along the way he obtains “help” from some of the greatest scientific minds the world has ever seen – such as Einstein and Newton – as they enter his attic and bring with them a lot of education, suggestion, and may I say, incredible humor. Of course, as with any truly great novel, not everything goes according to the plan and Adam finds himself in the expected race against time to answer questions or suffer the fate of losing everything.
Einstein in the Attic is simply wonderful. The writing is descriptive and perfect and the characters… Adam, his friends, his family members, his colleagues… are each so well-written and bring so much to the story in their own specific and special ways. The dialogue throughout the novel is extremely well-done and very real. I cannot say enough about the incredible dialogue moments between Adam and Einstein in his attic. These are by far the most wonderful and truly humorous parts of the book and I found myself laughing out loud. Simply marvelous. While the scientific information brought forward in the novel, which in many cases I do not admit for a second that I can understand, is confusing and hard to grasp, it never for a moment takes away from the excellent writing or slows the reader down. I feel that is a talent in the writing all on its own.
This is a story that I recommend to all. It is educational, questions the characters and, I am guessing a lot of the readers, faith and beliefs, all while being exciting, emotional, heartwarming, and at times downright hilarious. I was completely engaged throughout and I’m sure everyone else will be as well. I cannot wait to see what comes next from these authors and I am sure that it will be just as fabulous. 5 Stars!!
This is the story of Adam Reemi, a scientist, who is out to question the religious aspect of creation versus the scientific aspect of creation in order to learn more about himself. The beginning of the novel shows us Adam as a young boy living with his family in Lebanon. This is a family with a strong belief in God and, as the family has to flee from a war-torn country and Adam deals with so many true hardships, his belief in a real and merciful God is shaken to the core. What follows after is Adam’s tale. He becomes a scientist and, with the help of a colleague, develops a scientific power that makes him question himself, and even more, his beliefs. Along the way he obtains “help” from some of the greatest scientific minds the world has ever seen – such as Einstein and Newton – as they enter his attic and bring with them a lot of education, suggestion, and may I say, incredible humor. Of course, as with any truly great novel, not everything goes according to the plan and Adam finds himself in the expected race against time to answer questions or suffer the fate of losing everything.
Einstein in the Attic is simply wonderful. The writing is descriptive and perfect and the characters… Adam, his friends, his family members, his colleagues… are each so well-written and bring so much to the story in their own specific and special ways. The dialogue throughout the novel is extremely well-done and very real. I cannot say enough about the incredible dialogue moments between Adam and Einstein in his attic. These are by far the most wonderful and truly humorous parts of the book and I found myself laughing out loud. Simply marvelous. While the scientific information brought forward in the novel, which in many cases I do not admit for a second that I can understand, is confusing and hard to grasp, it never for a moment takes away from the excellent writing or slows the reader down. I feel that is a talent in the writing all on its own.
This is a story that I recommend to all. It is educational, questions the characters and, I am guessing a lot of the readers, faith and beliefs, all while being exciting, emotional, heartwarming, and at times downright hilarious. I was completely engaged throughout and I’m sure everyone else will be as well. I cannot wait to see what comes next from these authors and I am sure that it will be just as fabulous. 5 Stars!!
December 29, 2022
I went into this book knowing only the title and no idea on even the genre of the story. I picked it up to read on a 33 hour international flight at the last minute so didn’t even get to check the synopsis. Given this I had literally no idea what even the premise was about and was genuinely surprised as what I thought might be a story of war and immigration developed into science fiction, philosophy and a battle between faith and science itself. I was glad I didn’t know what I was getting into as its far from my usual reading list ( mostly horror and historical fiction) and it gave me a chance to experience the point of views from cultures and religions I otherwise would never of been exposed to. The main character Adam being bullied for being half Russian and questioning his father’s faith felt oddly relatable despite myself coming from a mostly Christian background. Adams conflict with his traditional father is something most young men can relate too even without the religious element and so adds a layer of relatability to the plot.
The pacing was surprisingly well flowing and moderate despite being a relatively long novel in reflection to my normal genres and showed great character development as Adam progresses through his story. The writing style is somewhat unique with clear use of American slang and culture with plenty of foreign influence. The style is again a lot different than what I’m used to reading mostly UK and German works but is easy to follow and doesn’t overcomplicate itself with unnecessary synonyms that modern writers often throw in to try and flare up their work . I’m deliberately leaving out as much of the plot as possible in this review because like me I think you should read this going in completely dark and you too can be pleasantly surprised as the story unveils itself. I would definitely recommend this title too anyone and for those lovers of science fiction the book handles the concept of time very well which you can surely appreciate as it is rarely depicted so well in this context.
Overall id give it 4.75\5 , slightly under 5 just because I was too tired at the time to focus on the smaller details.
The pacing was surprisingly well flowing and moderate despite being a relatively long novel in reflection to my normal genres and showed great character development as Adam progresses through his story. The writing style is somewhat unique with clear use of American slang and culture with plenty of foreign influence. The style is again a lot different than what I’m used to reading mostly UK and German works but is easy to follow and doesn’t overcomplicate itself with unnecessary synonyms that modern writers often throw in to try and flare up their work . I’m deliberately leaving out as much of the plot as possible in this review because like me I think you should read this going in completely dark and you too can be pleasantly surprised as the story unveils itself. I would definitely recommend this title too anyone and for those lovers of science fiction the book handles the concept of time very well which you can surely appreciate as it is rarely depicted so well in this context.
Overall id give it 4.75\5 , slightly under 5 just because I was too tired at the time to focus on the smaller details.
August 26, 2023
#EiensteinintheAttic #Scifibook #Danadargos #SaidAlBizri
When a Sci-fi Book gets more Awards and is written after well research by great writers then who am i to judge or review wheather this “Einstein in the Attic Book - Dana Dargos, Said Al Bizri” is readable or not. However im sharing my experience and feeling after reading this Amazing Book
"Einstein in the Attic".. A wonderfull book as it has already won many Awards.. After reading this book i felt i missed it since 2019 as it was first published then.. "Einstein in the Attic written by Award winning author Dana Dargos and Said al Bizri. Its a sci-fi novel, story set in lebanon where militiary marchings and firings are common.
Adam who is main character wants to know the mysteries of God, science, time, evolution and many more things. Adam who likes science and an big fan of Einstein didn't believes in god and he gets warning from his father in childhood that god is there and his son should believe. After taking higher studies in science he along with his friends want to zap famous scientists and philosophers like Einstein, Baruch spinoza, soren kierkegaard, Newton into the present world through time machine and want to know many answers from them relating to evolution, god, time etc..
Story revolves around these great scientists, philosopers coming together through time marching and discussing mystery things. Its a must read book. After reading Einstein in the Attic the reader defenitely gets new and amazing answers relating to evolution,time god and more.
I think like if this "Einstein in the Attic" book be made a compulsory read novel in higher education then the world will understand new things about evolution, god, time and many things. Should be must read, but this book would be some what hard and time taking to understand for Arts Social studies background People like me, Science students will understands the scientific terms used in this book soon.
Want to meet Einstein then read this "Einstein in the Attic Book". Thank you so much Ma'am Dana Dargos and Sir Said Al Bizri for giving such a wonderfull book.
When a Sci-fi Book gets more Awards and is written after well research by great writers then who am i to judge or review wheather this “Einstein in the Attic Book - Dana Dargos, Said Al Bizri” is readable or not. However im sharing my experience and feeling after reading this Amazing Book
"Einstein in the Attic".. A wonderfull book as it has already won many Awards.. After reading this book i felt i missed it since 2019 as it was first published then.. "Einstein in the Attic written by Award winning author Dana Dargos and Said al Bizri. Its a sci-fi novel, story set in lebanon where militiary marchings and firings are common.
Adam who is main character wants to know the mysteries of God, science, time, evolution and many more things. Adam who likes science and an big fan of Einstein didn't believes in god and he gets warning from his father in childhood that god is there and his son should believe. After taking higher studies in science he along with his friends want to zap famous scientists and philosophers like Einstein, Baruch spinoza, soren kierkegaard, Newton into the present world through time machine and want to know many answers from them relating to evolution, god, time etc..
Story revolves around these great scientists, philosopers coming together through time marching and discussing mystery things. Its a must read book. After reading Einstein in the Attic the reader defenitely gets new and amazing answers relating to evolution,time god and more.
I think like if this "Einstein in the Attic" book be made a compulsory read novel in higher education then the world will understand new things about evolution, god, time and many things. Should be must read, but this book would be some what hard and time taking to understand for Arts Social studies background People like me, Science students will understands the scientific terms used in this book soon.
Want to meet Einstein then read this "Einstein in the Attic Book". Thank you so much Ma'am Dana Dargos and Sir Said Al Bizri for giving such a wonderfull book.
October 29, 2023
Einstein in the Attic is a wonderful and quirky book written by Dana Dargos and Said Al Bizri. Dargos is a U.S. fiction author, and Al Bizri is a writer and existential researcher. This is their first novel, which took them five years to research and write.
Self-published in January 2022, it is a contemporary novel that addresses themes of philosophy/theology, academic politics, self-doubt, with the unusual plot involving bringing famous thinkers from the past into the present to debate science and religion.
Having degrees in theology, music, and law, this book interested me greatly. I generally dislike discussions about the “conflict” between science and religion because those fields try to do two different things. Science attempts to understand how; theology attempts to understand why. Science asks such questions as, “how did the world come to be?” and “what forces made it happen?” Theology asks such questions as, “why was the world created?” and “does it have a meaning and purpose?” To contrast a creation narrative from genesis (why the world was created) with evolution (how life came to be) are two different issues.
Having said that, this book does not try to “prove” the Bible with science or vice versa. Instead, it approaches the question in a responsible and factual way: are there holes in evolutionary theory, and has the world accepted a theory as fact when there are still many, many questions.
It is true that some are prone to treat science as their religion: in other world, it becomes emotional, my-way-is-the-only-way, be all and end all of human existence. I’ve always thought that was short-sighted, and actually does the opposite of what the scientific method is supposed to do (unbiased fact-finding).
Dargos and Al Bizri have written this book as a way to approach the topic in an interesting, quirky, humorous and serious manner. Well worth a read!
Read a more extensive review here: https://markusmcdowell.com/br-dargos-...
Self-published in January 2022, it is a contemporary novel that addresses themes of philosophy/theology, academic politics, self-doubt, with the unusual plot involving bringing famous thinkers from the past into the present to debate science and religion.
Having degrees in theology, music, and law, this book interested me greatly. I generally dislike discussions about the “conflict” between science and religion because those fields try to do two different things. Science attempts to understand how; theology attempts to understand why. Science asks such questions as, “how did the world come to be?” and “what forces made it happen?” Theology asks such questions as, “why was the world created?” and “does it have a meaning and purpose?” To contrast a creation narrative from genesis (why the world was created) with evolution (how life came to be) are two different issues.
Having said that, this book does not try to “prove” the Bible with science or vice versa. Instead, it approaches the question in a responsible and factual way: are there holes in evolutionary theory, and has the world accepted a theory as fact when there are still many, many questions.
It is true that some are prone to treat science as their religion: in other world, it becomes emotional, my-way-is-the-only-way, be all and end all of human existence. I’ve always thought that was short-sighted, and actually does the opposite of what the scientific method is supposed to do (unbiased fact-finding).
Dargos and Al Bizri have written this book as a way to approach the topic in an interesting, quirky, humorous and serious manner. Well worth a read!
Read a more extensive review here: https://markusmcdowell.com/br-dargos-...
March 30, 2023
The Review
This was such a fun and thought-provoking read. The balance the author found with the sci-fi, witty conversational aspects of the narrative with the more grounded, heartbreaking, and thoughtful storytelling of the main character’s arc was amazing to see come to life on the page. The world-building and scientific nature of the narrative was gripping, and powerful imagery felt very cinematic in the writing itself.
The heart of this narrative rested in the character development and the philosophical discussion that happens both in the book and within the reader’s mind as a result. The way the authors take the time to really delve into Adam’s backstory and the childhood experiences that shaped his life was heartfelt and truly emotional, keeping a sense of relatability for the reader as the more sci-fi elements of the story came to life. The attention to detail the science aspect of the narrative brought to life was enlightening and thoughtful, and the impact of these historical figures on Adam’s journey was thrilling to read.
The Verdict
Memorable, engaging, and thought-provoking, authors Dana Dargos and Said Al Bizri’s “Einstein in the Attic” is a must-read sci-fi novel. The adventure and science behind the tech that brings these figures into the modern day and the rich and emotional backstory that shapes Adam’s philosophical and intellectual dilemmas will keep readers glued to the pages of this book as the narrative takes shape.
This was such a fun and thought-provoking read. The balance the author found with the sci-fi, witty conversational aspects of the narrative with the more grounded, heartbreaking, and thoughtful storytelling of the main character’s arc was amazing to see come to life on the page. The world-building and scientific nature of the narrative was gripping, and powerful imagery felt very cinematic in the writing itself.
The heart of this narrative rested in the character development and the philosophical discussion that happens both in the book and within the reader’s mind as a result. The way the authors take the time to really delve into Adam’s backstory and the childhood experiences that shaped his life was heartfelt and truly emotional, keeping a sense of relatability for the reader as the more sci-fi elements of the story came to life. The attention to detail the science aspect of the narrative brought to life was enlightening and thoughtful, and the impact of these historical figures on Adam’s journey was thrilling to read.
The Verdict
Memorable, engaging, and thought-provoking, authors Dana Dargos and Said Al Bizri’s “Einstein in the Attic” is a must-read sci-fi novel. The adventure and science behind the tech that brings these figures into the modern day and the rich and emotional backstory that shapes Adam’s philosophical and intellectual dilemmas will keep readers glued to the pages of this book as the narrative takes shape.
April 18, 2023
4 out of 5 stars
Einstein In The Attic by Dana Dargos and Said Al Bizri is a unique and intriguing story of self-discovery.
I’ll be honest, it wasn’t what I was expecting, but that didn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it. It wasn’t as action-packed as I was expecting it to be because it was more focused on the character development, which I found really interesting.
It was really though-provoking and really made you stop and think and reflect. I found that that added an extra element to things, because you weren’t just following Adam’s (the main character) story and development in life, you were also developing your thoughts on things that came up in the story.
One thing I wasn’t so sure on was the writing style. There was just something about it that didn’t really work for me, and I felt that it didn’t really flow too well. I wasn’t too keen on the switching between time at the beginning of chapters too, I felt that it switched a little too often and was hard to keep track of. It also started off really strongly and then kind of dwindled towards the middle/ending but it was still a good read.
Overall, it was a great, unique read that really interested me.
Thank you Dana for my copy.
Einstein In The Attic by Dana Dargos and Said Al Bizri is a unique and intriguing story of self-discovery.
I’ll be honest, it wasn’t what I was expecting, but that didn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it. It wasn’t as action-packed as I was expecting it to be because it was more focused on the character development, which I found really interesting.
It was really though-provoking and really made you stop and think and reflect. I found that that added an extra element to things, because you weren’t just following Adam’s (the main character) story and development in life, you were also developing your thoughts on things that came up in the story.
One thing I wasn’t so sure on was the writing style. There was just something about it that didn’t really work for me, and I felt that it didn’t really flow too well. I wasn’t too keen on the switching between time at the beginning of chapters too, I felt that it switched a little too often and was hard to keep track of. It also started off really strongly and then kind of dwindled towards the middle/ending but it was still a good read.
Overall, it was a great, unique read that really interested me.
Thank you Dana for my copy.
February 24, 2023
Adam Reemi is stuck. He can't move forward in life, handcuffed by a tragic childhood. When his best friend invents something that can help him answer a huge question, he jumps at this opportunity. So have we ended up at this point in history because of evolution or because of the work of an intelligent designer? Will philosophy and science be able to definitively answer this?
The authors combine philosophy, religion, and science fiction into this unique, imaginative story. It is ambitious to blend genres and these two authors create an impressive work. They do not shy away from the complexities of the topics and their explanations are detailed and thorough. The main character, Adam, is relatable and at times can be frustrating. He goes from excited to defeated quickly and is volatile. Very realistic! For the non-scientific mind, there are times when the discussion of scientific information can seem overwhelming. Don't let this stop you from continuing the book. The ending is what you hope for and more. The best part of this book? When you finish the book you will find yourself sitting and absorbing it all. What do you believe? Evolution or intelligent designer?
The authors combine philosophy, religion, and science fiction into this unique, imaginative story. It is ambitious to blend genres and these two authors create an impressive work. They do not shy away from the complexities of the topics and their explanations are detailed and thorough. The main character, Adam, is relatable and at times can be frustrating. He goes from excited to defeated quickly and is volatile. Very realistic! For the non-scientific mind, there are times when the discussion of scientific information can seem overwhelming. Don't let this stop you from continuing the book. The ending is what you hope for and more. The best part of this book? When you finish the book you will find yourself sitting and absorbing it all. What do you believe? Evolution or intelligent designer?
November 10, 2022
I'm religious so this book had me raising an eyebrow and wondering if I would enjoy it.
Somehow I did, I really think Adam learned his lesson near the end.
Even though he struggles with religion through heartbreak, trauma and hardship, he struggled in coping with these sufferings.
It was a good read, even though it was something out of my usual books that I enjoy. As most of the time, I'm reading romance novels or biography/ learning books.
A line I loved near the end was: "I now understood the thrill of success behind persistent faith." It was relatable since I too have had to have persistent faith with everything that happened in my life.
The book poses questions that make you think of where you need to stand, Science or God, both or none. I know my answer.
An extraordinary debut, congrats to the author on her success with an interesting tale of scientific fun.
Somehow I did, I really think Adam learned his lesson near the end.
Even though he struggles with religion through heartbreak, trauma and hardship, he struggled in coping with these sufferings.
It was a good read, even though it was something out of my usual books that I enjoy. As most of the time, I'm reading romance novels or biography/ learning books.
A line I loved near the end was: "I now understood the thrill of success behind persistent faith." It was relatable since I too have had to have persistent faith with everything that happened in my life.
The book poses questions that make you think of where you need to stand, Science or God, both or none. I know my answer.
An extraordinary debut, congrats to the author on her success with an interesting tale of scientific fun.
December 13, 2022
The writing is beautiful and emotional. Not only that, but despite it not being my usual genre of choice, it's captivated me. I've already put the book down to look up or contemplate a question or (ya know) seven. Lol. And that just makes the book all the more beautiful to me. My, how it tickles the mind and gets your thoughts going. I can only imagine how much work has gone into this and how much passion you need to have to make this so breathtaking. Hats off to the author, truly. Very nicely composed with a solid pace that carries you pleasantly to the end. I'm looking forward to more work from this author. The only slight issue I had with this was how the main character was. He clearly went though some issues all throughout the story, and not gracefully. In a way though, it made him human.
March 16, 2023
I have read a lot of genres in my time, but I can say I have never read a book that centered around actual Scientific theories and what they are based on. This book has changed my mind moving forward.
It is so well written for someone like me who is not as familiar with scientific terms or ideas. Everything was explained in a way that made it easier to understand. And even if I didn't fully grasp what exactly was being explained, I had an idea of what they were trying to say.
The character arcs were wonderful. There were people that you truly loved and ones that you really loved to dislike. Some parts of the story really pulled on your heart strings. You can tell that the authors took the reader's experience into account and did not just write to write.
I am crossing my fingers that there is another book in the works that continues to follow the characters' journeys.
It is so well written for someone like me who is not as familiar with scientific terms or ideas. Everything was explained in a way that made it easier to understand. And even if I didn't fully grasp what exactly was being explained, I had an idea of what they were trying to say.
The character arcs were wonderful. There were people that you truly loved and ones that you really loved to dislike. Some parts of the story really pulled on your heart strings. You can tell that the authors took the reader's experience into account and did not just write to write.
I am crossing my fingers that there is another book in the works that continues to follow the characters' journeys.
March 31, 2023
Creative and imaginative
Einstein in the Attic is a fresh, unique look into the age old question...Is there a God?
I love that we join the journey at the time when Adam Reemi first begins to question if there is a God when he is just a child. Obviously, questioning faith as a child isn't ideal, you should be living in a safe bubble of love and faith. Dana Dargos and Said Al Bizri show that love isn't an issue with Adams faith but the circumstances in which he grows up in Lebanon.
The writing is thoughtful, insightful and the perfect mix of faith and science. Definitely a fresh look into things that is well written with just the right level of detail.
A perfect book club read as there's plenty to discuss. If however you're reading this for yourself clear your day and prepare to question and journey with Adam.
Einstein in the Attic is a fresh, unique look into the age old question...Is there a God?
I love that we join the journey at the time when Adam Reemi first begins to question if there is a God when he is just a child. Obviously, questioning faith as a child isn't ideal, you should be living in a safe bubble of love and faith. Dana Dargos and Said Al Bizri show that love isn't an issue with Adams faith but the circumstances in which he grows up in Lebanon.
The writing is thoughtful, insightful and the perfect mix of faith and science. Definitely a fresh look into things that is well written with just the right level of detail.
A perfect book club read as there's plenty to discuss. If however you're reading this for yourself clear your day and prepare to question and journey with Adam.
April 21, 2023
Review posted on April 22, 2023 at 10A.M.
Read my full review here: https://onreviewbysara.com/2023/04/22...
I was given this ARC as a gift from the author. My opinions and thoughts of the book are mine alone.
My Rating: I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. I have to say that I didn’t expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. This is not always my cup of tea. I actually when into reading this having no idea what to expect. This was a work of art. I found this to be something different and fun. I also learned some new things as well. I found it interesting that there are books out there that people should read and discuss. I have a feeling that different readers will find something new to get out of this book. Hearing others thoughts would be fun. I implore you to read this. Try something new. You never know what gem you may find.
Read my full review here: https://onreviewbysara.com/2023/04/22...
I was given this ARC as a gift from the author. My opinions and thoughts of the book are mine alone.
My Rating: I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. I have to say that I didn’t expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. This is not always my cup of tea. I actually when into reading this having no idea what to expect. This was a work of art. I found this to be something different and fun. I also learned some new things as well. I found it interesting that there are books out there that people should read and discuss. I have a feeling that different readers will find something new to get out of this book. Hearing others thoughts would be fun. I implore you to read this. Try something new. You never know what gem you may find.
February 11, 2023
Einstein in the Attic by Dana Dargos is a curious blend of science fiction and philosophy that take readers on a thought-provoking journey with Professor Adam Reemi as he seeks answers to his personal and professional upheavals. He finds solace by bringing famous physicists back to life in his attic, like Einstein, Curie, and Edison, who help him explore grand questions of science, philosophy, and religion. This gripping story offers up plenty of entertaining adventure while exploring the deeper truth underlying it all - a must-read for those seeking out something truly enriching!
I was given a free e-copy of this book, but that has not influenced my opinion in this review. I enjoyed this story and would recommend it to others.
I was given a free e-copy of this book, but that has not influenced my opinion in this review. I enjoyed this story and would recommend it to others.
February 12, 2023
*I received an e-ARC of this book from the author. All opinions are my own.*
It can be challenging to write a review of a book you didn't like, even if it wasn't a bad one. I just couldn't connect to it. Einstein in the Attic by Dana Dargos and Said Al Bizri is an adventurous science fiction novel that sounds like it would be right up my alley. However, the combination of the slow pacing and an extremely whiny and pretentious main character left me struggling to finish this book. This is totally a "me" thing, though, as Einstein in the Attic is actually very well written. I just prefer medium pacing and have a need to connect with or at least understand the main character. If I don't, or, even worse, find them annoying, I tune out.
It can be challenging to write a review of a book you didn't like, even if it wasn't a bad one. I just couldn't connect to it. Einstein in the Attic by Dana Dargos and Said Al Bizri is an adventurous science fiction novel that sounds like it would be right up my alley. However, the combination of the slow pacing and an extremely whiny and pretentious main character left me struggling to finish this book. This is totally a "me" thing, though, as Einstein in the Attic is actually very well written. I just prefer medium pacing and have a need to connect with or at least understand the main character. If I don't, or, even worse, find them annoying, I tune out.
January 31, 2023
A piece of advice: treat yourself to Einstein in the Attic
I thought Sci-Fi was not for me until I read this book.
I remember catching myself smiling, laughing (a lot), gasping, and almost tearing up while reading Einstein in the Attic. I have nothing but praise for this work!
I thought Sci-Fi was not for me until I read this book.
I remember catching myself smiling, laughing (a lot), gasping, and almost tearing up while reading Einstein in the Attic. I have nothing but praise for this work!
February 9, 2023
Adam has struggled throughout his life, when a huge scientific discovery gives him the chance to talk to some of the best minds of all time. Will he resolve the debate between Science and God?
I really enjoyed how this philosophical debate was presented with the unique twist on time travel.
For those who enjoy a unique science fiction novel with a quirky fun quality (I loved the personalities of the characters), I definitely recommend this one!
I really enjoyed how this philosophical debate was presented with the unique twist on time travel.
For those who enjoy a unique science fiction novel with a quirky fun quality (I loved the personalities of the characters), I definitely recommend this one!
May 7, 2023
Great premise and a fun read. Great characterizations of Einstein and others.
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