Einstein: His Life and Universe by Walter Isaacson (2015 Reading Challenge)

[Val]

Albert Einstein won the Nobel Physics Prize in 1921.

[Erin]

OK, started this last night to kick off the 2015 challenge. Two chapters in and the writing style feels a little simplistic (parts of it read kinda like a high school essay) but (and its a big but) I think this will be helpful when the technical details kicks in and I am drowning in the quantum physics.

[Pink]

I think that might help with understanding the science too! I'm looking forward to this one, I hope the easiness of writing continues, do let us know.

[Nigeyb]

The reviews I've looked at, suggest it's an easy, engrossing read and a very interesting book.

The same author, Walter Isaacson, also wrote Steve Jobs which a friend has been recommending to me for months now.

It all seems to auger very well. I look forward to reading more posts about Einstein: His Life and Universe.

[Pink]

I've been waiting for this book on reserve at my library since January and I'm beginning to think it's got lost. I'm going to enquire when I next go into my branch, but I know the only other library copy is already missing, so I'm now doubtful about reading this one. Perhaps I'll consider buying it later, as it seems a worthwhile read and the prices aren't too bad for it.

[Roisin]

Did you get a copy Pink?

[Pink]

Nope. After months of being on the waiting list I asked at the library and they confirmed that both copies were probably lost. This has happened with a couple of books from this challenge but the librarian said that since the books weren't from their branch, they couldn't change the books status to missing, as that was up to the other branch to do. Very frustrating and a shame that books go missing in this way.

I'm still considering buying a copy, but not until the end of the year, once I've read books from my other personal challenges.

[Roisin]

When I was a librarian I used to chase up overdues. Sometimes we would do amnesties and not fine people.

[Pink]

There's a lot of clearing up that needs to be done with the online catalogue. Often I see books marked as available, but then notice the overdue date from a year or even five years ago, yet it's not been marked as missing. I think this must be an uphill battle for librarians to sort through, but it could do with being computerised, perhaps books automatically getting marked as missing if they've not been returned by a certain length of time.

[Roisin]

Depends on whether they have a cataloguer. Depending on how information is collected sometimes you can't remove the old records or the info is lost, but people should be updating items that they cannot find. Email them. Though I suspect the cuts have probably made this worse, I suspect?

[Pink]

Yes I think librarians have a mammoth task trying to keep up with everything. I'd like the computerised system to automatically mark a book as missing after it's been overdue for a certain time, this way it could remain on their lists and be updated if it ever turns up. I don't think the library catalogue has the power for this though. A couple of months ago they tried to implement a new online site and it didn't work properly, leaving the system down for a week and everyone unable to renew or borrow books, even within the branch it was difficult to do anything. They've gone back to the old site now, so I'm not sure if they've abandoned this project or if the tech people are still working on it. I suppose these are the least of the problems for libraries with all the cuts they've had to endure. We only recently saved my smaller local branch from planned closure.

[Roisin]

How terrible! Sometimes the new systems will be part of a contract. If the cataloguer has not properly been included in the discussions for this, implementation of new systems can go wrong. Contracts are profitable business. Private companies making a killing at the taxpayers expense, but that is another discussion. : )