101 Things You Didn't Know About Einstein: Sex, Science, and the Secrets of the Universe.

by Cynthia Phillips and Shana Priwer

Book Overview

Everyone knows Einstein's Theory of Relativity. But who realises he worked to develop hearing aids? Or that a student spotted a mistake in one of his papers? And who would guess what happened to... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0760792720
• ISBN13: 9780760792728
• Release Date: January 2007
• Publisher: Barnes & Noble Books
• Length: 244 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Useful source, but a few factual errors

As the first reviewer noted, this book is a source of interesting facts about Einstein. Unfortunately, however, the authors perpetuate a few myths, particularly in regard to Einstein's first wife, Mileva Maric. She was not "one of the brightest students" at the Zurich Polytechnic (later ETH) where she and Einstein enrolled in 1896 for the four-year diploma course for teaching mathematics and physics in secondary schools. In the Intermediate diploma examinations Mileva's grade average placed her fifth out of six students (Einstein came first in their small group), and she failed the final diploma examination in 1900. Nor was she "considered by many to be a brilliant physicist" - she never produced any work in physics beyond her diploma dissertation, nor even taught the subject. The notion that she may have contributed to Einstein's celebrated 1905 papers has been examined closely and rejected by historians of physics such as John Stachel and Gerald Holton. On a more minor point, Einstein and Mileva did not move in together shortly after meeting. They quickly became friends, but in a letter some two years after they both enrolled at Zurich Polytechnic Einstein was still addressing Mileva as "Dear Fraülein" and signing himself "Albert Einstein". They became sweethearts by late 1898, but didn't live together when they were students, and the list of "stereotypical" chores the authors claim Mileva undertook for Einstein during that time has no historical basis.

Good, organized book of interesting Einstein facts

Overall, this book is a good source of interesting facts about Einstein. It's organized into six themed chapters (Personal Background & Family Life, Comparisons & Contemporaries, Scientific Theories, War/Religion/Politics, Awards/Achievements, and Future Impact), which makes for easy referencing if you want to re-locate particular facts. Also, each of the 101 items is only about 1-2 pages in length, so it's an easy book to read in a piecewise manner. However, do not read this book if you are looking for detailed understanding (or anything but a zeroth-order overview) of Einstein's scientific theories. Additionally, some errors are distracting: At one point, NASA is spelled out as the National Space and Aeronautics Administration (NSAA?), and units in at least one of the equations that is presented do not work out (the equation F=mc is given, but mass times velocity definitely does not give units of force).