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Einstein's Masterwork: 1915 and the General Theory of Relativity
In 1915, Albert Einstein presented his masterwork to the Prussian Academy of Sciences – a theory of gravity, matter, space and time: the General Theory of Relativity. Einstein himself said it was ‘the most valuable theory of my life’, and ‘of incomparable beauty’. It describes the evolution of the Universe, black holes, the behaviour of orbiting neutron stars, gravitational lensing, and why clocks run slower on the surface of the Earth than in space. It even suggests the possibility of time travel.
And yet we think instead of 1905, the year of Einstein’s Special Theory of Relativity and his equation E=mc2, as his annus mirabilis, even though the Special Theory is less far-reaching. Today the General Theory is overshadowed by these achievements, regarded as ‘too difficult’ for ordinary mortals to comprehend.
In Einstein’s Masterwork, John Gribbin puts Einstein’s astonishing breakthrough in the context of his life and work, and make it clear why his greatest year was indeed 1915.
245 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 7, 2015
27 people are currently reading
1054 people want to read
About the author
John Gribbin
385 books852 followersJohn R. Gribbin is a British science writer, an astrophysicist, and a visiting fellow in astronomy at the University of Sussex. His writings include quantum physics, human evolution, climate change, global warming, the origins of the universe, and biographies of famous scientists. He also writes science fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
May 16, 2015
Of the various anniversaries turning up in 2015, none is as significant to science as the development of Einstein's general theory of relativity. As the C. P. Snow quote on the back of this compact and highly readable book suggests 'If Einstein had not created the general theory (in 1915) no one else would have done so... perhaps not for generations.' The acclaimed British science writer John Gribbin is the ideal person to guide us through this key period of Einstein's life - after all he was co-author with Michael White of the less tightly focussed Einstein: a life in science.
Because this a relatively small book (physically) it sits somewhere between a full scale scientific biography and a short introductory guide. It's quick to read, compact and highly accessible. Gribbin makes a good tutor, providing an experience that is not unlike being lectured to by a slightly pernickety but insightful and friendly professor. (Pernickety, for instance in his careful insistence that it should always be the 'special theory of relativity', not the useful shorthand 'special relativity' (and likewise for the general theory), because it is the theory that is special/general, not the relativity.)
If I am honest I wasn't looking forward to yet another set of biographical information on Einstein. Not long ago, a reader sent me an email commenting that he had enjoyed one of my books, but he was a bit fed up reading yet another potted biography of the great man. There seems an obligation to do it, yet when you've read a few popular science books about relativity (or gravity, or light, or quantum theory) it does seem that, like Douglas Adams' bowl of petunias, the natural response to reading about Einstein's life should be 'Oh, no, not again.' But somehow, as if by magic, Gribbin manages to make the same old personal history interesting, with real insights that show the links between the man's life and work.
If anything, the biographical sections are a little more successful than those that concentrate on the physics. Gribbin knows his stuff (forwards, backwards and upside down), but the book's approach is just a bit too summary to give the best insight in the special theory and particularly the general theory of relativity. For instance, he gives the usual rubber sheet/trampoline with a weight analogy for matter producing a warp that bends a straight line path, but doesn't explain why this warp should cause a stationary object to start falling. The compactness means he doesn't show the actual equations of the general theory, which in compact form are beautiful and aren't difficult to be guided around, if not comprehended in detail. And he perpetuates the myth (as, I confess, I often have) that John Wheeler coined the term 'black hole.'
This isn't, then, a book for someone who wants to get their brains entangled around the nitty gritty of Einstein's theories of relativity, but it is an excellent way to get a feel for Einstein the man, and a simple, easy to grasp overview of relativity theory - an ideal marker for this centenary year.
Because this a relatively small book (physically) it sits somewhere between a full scale scientific biography and a short introductory guide. It's quick to read, compact and highly accessible. Gribbin makes a good tutor, providing an experience that is not unlike being lectured to by a slightly pernickety but insightful and friendly professor. (Pernickety, for instance in his careful insistence that it should always be the 'special theory of relativity', not the useful shorthand 'special relativity' (and likewise for the general theory), because it is the theory that is special/general, not the relativity.)
If I am honest I wasn't looking forward to yet another set of biographical information on Einstein. Not long ago, a reader sent me an email commenting that he had enjoyed one of my books, but he was a bit fed up reading yet another potted biography of the great man. There seems an obligation to do it, yet when you've read a few popular science books about relativity (or gravity, or light, or quantum theory) it does seem that, like Douglas Adams' bowl of petunias, the natural response to reading about Einstein's life should be 'Oh, no, not again.' But somehow, as if by magic, Gribbin manages to make the same old personal history interesting, with real insights that show the links between the man's life and work.
If anything, the biographical sections are a little more successful than those that concentrate on the physics. Gribbin knows his stuff (forwards, backwards and upside down), but the book's approach is just a bit too summary to give the best insight in the special theory and particularly the general theory of relativity. For instance, he gives the usual rubber sheet/trampoline with a weight analogy for matter producing a warp that bends a straight line path, but doesn't explain why this warp should cause a stationary object to start falling. The compactness means he doesn't show the actual equations of the general theory, which in compact form are beautiful and aren't difficult to be guided around, if not comprehended in detail. And he perpetuates the myth (as, I confess, I often have) that John Wheeler coined the term 'black hole.'
This isn't, then, a book for someone who wants to get their brains entangled around the nitty gritty of Einstein's theories of relativity, but it is an excellent way to get a feel for Einstein the man, and a simple, easy to grasp overview of relativity theory - an ideal marker for this centenary year.
January 18, 2016
Scopo dichiarato del saggio di John Gribbin (astrofisico di formazione e divulgatore scientifico di prim’ordine), è raccontare i passi che hanno portato Albert Einstein alla formulazione della versione più generale della teoria della relatività, considerata a buon diritto il suo “capolavoro” e l’acme della sua parabola di fisico e di scienziato. La carriera di Einstein, peraltro, è stata costellata da successi e risultati fondamentali, ottenuti durante un periodo di attività piuttosto lungo (dall’inizio del secolo fino a metà degli anni Trenta), insolito per un fisico così geniale. Nei libri di divulgazione si tende a limitare la discussione alla teoria ristretta della relatività, riguardante i sistemi di riferimento inerziali in assenza di gravità, considerata più semplice da comprendere e matematicamente più elementare. Riguardo alla teoria generale, molti libri per il grande pubblico non vanno al di là di vaghi riferimenti privi di supporto matematico.
Volendo riempire questa lacuna e approfittando dell’occasione offerta dal centenario della presentazione della teoria generale della relatività, risolta in una serie di conferenze e articoli presentati all’Accademia Prussiana delle Scienze tra la fine del 1915 e l’inizio del 1916, Gribbin ricostruisce il lungo e tortuoso percorso che portò Einstein a questo risultato. Partendo dal dato biografico, Gribbin esamina prima l’educazione del giovane Albert, la sua formazione piuttosto singolare e i suoi tentativi di inserirsi nel mondo accademico, non sempre coronati da successo. Raggiunta una certa stabilità economica, ecco che il suo talento fiorisce nel famoso annus mirabilis, il 1905, in cui Einstein produce tre articoli (la spiegazione dell’effetto fotoelettrico, l’interpretazione del moto browniano e la teoria ristretta della relatività) e una dissertazione (sulla determinazione delle dimensioni effettive degli atomi) che globalmente hanno cambiato la fisica del Novecento. La disamina di questi contributi, puntuale, efficace e molto dettagliata, è condotta in un linguaggio semplice ma rigoroso e ha il pregio di distinguere chiaramente tra il radicamento del lavoro einsteiniano nel tessuto connettivo della rivoluzione fisica del primo Novecento e la portata innovativa delle sue intuizioni.
Segue poi il racconto dei 10 anni che condussero Einstein a generalizzare la sua teoria ristretta. Gribbin sottolinea più volte che l’uso dei termini “speciale” (“ristretta”) dovrebbe più correttamente riferirsi alla teoria e non alla relatività, nonostante l’uso quasi esclusivo dei sintagmi “relatività speciale” e “relatività generale” nella prassi scientifica. Il racconto si fa avvincente in virtù della non linearità del percorso intellettuale e scientifico seguito da Einstein, come del resto non lineari sono le equazioni della relatività generale da lui ottenute a caro prezzo: l’approccio alle geometrie non euclidee, l’estensione ai sistemi di riferimento accelerati, la connessione tra spazio-tempo curvo e gravità, la costruzione del primo abbozzo e gli errori commessi (uno dei quali potenzialmente rischioso, se sottoposto a verifica sperimentale), la corsa con David Hilbert. Al sudato traguardo fanno eco le numerose applicazioni e le successive conferme sperimentali, che sono continuate fino agli anni Novante del secolo scorso, facendo della relatività generale una delle teorie più eleganti ed efficaci dal punto di vista della predicibilità sperimentale (insieme all’elettrodinamica quantistica). Molto efficace, a mio giudizio, è il quarto capitolo in cui si parla di buchi neri, di distorsioni spazio-temporali, di cosmologia, di onde gravitazionali e di espansione dell’universo. L’ultimo capitolo segna il trionfo dello scienziato, spiegando le ragioni per cui Einstein ha acquisito una dimensione iconica nell’ambito della memoria collettiva.
Il carattere umano di Einstein e le sue tormentate relazioni con le donne sono per Gribbin un elemento importante, anche se non fondamentale, per comprendere il personaggio: è soprattutto la sua condotta poco esemplare verso la prima moglie Mileva Marič, aspirante fisico in un mondo accademico declinato completamente al maschile, a colpire il lettore. Se da una parte Einstein aveva una spiccata tendenza a coltivare amicizie molto stabili e scientificamente fertili (con i matematici Marcel Grossmann e Michele Besso, con il fisico Hendrik Lorentz, con Niels Bohr), dall’altra gli affetti familiari erano in lui altalenanti, essendo subordinati alla sua attività scientifica. Per quanto amore potesse rivolgere alle compagne e ai figli, non sembrava provarne la mancanza quando era impegnato con la ricerca o anche quando le vicissitudini della vita lo privavano della loro compagnia.
L’unico difetto che mi sento di riconoscere nel saggio di Gribbin, scritto in collaborazione con la moglie Mary (che, immagino, sia responsabile dell’analisi puntuale dei rapporti di Einstein con le donne), sta forse nello spazio ridotto offerto alla formulazione conclusiva della teoria. Gribbin sceglie di non riportare le equazioni della teoria generale, forse per non spaventare i lettori non esperti ed evitare lunghe e complicate spiegazioni matematiche (potenzialmente non digeribili), ma i brevi accenni che fa alla teoria (pp. 112-116) lasciano una sensazione di vuoto nel lettore interessato e non timoroso della matematica, che ha gustato avidamente i numerosi antipasti serviti in precedenza. Penso che Gribbin avrebbe dovuto spendere qualche pagina in più sul significato delle equazioni di Einstein, anche in considerazione dello scopo che si era prefissato con questo saggio e dello spazio dedicato ai contributi precedenti.
Il saggio è scritto in modo scorrevole e limpido e si legge con facilità, anche senza possedere un’istruzione di livello universitario. L’uso delle fonti, debitamente elencate nella contenuta ma adeguata bibliografia, è impostato al minimo, per evitare di appesantire troppo la lettura.
Consigliato a chi tende a generalizzare.
Sconsigliato ai seguaci della teoria della Terra piatta.
Volendo riempire questa lacuna e approfittando dell’occasione offerta dal centenario della presentazione della teoria generale della relatività, risolta in una serie di conferenze e articoli presentati all’Accademia Prussiana delle Scienze tra la fine del 1915 e l’inizio del 1916, Gribbin ricostruisce il lungo e tortuoso percorso che portò Einstein a questo risultato. Partendo dal dato biografico, Gribbin esamina prima l’educazione del giovane Albert, la sua formazione piuttosto singolare e i suoi tentativi di inserirsi nel mondo accademico, non sempre coronati da successo. Raggiunta una certa stabilità economica, ecco che il suo talento fiorisce nel famoso annus mirabilis, il 1905, in cui Einstein produce tre articoli (la spiegazione dell’effetto fotoelettrico, l’interpretazione del moto browniano e la teoria ristretta della relatività) e una dissertazione (sulla determinazione delle dimensioni effettive degli atomi) che globalmente hanno cambiato la fisica del Novecento. La disamina di questi contributi, puntuale, efficace e molto dettagliata, è condotta in un linguaggio semplice ma rigoroso e ha il pregio di distinguere chiaramente tra il radicamento del lavoro einsteiniano nel tessuto connettivo della rivoluzione fisica del primo Novecento e la portata innovativa delle sue intuizioni.
Segue poi il racconto dei 10 anni che condussero Einstein a generalizzare la sua teoria ristretta. Gribbin sottolinea più volte che l’uso dei termini “speciale” (“ristretta”) dovrebbe più correttamente riferirsi alla teoria e non alla relatività, nonostante l’uso quasi esclusivo dei sintagmi “relatività speciale” e “relatività generale” nella prassi scientifica. Il racconto si fa avvincente in virtù della non linearità del percorso intellettuale e scientifico seguito da Einstein, come del resto non lineari sono le equazioni della relatività generale da lui ottenute a caro prezzo: l’approccio alle geometrie non euclidee, l’estensione ai sistemi di riferimento accelerati, la connessione tra spazio-tempo curvo e gravità, la costruzione del primo abbozzo e gli errori commessi (uno dei quali potenzialmente rischioso, se sottoposto a verifica sperimentale), la corsa con David Hilbert. Al sudato traguardo fanno eco le numerose applicazioni e le successive conferme sperimentali, che sono continuate fino agli anni Novante del secolo scorso, facendo della relatività generale una delle teorie più eleganti ed efficaci dal punto di vista della predicibilità sperimentale (insieme all’elettrodinamica quantistica). Molto efficace, a mio giudizio, è il quarto capitolo in cui si parla di buchi neri, di distorsioni spazio-temporali, di cosmologia, di onde gravitazionali e di espansione dell’universo. L’ultimo capitolo segna il trionfo dello scienziato, spiegando le ragioni per cui Einstein ha acquisito una dimensione iconica nell’ambito della memoria collettiva.
Il carattere umano di Einstein e le sue tormentate relazioni con le donne sono per Gribbin un elemento importante, anche se non fondamentale, per comprendere il personaggio: è soprattutto la sua condotta poco esemplare verso la prima moglie Mileva Marič, aspirante fisico in un mondo accademico declinato completamente al maschile, a colpire il lettore. Se da una parte Einstein aveva una spiccata tendenza a coltivare amicizie molto stabili e scientificamente fertili (con i matematici Marcel Grossmann e Michele Besso, con il fisico Hendrik Lorentz, con Niels Bohr), dall’altra gli affetti familiari erano in lui altalenanti, essendo subordinati alla sua attività scientifica. Per quanto amore potesse rivolgere alle compagne e ai figli, non sembrava provarne la mancanza quando era impegnato con la ricerca o anche quando le vicissitudini della vita lo privavano della loro compagnia.
L’unico difetto che mi sento di riconoscere nel saggio di Gribbin, scritto in collaborazione con la moglie Mary (che, immagino, sia responsabile dell’analisi puntuale dei rapporti di Einstein con le donne), sta forse nello spazio ridotto offerto alla formulazione conclusiva della teoria. Gribbin sceglie di non riportare le equazioni della teoria generale, forse per non spaventare i lettori non esperti ed evitare lunghe e complicate spiegazioni matematiche (potenzialmente non digeribili), ma i brevi accenni che fa alla teoria (pp. 112-116) lasciano una sensazione di vuoto nel lettore interessato e non timoroso della matematica, che ha gustato avidamente i numerosi antipasti serviti in precedenza. Penso che Gribbin avrebbe dovuto spendere qualche pagina in più sul significato delle equazioni di Einstein, anche in considerazione dello scopo che si era prefissato con questo saggio e dello spazio dedicato ai contributi precedenti.
Il saggio è scritto in modo scorrevole e limpido e si legge con facilità, anche senza possedere un’istruzione di livello universitario. L’uso delle fonti, debitamente elencate nella contenuta ma adeguata bibliografia, è impostato al minimo, per evitare di appesantire troppo la lettura.
Consigliato a chi tende a generalizzare.
Sconsigliato ai seguaci della teoria della Terra piatta.
August 21, 2015
This is likely one of Gribbin’s best books (and that’s saying something for such an accomplished science writer.) You look at this short book and wonder how so much of Einstein can be found here, when there are many biographies—hundreds, it seems, as I’ve read about 30 of them—that cover every angle of the great scientist’s life and work.
Without abusing the reader with too many historical details or excessive mathematics, the author takes us into the journey of a man who’d sacrifice everything (his family; his body) to peer into the cosmic inner workings. Einstein is portrayed as who he really was—science’s Mozart.
None of this exposition is easy, and there are tiny details that reveal a massive research effort behind the book, which comes up with unexplored corners of a life we’ve thought has been combed down to the atomic level of his mane of hair—some of these stories are not to be found anywhere else. (A few little spoilers follow, you might want to skip this sentence to its end) A man who stopped using socks to avoid looking for clean ones. Someone who starved out of poverty and for his own will. A both wonderful and awful father and husband. A man who started and ended the great revolution of Quantum Mechanics, against his own dislike of its unthinkable conclusions.
All and all, Einstein emerges, from this deceptively short book, as an even greater genius and paradox that I’d thought he was. This is not just another book about a fundamental scientist; it is probably the one book you have to read about Einstein, if you’ve never read his biography before. Einstein’s Master Work it’s a masterwork itself.
Without abusing the reader with too many historical details or excessive mathematics, the author takes us into the journey of a man who’d sacrifice everything (his family; his body) to peer into the cosmic inner workings. Einstein is portrayed as who he really was—science’s Mozart.
None of this exposition is easy, and there are tiny details that reveal a massive research effort behind the book, which comes up with unexplored corners of a life we’ve thought has been combed down to the atomic level of his mane of hair—some of these stories are not to be found anywhere else. (A few little spoilers follow, you might want to skip this sentence to its end) A man who stopped using socks to avoid looking for clean ones. Someone who starved out of poverty and for his own will. A both wonderful and awful father and husband. A man who started and ended the great revolution of Quantum Mechanics, against his own dislike of its unthinkable conclusions.
All and all, Einstein emerges, from this deceptively short book, as an even greater genius and paradox that I’d thought he was. This is not just another book about a fundamental scientist; it is probably the one book you have to read about Einstein, if you’ve never read his biography before. Einstein’s Master Work it’s a masterwork itself.
January 8, 2018
The subtitle of this shortish work slightly overstates itself, in that really only two of the book's five chapters are concerned with the General Theory of Relativity, its formulation and its implications/legacy. The first and last of the five chapters constitute a brief bio of the scientist and an account of the context in which he lived. The remaining chapter (Chapter 2), the book's longest, describes Einstein's Annus Mirabilis, 1905 rather than 1915, and explains with exemplary clarity the five papers he produced during that year, including the Special Theory.
The book's a great read, and thoroughly recommended on that basis, as well as to anyone who hasn't yet gotten to grips with Einstein's physics but would like to (as much as the lay reader realistically can). I'd been hoping, though, for more of a wallow in the General Theory than I got.
A few minor errors mar the text:
(a) The typesetter has trouble with the plus-or-minus sign (±), rendering it instead as a simple plus sign (+).
(b) The copy I read has a brief "Introduction to the American Edition." This has several goofs in it of the kind that made me wonder if the author had tried at proof stage to repair text that someone else had mangled. (I even found myself looking [in vain] for credits to see if we'd shared a particular editor!) I may be quite wrong in my conspiracy theory, but the oopsies are real enough.
(c) On page 171 we're told a certain star's orbit has it moving at speeds up 300 km/s, "one tenth of the speed of light." Of course, 300 km/s is nothing like "one tenth of the speed of light" -- it's more like "one tenth of one percent of the speed of light," which is what I'm guessing was the author's intention. As far as I can see, the rest of the description of the star system conforms perfectly okay with the 300 km/s figure, but then on p173 we're told that the star is moving at "a sizeable fraction of the speed of light." So I don't know what went on there.
I'm sure there are other minor mistakes that I didn't spot, but these three are essentially at the level of typos (and may, for all I know, have been corrected in later printings/editions) and shouldn't put you off reading what's certainly a very entertaining book.
The book's a great read, and thoroughly recommended on that basis, as well as to anyone who hasn't yet gotten to grips with Einstein's physics but would like to (as much as the lay reader realistically can). I'd been hoping, though, for more of a wallow in the General Theory than I got.
A few minor errors mar the text:
(a) The typesetter has trouble with the plus-or-minus sign (±), rendering it instead as a simple plus sign (+).
(b) The copy I read has a brief "Introduction to the American Edition." This has several goofs in it of the kind that made me wonder if the author had tried at proof stage to repair text that someone else had mangled. (I even found myself looking [in vain] for credits to see if we'd shared a particular editor!) I may be quite wrong in my conspiracy theory, but the oopsies are real enough.
(c) On page 171 we're told a certain star's orbit has it moving at speeds up 300 km/s, "one tenth of the speed of light." Of course, 300 km/s is nothing like "one tenth of the speed of light" -- it's more like "one tenth of one percent of the speed of light," which is what I'm guessing was the author's intention. As far as I can see, the rest of the description of the star system conforms perfectly okay with the 300 km/s figure, but then on p173 we're told that the star is moving at "a sizeable fraction of the speed of light." So I don't know what went on there.
I'm sure there are other minor mistakes that I didn't spot, but these three are essentially at the level of typos (and may, for all I know, have been corrected in later printings/editions) and shouldn't put you off reading what's certainly a very entertaining book.
April 7, 2021
HIGHLY recommend this book, which talks about Albert Einstein’s life in relatively (hehe pun) uncomplicated words. The contributions he made to science can not be understated. The only beef i have with this book is that the author argues that the General Theory of Relativity would more than likely not have been discovered by anyone, but later tells of the similarities between David Hilbert’s work and Einstein’s. Other than that, a fantastic book that doesn’t bore and is a great introduction to both the Special and General Theories of Relativity.
December 29, 2016
This manuscript depicts the triumvirate's (Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking) accomplishment in a way that, it has never been presented or projected in, before. Newton's Theory of Gravitation contributed towards laying the foundation of a subtle base for the proposition of Einstein's Special Theory Of Relativity. Not only was Einstein's Theory, a well thought out thesis, but it also spelt out the nuances involving the works of other prominent scientists of his times and of course his own. He made the world of Modern Physics his own in the year 1905 when he proposed Special Theory of Relativity and subsequently demonstrated Photo Electric Effect, which is considered to be the 'Annus Mirabilis' of Einstein's professional career. The book gives a deep insight on the implications and impact, the discoveries of Newton have had in the World of Physics. Newton's three laws are a testimony to the fact that he was destined to leave a legacy of his own in matters of matter, atoms, gravity, mass of the matter and the Newton's Constant of Gravitational Force for the others who were to follow in his footsteps. Arguably, the best Physicist that the Scientific Community has ever produced, Albert Einstein discovered that the Newton's Law of Gravitation was not only true in cases of massive particles, but also in the study of matters at the atomic, sub atomic levels too. The 'Father of Modern Physics' has had his strong foothold not only in this domain, but was also instrumental in giving Quantum Physics its mere existence during his times, when he, for the first time proposed, 'The General Theory Of Relativity' in 1915. The Theory is General, but not Relativity. And not surprisingly, this work of his is considered to be the best Scientific thesis in the field of Quantum Physics, for it is not only complex and self explanatory, but also involves usage of Math theorems and their proofs. In a Mathematical sense, 'The General Theory of Relativity' holds an upper hand compared to his 'Special Theory of Relativity'. The complex equations led to the most powerful invention, which is used for a most destructive purpose in the humankind's world. We guessed it correctly. The principles involved in developing Atom Bomb finds its roots from the most famous equation in the World of Modern Physics:
E=mc^2
This book would have done no justice to its prospects, had it failed to mention another great Physicist of our times, Stephen Hawking's endeavors in efforts to continue from where Einstein hung up his boots and subsequently accomplish several major and trend setting breakthroughs to provide him with a chance to certify Einstein's in addition to his own theories as true and genuine. Hawking's contemporary puts the concept of Time Travel to shame in a hilarious manner in this compilation, only to give away his grip on his nerves. Goes without saying, against his ethical will and value. A very good read, with Scientific wit put forth in best manner possible. A fiver for this gem. For an artist, this book has the mention of Music. For an intellect, this book has Physics. For an enthusiast, this book has flair. But, for a Scientist, this book has life in it.
E=mc^2
This book would have done no justice to its prospects, had it failed to mention another great Physicist of our times, Stephen Hawking's endeavors in efforts to continue from where Einstein hung up his boots and subsequently accomplish several major and trend setting breakthroughs to provide him with a chance to certify Einstein's in addition to his own theories as true and genuine. Hawking's contemporary puts the concept of Time Travel to shame in a hilarious manner in this compilation, only to give away his grip on his nerves. Goes without saying, against his ethical will and value. A very good read, with Scientific wit put forth in best manner possible. A fiver for this gem. For an artist, this book has the mention of Music. For an intellect, this book has Physics. For an enthusiast, this book has flair. But, for a Scientist, this book has life in it.
July 25, 2015
Mmm.....like many people I grew up thinking Einstein and been working alone in the patent office and independently come with his relativity theory on his own, an inspired genius. Under Gribben's quidance, I find out that he was a man of his time, and worked with the ideas of the very best intellects. It suddenly occurred to me that on page 154, that all was not well with the popular notion of Einstein as a genius, and that quite possibly he had been borrowing other peoples work! What today we would remonstrate with our students for plagiarism. And so a quick google search shows that several authors have investigated whether it was a french scientist Poincare who discovered E=MC (squared), the most well known equation in the world. That he borrowed freely from Lorenz and then had a final shoot out with a German phyicist Hilbert, in a race to publish for his theory of general relativity.As for the science, How much quicker I could have learnt at school if we had youtube video explaining how light bends with gravity. I would recommend you watch a couple, to get the most out of a book with no diagrams. I didn't get the sense that Gribben got the low down on the women in Einstein's life either, there being no character coming through like Jane Hawking a passionate foil to Stephen Hawking. All in all his book is a light read to celebrate the 100 year anniversary of the publication of Hilbert's Foundations of physics.....whoops I mean Einstein's theory of general relativity in 1915.
November 13, 2023
This is a nice litte book on Einstein. The masterwork refers to the General theory. Gribbin says that the Special theory was in the air, meaning that someone else would have “discovered“ it within a few years whereas General would not have been found for decades. He does not really manages though to explain why that is so.
I liked the treatment of the annus mirabilis. He does explain what the other things were that Einstein was working on. The famous forumula, I learned was actually a kind of afterthought coming in a footnote paper.
The legacy chapter gives a huge number of examples how and when different aspects of Einstein’s ideas have been proven in later years (even in recent years) and how influential he still is. There is, of course, the biggest blunder that turned out not to be a blunder at all.
If you do want to know something about Einstein without diving in too deeply this is a book to read.
7/10
I liked the treatment of the annus mirabilis. He does explain what the other things were that Einstein was working on. The famous forumula, I learned was actually a kind of afterthought coming in a footnote paper.
The legacy chapter gives a huge number of examples how and when different aspects of Einstein’s ideas have been proven in later years (even in recent years) and how influential he still is. There is, of course, the biggest blunder that turned out not to be a blunder at all.
If you do want to know something about Einstein without diving in too deeply this is a book to read.
7/10
July 11, 2015
I've always considered Gribbin to be one of the best Science historians around since reading Science: A history. This work, published to coincide with the centenary of the publication of the General Theory of Relativity, is a biography of Albert Einstein with a focus on his scientific achievements of which the General Theory of Relativity is considered the most important. Gribbin does a good job of putting the development of Einstein's theories in context and explaining them in layman's terms and how they impacted on the world. This book is a good introduction for anyone wishing to familarise themselves with the life and work of Albert Einstein. In his research Gribbin has also uncovered several interesting pieces of trivia and he does a good job of portraying Einstein as a human being instead of some semi-divine figure.
August 9, 2015
Although I try to read widely on as many academic disciplines as I can, and while I love science, I find physics to be quite confusing at times. That's why I love writers like Gribbin, with strong scientific credibility who know how to communicate scientific ideas to the masses.
I enjoyed this book. Part explanation of Einstein's work, part biography, very readable and entertaining. Gribbin focuses on Einstein's major works and life events and leaves the rest out, making this a short, brisk read. A really good introduction to Einstein.
I enjoyed this book. Part explanation of Einstein's work, part biography, very readable and entertaining. Gribbin focuses on Einstein's major works and life events and leaves the rest out, making this a short, brisk read. A really good introduction to Einstein.
June 2, 2016
If you want an indepth book on relativity and cosmology then there are more appropriate books out there. However, this is a good little biography of Einstein and nice overview of his scientific and personal life, and lasting legacy.
April 19, 2016
Very enjoyable read...gravity and acceleration are the same thing! and more interesting facts follow
July 31, 2016
Readable and Interesting to someone who does not have a strong science and math background. Read it as one of my holiday reads.
September 12, 2021
Every science book for general audiences faces the question of how deeply to delve into the actual scientific topic being covered. Some readers, including myself, yearn to actually build up our scientific understanding beyond what we covered in high school and college, yet too much detail risks becoming boring or incomprehensible to those without the right background. Einstein's Masterwork: 1915 and the General Theory of Relativity answers this in a rather weird way.
Most readers probably have heard of Albert Einstein's “Annus Mirablis”, when he produced four important papers in 1905, and also are aware that his final publication of general relativity came a decade later. This book gives us a biography of Einstein, moving rapidly through his early years and then slowing down at 1905 to give a thorough explanation of each of the four famous papers from that year. Those whose physics background stops at high school or an introductory college course will likely learn a great deal from this section and emerge with significantly improved understanding of how physics developed at this point in history, as well as what Einstein's particular contributions were.
Despite the title, however, the book actually says very little about General Relativity. A large section covers Eintein's personal life between 1905 and 1915, his moves between various universities, and interactions with other contributors to the final theory, but readers who haven't been introduced to the content of General Relativity will learn very little science. For those who didn't cover it in school but want a layman's understanding at what General Relativity actually is, either Edward Speyer's Six Roads from Newton or Gary Zukav's The Dancing Wu Li Masters: An Overview of the New Physics would be better. (The second is highly controversial among physicists.) For this reason primarily I found Einstein's Masterwork to be disappointing.
That said, in addition to the coverage of the four 1905 papers, I did learn a decent amount Einstein and I felt that the book decently balanced the legendary view of Einstein against the viewpoint that would diminish his accomplishments.
Most readers probably have heard of Albert Einstein's “Annus Mirablis”, when he produced four important papers in 1905, and also are aware that his final publication of general relativity came a decade later. This book gives us a biography of Einstein, moving rapidly through his early years and then slowing down at 1905 to give a thorough explanation of each of the four famous papers from that year. Those whose physics background stops at high school or an introductory college course will likely learn a great deal from this section and emerge with significantly improved understanding of how physics developed at this point in history, as well as what Einstein's particular contributions were.
Despite the title, however, the book actually says very little about General Relativity. A large section covers Eintein's personal life between 1905 and 1915, his moves between various universities, and interactions with other contributors to the final theory, but readers who haven't been introduced to the content of General Relativity will learn very little science. For those who didn't cover it in school but want a layman's understanding at what General Relativity actually is, either Edward Speyer's Six Roads from Newton or Gary Zukav's The Dancing Wu Li Masters: An Overview of the New Physics would be better. (The second is highly controversial among physicists.) For this reason primarily I found Einstein's Masterwork to be disappointing.
That said, in addition to the coverage of the four 1905 papers, I did learn a decent amount Einstein and I felt that the book decently balanced the legendary view of Einstein against the viewpoint that would diminish his accomplishments.
July 6, 2019
It's actually kind of surprising how little I'd read previously about Einstein's life, especially when compared to some lesser-known entities like Freeman Dyson or Julian Schwinger.
This was a very well-timed read for me, as it re-inspired me to continue with my self-study in physics, motivation for which had been steadily waning ever since abandoning my PhD.
While I will always be a hardcore Feynman fanatic, identifying so much more with his disdain for the pomposity of academia and such, it shocked me just how much I identify with Einstein now. Do I think I am anywhere near his level? Absolutely not. But it gives me a little hope to learn that he was similarly rejected by all PhD programs for very similar reasons to me. He only eventually returned to academia after accomplishing some amazing work entirely independent of any academic institution.
Am I going to come up with my own annus mirabilis set of papers? Lol no. But it does ignite that spark of "what if" that has me re-entering the field on my own terms now.
I wish this trusted the reader with more advanced concepts in the way, say, a James Gleik biography would have, but it was otherwise very solid and humanized a man that is often deified and regarded as infallible, inseparable from his genius in one narrow field.
This was a very well-timed read for me, as it re-inspired me to continue with my self-study in physics, motivation for which had been steadily waning ever since abandoning my PhD.
While I will always be a hardcore Feynman fanatic, identifying so much more with his disdain for the pomposity of academia and such, it shocked me just how much I identify with Einstein now. Do I think I am anywhere near his level? Absolutely not. But it gives me a little hope to learn that he was similarly rejected by all PhD programs for very similar reasons to me. He only eventually returned to academia after accomplishing some amazing work entirely independent of any academic institution.
Am I going to come up with my own annus mirabilis set of papers? Lol no. But it does ignite that spark of "what if" that has me re-entering the field on my own terms now.
I wish this trusted the reader with more advanced concepts in the way, say, a James Gleik biography would have, but it was otherwise very solid and humanized a man that is often deified and regarded as infallible, inseparable from his genius in one narrow field.
November 5, 2018
I thought that this was a great book. It was really good at explaining Einsteins early and late life. It really did something that I liked in trying to focus more on the life of Einstein rather than just the work of Einstein. I learned a lot that I didn't know about this figure from this book. Normally we just look at what a person created rather than who a person was. So, we never realize the kind of lifestyle that they lead, or the struggles that they experienced that ended up affecting the actions that they where famous for. I loved reading about the life of Einstein, but, the explanation of his work could have been better. The middle of the book is pretty much solely dedicated to his theory's and work. While it was very good at getting down all of his work and the thinking behind it. It could have explained some of them better. So, I would recommend this book to some one who really whats to learn about the lives of historical figures. Even though it does take some background knowledge to understand the science of the book, it is still a very good read.
April 21, 2020
Super fascinante, sigue la vida de Einstein incluyendo sus dos matrimonios (uno de ellos con su prima ejem) y su trabajo durante el annus miribalus, 1905, donde consiguió producir 4 documentos, incluyendo los de las capturas de pantalla. Y luego el General Theory of Relativity de 1915 donde basado solo en teorías, consiguió progresar la física con sus calculaciones previniendo como espacio -tiempo podía ser curvado por la gravedad de grandes masas. Además, el libro habla, de como estás teorías pudieron prevenir la existencia de agujeros negros y estrellas de neutrones y la posibilidad de la existencia de agujeros de gusanos que nos dejaría viajar por el tiempo. Hay que decir que de vez de cuando me perdía con el vocabulario más técnico, pero durante todo el libro me encanto como de WOW era y me recuerda lo muy insignificante que es todo.
February 16, 2018
This book provides much valuable information about Einstein's masterworks which are on Brownian Motion, The Photoelectric Effect, Special Relativity, and Mass-Energy Equivalence. The book mainly is evaluated as introductory for new beginners. By the way, if you haven't read about Einstein, I humbly recommend Gribbin's this book and Isaacson's Einstein biography, "Einstein: his life and universe". My favorite chapter, in the book, was "legacy" part. In this part, it is explained how modern scientific advancements is affected by Einstein's theories. It is impressive for me since I am curious about the connection between theories and material world
Mostly, reader-friendly and it is worth to read!
Mostly, reader-friendly and it is worth to read!
February 24, 2022
I typically find nonfiction books hard to fathom, yet this one I was able to mostly comprehend. It wasn't a bore, and I found myself constantly wanting to continue where I had left off. As I usually find myself dreading continuing a nonfiction book, this came as a surprise to me. It was the first nonfiction book I could finish without prior reason. Gribbin's writing style was absorbable and likable. I can't wait to read more of the author's books. This book ranks as one of my favorites, I would 100% recommend it to anyone whos even slightly interested in quantum physics. therodynamics and physics as a whole.
October 22, 2017
A nice quick presentation of Einstein and his breakthroughs. I prefer Gribbin's science books more, the ones that focus on a topic rather than on people. A good intro (or refresher) of Einstein's theories: always good to read another explanation, and to be honest, this was quite good: I didn't know before that Einstein's general theory was an expansion of his special theory into curved space and of course time. My problem is that I can just grasp this stuff when I read it (kind of) and then forget it as soon as I put the book down. Maybe I'll reread it sometime...
June 28, 2023
I really enjoyed this book. A beautifully written book about a gripping story, with a potent ending and inspiring anecdotes, this book let me understand who the greatest mind ever (very debatably) really was. However, I felt that this book may explain more about the mathematics and meaning of relativity, as opposed to a biography.
I would highly recommend.
I would highly recommend.
January 29, 2022
Very readable, short and informative book combining a biography and the most important aspects of Einstein's work. The title is a bit misleading because the book spans all his life and all his work, not just 1915 and not just general relativity. 1 star removed for that.
September 5, 2019
Compact and thoughtful summary
October 18, 2019
Wonderfully accessible look at some of the most complex concepts in physics and cosmology.
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July 15, 2020Good book, though not as thought provoking as Gribbin's "In Search of Schrodinger's Cat".
June 28, 2022
I really like how this book gives you an insight in to Einstein’s life and theories to that went along with it.
April 15, 2024
3.5 stars
March 23, 2017
Great overview of Einstein's work and life. Moves back and forth between his ideas and the impact his life had on his thoughts. I would like to see more narratives like this.
March 14, 2017
This is a good science read. It focuses primarily on Einstein's General Theory of Relativity. The author writes in a clear readable style. There is no math in the book and the technical parts are explained clearly. It is a short book; I found it a quick and enjoyable read.
January 25, 2017
John Gribbin makes the complex simple... relatively simple anyway. The first 20 pages or so are entirely autobiographical and are written in kind of a simplistic way - so much so that I checked the spine to see if the book came off the "Teen" shelf. (It's a library book.) No, not a teen book, so I kept going. Soon thereafter, Gribbin begins introducing the reader to Einstein's work in a very approachable way. And that's the way the rest of the book goes, giving just enough biographical information to let us understand where Einstein was at each point in his life while explaining the insights of Einstein and his contemporaries and predecessors. I was happy to see Gribbin sprinkle in familiar names like Newton, Curie, Faraday, Gauss, Hertz, Hilbert, Planck, Maxwell, Schroedinger, Riemann, and others. Remember Avogadro's number? Gribbin explains it. How about the Heisenberg principle? Ditto. Ever wonder who the Hubble Telescope was named for? George Hubble makes an appearance. Even Euclid, of geometry fame, gets some love.
This book really helped me tie together little bits of things I already knew into a single, much more comprehensive framework. Will I remember everything once the book goes back to the library? Unfortunately, no, but I'll remember some of it. I might put this on my Kindle some day as a reference. Gribbin does a huge service to the general reader by making Einstein's work comprehensible and relevant. It's a quick read, too: just over 200 spacious pages.
This book really helped me tie together little bits of things I already knew into a single, much more comprehensive framework. Will I remember everything once the book goes back to the library? Unfortunately, no, but I'll remember some of it. I might put this on my Kindle some day as a reference. Gribbin does a huge service to the general reader by making Einstein's work comprehensible and relevant. It's a quick read, too: just over 200 spacious pages.
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