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Coffee with...
Coffee with Einstein
One of the most gifted scientists who ever lived, Nobel Prize winner Albert Einstein revealed to us the elasticity of space and time and altered our entire conception of the universe. Over an imaginary coffee with top NASA physicist Carlos Calle, Einstein tells all about his revolutionary work on relativity, quest for a grand unifying theory of the cosmos, anxieties about the nuclear bomb he helped unleash, and personal matters too.
144 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
June 11, 2021
Bez väčšej úvahy si napríklad vieme predstaviť, že cestujeme vlakom a pri rýchlosti 40 km/h sa vyberieme do prednej časti vagóna rýchlosťou 5 km/h, vysvetľuje Einstein jeden zo svojich najznámejších myšlienkových experimentov a každému čitateľovi, ktorý má skúsenosť s cestovaním po železnici, je jasné, čo znamená, keď vlak ide rýchlosťou 40 km/h. Zas je výluka na trati.
Myslím, že toto nie je len prvá recenzia na knihu o Einsteinovi, ale dovolím si povedať prvú recenzia v dejinách ľudstva, v ktorej sa spomína obec Klin nad Bodrogom:
https://kultura.sme.sk/c/22679683/mal...
Myslím, že toto nie je len prvá recenzia na knihu o Einsteinovi, ale dovolím si povedať prvú recenzia v dejinách ľudstva, v ktorej sa spomína obec Klin nad Bodrogom:
https://kultura.sme.sk/c/22679683/mal...
February 18, 2018
Big up for the writer for making me enjoy this purely fictional coffee while having a purely imaginative interview with Einstein on his work and life.
He sums up the most important of Einstein’s work in a very simple way.
He sums up the most important of Einstein’s work in a very simple way.
February 13, 2020
Coffee With Einstein is rather a good potted biography. It is both a summary of Einstein’s work and of some aspects of his personal life and beliefs.
The book begins with a brief introduction by the great Roger Penrose plus a few pages of summary of Einstein’s life and influence, both of which are good. Then there are sections based on Einstein’s publications and public statements, structured as conversations with the Great Man answering the interviewer’s questions. It’s a little stilted at times, but it works pretty well; there is a decent stab at explaining Einstein’s great discoveries in Relativity and Quantum Mechanics, all without any maths. Because it’s so condensed, this section may leave non-scientists struggling a bit and it may be as well to try one of the excellent popular accounts of his work such as Marcus Chown’s Quantum Theory Cannot Hurt You for better insight. However, this does give a good feel for the extraordinary revolutions for which Einstein was responsible.
I liked the sections on how Einstein used to think about things, his politics and religious views. These are again very brief, but probably give as good an insight as some far longer accounts.
This isn’t perfect, but it’s a good introduction to the man and his work.
The book begins with a brief introduction by the great Roger Penrose plus a few pages of summary of Einstein’s life and influence, both of which are good. Then there are sections based on Einstein’s publications and public statements, structured as conversations with the Great Man answering the interviewer’s questions. It’s a little stilted at times, but it works pretty well; there is a decent stab at explaining Einstein’s great discoveries in Relativity and Quantum Mechanics, all without any maths. Because it’s so condensed, this section may leave non-scientists struggling a bit and it may be as well to try one of the excellent popular accounts of his work such as Marcus Chown’s Quantum Theory Cannot Hurt You for better insight. However, this does give a good feel for the extraordinary revolutions for which Einstein was responsible.
I liked the sections on how Einstein used to think about things, his politics and religious views. These are again very brief, but probably give as good an insight as some far longer accounts.
This isn’t perfect, but it’s a good introduction to the man and his work.
August 25, 2013
If you are one of the millions of people who have difficulty understanding Albert Einstein's work (like me), then this compact book is for you. But if not, then ditch it. Dude, you are a genius. Or you must be Einstein himself.
After reading this, I can't say I can now fully understand Einstein's theories. (Again, refer to the previous paragraph.) But I can say I have a fair grasp of what he's trying to explain, especially with his theory of special relativity and general relativity: Time and space are relative, the speed of light is constant. It may not seem obvious, but Einstein said it is.
This book also shows that Einstein was also just like one of us, with a layman's interest in music and sailing. (Hey, he was still human.)
P.S. Dear God, do all of what Einstein postulated measure to how You really designed things? It's a good thing he believed in You. Of course he did, however impersonal that belief was. If he hadn't, he could not have come up with his theories.
After reading this, I can't say I can now fully understand Einstein's theories. (Again, refer to the previous paragraph.) But I can say I have a fair grasp of what he's trying to explain, especially with his theory of special relativity and general relativity: Time and space are relative, the speed of light is constant. It may not seem obvious, but Einstein said it is.
This book also shows that Einstein was also just like one of us, with a layman's interest in music and sailing. (Hey, he was still human.)
P.S. Dear God, do all of what Einstein postulated measure to how You really designed things? It's a good thing he believed in You. Of course he did, however impersonal that belief was. If he hadn't, he could not have come up with his theories.
May 10, 2023
Good imaginary conversation covering the life and works of Albert Einstein. I personally consider him as the greatest person who ever lived on this planet. His 1905 five papers along with the publication of GR in 1915 changed the world and history forever. For those interested to know more about Einstein, the author lists at the end of the book more references, in the form of books written about him, his conversations/books, or the letters he exchanged with the greatest of our time.
November 19, 2016
This was a quality read. Very engaging and interesting. This book definitely helped me to understand what it would be like to literally have coffee with Einstein. Having the entire book as a conversation between the two of them was, to me, a quite unique and, again, engaging way to share the information. The only problem with the style is that it didn't feel real. A strongly written fantasy novel will draw you into the created world. This book lacked the ability to feel real; I did not feel like I could have been with the two of them.
Something that I found was extremely strong in this book was the powerful and advanced vocabulary used. If you randomly flipped to any page in this book, you would be able to find a place where the author obviously made a decision to increase the vocabulary level. I found that this made the book a better read.
Another strength in this book was simply how the author addressed so many topic points, whilst allowing them to flow as a conventional book would. Not only the flow impressed me, but the pure fact of covering so many topics was very strong on the authors part. From personal life to the atomic bomb, from the discovery of atoms to his religious beliefs, this book managed to cover so many squares in such incredible detail through a book of short answers lasting only just over one-hundred pages.
I think that this book does not only allow us to educate ourselves about one of the most historically famous and intelligent people ever, but also teach us another lesson. This book is encouraging others to do the same as the author and use inference skills to imagine. A novel like this to the everyday reader would just be a helpful way to learn the basics of the life of Einstein, to a reader who is taking the time to analyze it and really think about it, it is an inspiration to inquire, to use what you know and make more of it. An underlying theme would be along the lines of using what you know to infer upon what you don't. Inference skills are extremely important and I applaud the author for including that into their book.
October 14, 2019
Akh! This was tough! What a boring read. I mean...Einstein is incredible! He's actually interesting. He's had a very exciting and adventurous life filled with exploration, drama, romance and discoveries. How could they have messed it up so badly?
90% of this book is spent talking with this fictional Einstein about theories and science and physics...things that I'm sure are actually quite fascinating, but made no sense to me. I'm sure the author attempted to simplify it so the average person can understand, but hey...I'm that average person, and I still couldn't quite comprehend all those explanations using trains and vehicles as examples. Why would you waste this amazing opportunity speaking with the master himself, in asking him to explain to you things that you could probably find in any other scientific book? Why?
Why didn't you instead talk about how he made that conclusion, or how the process was, or the difficulties he had getting his theories approved and recognized? I am reading this book called Coffee with Einstein, because I actually wanted to feel like I was speaking to the man himself on a social, casual, not formal level...instead, I felt like I was back in a classroom with the professor futilely attempting to explain to me theories I just couldn't grasp. It was really disappointing.
I had hoped for so much more. I had hoped to get to know the man himself a little better. Instead it just left me feeling...dumb.
90% of this book is spent talking with this fictional Einstein about theories and science and physics...things that I'm sure are actually quite fascinating, but made no sense to me. I'm sure the author attempted to simplify it so the average person can understand, but hey...I'm that average person, and I still couldn't quite comprehend all those explanations using trains and vehicles as examples. Why would you waste this amazing opportunity speaking with the master himself, in asking him to explain to you things that you could probably find in any other scientific book? Why?
Why didn't you instead talk about how he made that conclusion, or how the process was, or the difficulties he had getting his theories approved and recognized? I am reading this book called Coffee with Einstein, because I actually wanted to feel like I was speaking to the man himself on a social, casual, not formal level...instead, I felt like I was back in a classroom with the professor futilely attempting to explain to me theories I just couldn't grasp. It was really disappointing.
I had hoped for so much more. I had hoped to get to know the man himself a little better. Instead it just left me feeling...dumb.
April 1, 2025
Η σειρά συζητώντας με (στα αγγλικά Coffee with) έπεσε τυχαία στα χέρια μου. Διάβασα το πρώτο, για τον Όσκαρ Ουάιλντ, και ενθουσιάστηκα. Το βιβλιο κατάφερε να κάνει μια πολύ καλή περίληψη του βίου του, των λογοτεχνικών θεωριών του και των απόψεών του γενικότερα αλλά και να με φέρει σε επαφή με τα λόγια του Όσκαρ Ουάιλντ ατοφια. Έπειτα ξεκίνησα να διαβάζω για τον Αϊνστάιν. Η περίληψη της ζωής του ήταν εξίσου καλογραμμένη και ενδιαφέρουσα. Και οι τελευταίες σελίδες της συνέντευξης πολύ ωραίες. Διάβασα για τις απόψεις του περί Θεού και θρησκείας, για τη μουσική και τη ζωή του.
Όμως το κομμάτι του βιβλίου που μιλούσε για τις θεωρίες του περί φυσικής δε μου άρεσε. Ένα βιβλίο εκλαϊκευμένης επιστήμης στοχεύει να κάνει προσιτή την επιστημονική γνώση στον καθένα και στην καθεμία. Στο συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο δεν θεωρώ πως ήταν πετυχημένη η απόδοση των θεωριών. Και επειδή μιλάμε ουσιαστικά για ένα τεράστιο κομμάτι του βιβλίου, το θεωρώ σημαντικό σφάλμα.
Όμως το κομμάτι του βιβλίου που μιλούσε για τις θεωρίες του περί φυσικής δε μου άρεσε. Ένα βιβλίο εκλαϊκευμένης επιστήμης στοχεύει να κάνει προσιτή την επιστημονική γνώση στον καθένα και στην καθεμία. Στο συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο δεν θεωρώ πως ήταν πετυχημένη η απόδοση των θεωριών. Και επειδή μιλάμε ουσιαστικά για ένα τεράστιο κομμάτι του βιβλίου, το θεωρώ σημαντικό σφάλμα.
September 4, 2017
"Bugün Almanya’da “Alman bilgin” diye tarif edilirken, İngiltere’de “İsviçreli Yahudi” diye tanıtılıyorum. İstenmeyen kişi olarak takdim edilmek benim kaderim olsa gerek. Oysa aksine Almanlar için “İsviçreli Yahudi”, İngilizler içinse “Alman bilgin” olmalıydım."
Güzel bir söyleşi kitabıydı. Ek olarak bir alıntı daha hoşuma gitti.
"...Buna uygun olarak hayattaki başarıyı, “A başarıyı simgeliyorsa, A=X+Y+Z’dir, X çalışmak, Y de eğlencedir.” “Peki Z nedir?” “Ağzınızı kapalı tutmak,” şeklinde formüle etmişti.
Güzel bir söyleşi kitabıydı. Ek olarak bir alıntı daha hoşuma gitti.
"...Buna uygun olarak hayattaki başarıyı, “A başarıyı simgeliyorsa, A=X+Y+Z’dir, X çalışmak, Y de eğlencedir.” “Peki Z nedir?” “Ağzınızı kapalı tutmak,” şeklinde formüle etmişti.
April 16, 2023
Kniha zo série venujúcej sa významným osobnostiam v rôznych oblastiach je malou knihou o veľkom človekovi – Albertovi Einsteinovi. Je kombináciou faktov z jeho života a fiktívnych rozhovorov o jeho objavoch aj o jeho živote, názoroch, o dôležitých ľuďoch, s ktorými žil a pracoval. Štýl písania je jednoduchý, takže netreba mať obavy pustiť sa do toho aj bez špeciálnych znalostí z fyziky (ak ich náhodou máte, potom radšej po nej ani nesiahajte). Miestami to však bolo trochu jednotvárne, opakujúce sa, ba až nudné. Napriek tomu to bol zaujímavý základný pohľad na život a dielo tohto velikána.
January 28, 2023
It is a book that I would love to read an unlimited number of times. Instead of reading about Einstein's scientific theories, this style of writing makes one feels like you have a coffee pause to discuss whatever you may have an interest in Einstein's life, science, belief(s), etc. I LOVED the book!
May 3, 2021
Terrific idea to write a book as if you were interviewing the person, Albert Einstein
The author is an Einstein scholar and acts as if Einstein were across the table just having an amiable converssation.
Wonderful book!
The author is an Einstein scholar and acts as if Einstein were across the table just having an amiable converssation.
Wonderful book!
September 3, 2020
I liked this book but I felt some of the conversations were a bit redundant to the intro.
November 17, 2014
www.kitapezgisi.com
Jose Rodrigues Dos Santos’un Tanrı’nın Formülü kitabından sonra Einstein’ı daha fazla tanımak istedim. Genellikle araştırma yazısı gibi yazıları sevmiyorum. Bir şeyleri, birisinin hayatını öğreneceksem eğer roman şeklinde olması ya da bir kurgu içerisinde bana bilgi vermesini tercih ediyorum. Kolektif Kitap da tam bu tarzda bir çalışma hazırlamış.
Einstein ile oturup karşılıklı kahve içermişçesine sohbet ederek hayatını, çocukluğunu, izafiyet teorisini, eşlerini, hobilerini, Tanrı’ya bakış açısını öğrenmek istiyorsanız bu kitap tam size göre. Kitabın yazarı Carlos I. Calle NASA Kennedy Uzay Merkezi’nde kıdemli bir fizikçi. Yaptığı araştırmalarda Einstein’ın yazmış olduğu mektupları, onunla yapılmış olan söyleşileri, elde ettiği tüm bilgileri kullanarak hayali bir söyleşi gerçekleştirmiş. Verdiği örnekler ile Einstein’ın teorilerini anlamak kolaylaşmış.
Gayet memnun kaldığım bir kitap oldu. “Hayali Söyleşiler” serisinin Einstein dışında Freud, Picasso, Shakespeare ile de söyleşileri var ve en kısa zamanda bu kitapları temin edip okumayı düşünüyorum.
Jose Rodrigues Dos Santos’un Tanrı’nın Formülü kitabından sonra Einstein’ı daha fazla tanımak istedim. Genellikle araştırma yazısı gibi yazıları sevmiyorum. Bir şeyleri, birisinin hayatını öğreneceksem eğer roman şeklinde olması ya da bir kurgu içerisinde bana bilgi vermesini tercih ediyorum. Kolektif Kitap da tam bu tarzda bir çalışma hazırlamış.
Einstein ile oturup karşılıklı kahve içermişçesine sohbet ederek hayatını, çocukluğunu, izafiyet teorisini, eşlerini, hobilerini, Tanrı’ya bakış açısını öğrenmek istiyorsanız bu kitap tam size göre. Kitabın yazarı Carlos I. Calle NASA Kennedy Uzay Merkezi’nde kıdemli bir fizikçi. Yaptığı araştırmalarda Einstein’ın yazmış olduğu mektupları, onunla yapılmış olan söyleşileri, elde ettiği tüm bilgileri kullanarak hayali bir söyleşi gerçekleştirmiş. Verdiği örnekler ile Einstein’ın teorilerini anlamak kolaylaşmış.
Gayet memnun kaldığım bir kitap oldu. “Hayali Söyleşiler” serisinin Einstein dışında Freud, Picasso, Shakespeare ile de söyleşileri var ve en kısa zamanda bu kitapları temin edip okumayı düşünüyorum.
October 30, 2013
This book is good for "everyone." Stressing on the word everyone, because I believe that most of the people today are oblivious of the wonders of the discoveries of Einstein. The discoveries that actually made our current technology, inventions, lifestyle, (etc) possible. People do not have to learn it comprehensively, but at least have an idea what it is about.
This book is in fact easy to read. The author was able to explain the concepts in a form that can be understood by non-scientists.
Although, the readers must remember that Einstein was not the actual person talking. Perhaps, it is somewhat paraphrased. But, you can see that the statements have basis, which can be verified at the last page of the book.
This book is in fact easy to read. The author was able to explain the concepts in a form that can be understood by non-scientists.
Although, the readers must remember that Einstein was not the actual person talking. Perhaps, it is somewhat paraphrased. But, you can see that the statements have basis, which can be verified at the last page of the book.
May 17, 2014
یک فنجان قهوه با آینشتاین ترجمه هادی همامی از نشر سمام، بی نظیره. کارلوس آی. کارل در این کتاب آرا و نظریات آینشتاین و نسبیت عام و خاصش رو تشریح کرده. اونم به صورتی همه فهم و شیرین.
او جذابیت فراوانی داشت با چشمانی سیاه و نافذ، و معجزه ها کرد. فضای معمولی ثابت را به صورت فضای منحنی خمیده ای درآورد که وقتی حرکت می کنید منقبض و منبسط می شود و زمان معمول را به زمان کشسان متغیری برگرداند که بسته به حرکت شما تند و کند می شود. با استفاده از معادلاتی که از ذهن وی بر صفحه کاغذ جاری می شد جهانی خلق کرد و جهان واقعی را به صورتی درآورد که معادلاتش می گفتند باید چنین باشد. صرفا با ذهن خود تصورمان را از جهان برای همیشه تغییر داد.
او جذابیت فراوانی داشت با چشمانی سیاه و نافذ، و معجزه ها کرد. فضای معمولی ثابت را به صورت فضای منحنی خمیده ای درآورد که وقتی حرکت می کنید منقبض و منبسط می شود و زمان معمول را به زمان کشسان متغیری برگرداند که بسته به حرکت شما تند و کند می شود. با استفاده از معادلاتی که از ذهن وی بر صفحه کاغذ جاری می شد جهانی خلق کرد و جهان واقعی را به صورتی درآورد که معادلاتش می گفتند باید چنین باشد. صرفا با ذهن خود تصورمان را از جهان برای همیشه تغییر داد.
August 5, 2009
A light and decent assortment of information about his life and work, this small read is helpful to not only those with a passing interest in Einstein but also as an introduction to those who wish to pursue more on the subject. However, at times the imagined dialogue between Einstein and the author is a little contrive and distracting. Of course, it is only there to serve as a more accessible medium for conveying the information.
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September 22, 2009I swear; creativity seems to heighten while reading this book.
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