Albert Einstein: Creator and Rebel

by Banesh Hoffmann and Helen Dukas

Book Overview

"More complete and well rounded...than anything I have read before."-O. R. Frisch. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0452261937
• ISBN13: 9780452261938
• Release Date: May 1973
• Publisher: Plume Books
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.62 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

An intimate, personal biography.

I have read several biographies of Einstein, some of which are among my list of all-time favorite books. None however, approach the intimacy or sense of personal connection as Hoffmann and Dukas' 1972 classic "Creator and Rebel." Perhaps because of Helen Dukas' influence, this book contains perhaps the most intimate look at the man and, thanks to Hoffmann, the one of the clearest explanations of his science. Though other biographies are also must-reads for Einstein devotees (Folsing and Frank, for instance), this one goes to the top of my list.

Einstein by very close collaborators

Why is this book so good? Its first phrase is:"We sketch in this book the story of a profoundly simple man." This could be done only by friends. And friends the authors are. Banesh Hoffman, a collaborator of Einstein's, happens to be a great writer, possibly the best as books for the layman are concerned. Helen Dukas, the other author, was Einstein's secretary for many years. The book is very beautifully produced, full of nice photographs. Relativity is really explained. A labor of love which deserves much more popularity.

A tour-de-force of the revolutionary physics of 1900-1935

One cannot seperate the man from his work and this biography branches into other people who touched upon A. Einstein as well as his science. The incomparable simplicity of his brilliant thought is driven home in the discussion of AT-LAB and GRAV-LAB. The story may be known or not. It deserves good re-telling. This audio book is well done and special thanks to the reader who handles the math examples (less than a handful) with precise language, grace, and accuracy. My complaint is that the book is too short. I woud have liked more of the interaction with subject in his personal life. But still a solid 8.