Einstein's Cosmos: How Albert Einstein's Vision Transformed Our Understanding of Space and Time

by Michio Kaku

Book Overview

How did Albert Einstein come up with the theories that changed the way we look at the world? By thinking in pictures. Michio Kaku leading theoretical physicist (a cofounder of string theory) and best-selling science storyteller shows how Einstein used seemingly simple images to lead a revolution in science. Daydreaming about racing a beam of light led to the special theory of relativity and the equation E = mc . Thinking about a man falling led to...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 039305165X
• ISBN13: 9780393051650
• Release Date: April 2004
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.89 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.7" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Great book about Einstein

A great book on Einstein, this book tells you about his personal life and his lifes work in the world of physics. If you're going to read about Einsteins life this is the book to get.

Among the Best Books on Einstein and his Works

Michio Kaku, a respected theoretical physicist at City College of New York, has created an outstanding examination of Einstein's life and technical accomplishments, certainly among the best books on Einstein that I have encountered. Einstein's Cosmos targets the layman and as such it avoids mathematics, and yet I am quite certain that it will appeal to technically inclined readers also. Michio Kaku's explanations of Einstein's monumental work, especially the Special Theory of Relativity and his General Theory of Relativity, are remarkably clear and will be readily understood by nearly all readers. I was especially fascinated by Kaku's analysis of Einstein's later efforts to unify gravity and electromagnetics. He argues persuasively that much of Einstein's unification efforts, almost always dismissed by writers and biographers as irrelevant and misdirected, has in recent decades pointed a new generation of physicists toward new breakthroughs and discoveries. Einstein's vision was decades ahead of most of his contemporaries. His final quest may have been unsuccessful, but his legacy remains vibrant and highly influential. Einstein's Cosmos : How Albert Einstein's Vision Transformed Our Understanding of Space and Time was published 2004 in the Great Discoveries Series. I also highly recommend another title in this series, Incompleteness: The Proof and Paradox of Kurt Godel by Rebecca Goldstein. Godel was Einstein's closest intellectual companion during Einstein's later years at the Institute for Advanced Studies at Princeton.

this will blow your mind

as you can see from my title, i am a child of the 60's. einstein died when i was 4. i am of average intelligence, with a college degree in english. math and science were never my favorite subjects, nor was i very good at them. with all that in mind, i was blown away by this book. it covers the biography of eistein only minimally and spends the majority of its fast paced, easy reading 235 pages talking about the discoveries of einstein and their impact on the sceintific community. i won't try to improve on what the author does so well, and that is explain in simple terms the concepts of einstein. to be perfectly honest, i'm still not sure of them all exactly nor what they portend. what further amazed me is how this genius thinks. he thought in pictures. "what if i traveled as fast as the speed of light, what would it look like?" "why when i fall do i become weightless?" his failure at the end of his life to solve his unified field theory was because he couldn't put it into a picture. i always go back to the old movie "the paper chase". in it the harvard professor played by john houseman tells his students that it is his job to teach them how to think. i firmly believe that that is what the education system needs to do. teach people how to think. had i been taught physics with the concepts in this book, i would not have dreaded every minute i spent in that course. read, enjoy, wonder! a great trip through an amazing mind.

Einstein for those who aren't into math

The author shares personal details (as well as scientific triumphs and failures) of Einstein in such a way that you will feel like you had been Einstein's close personal friend throughout his life. Extrememely well-written, and easy to understand. I don't have much time to read as I am a busy mom, but this book was worth making the time for.

You don't have to be an "Einstein" to understand Einstein!!

+++++ This book, by Dr. Michio Kaku, deals with three main themes that are intertwined together: (1)The life of Dr. Albert Einstein (March 1879 to April 1955) (2)The all-important science of Einstein (3)The important scientific contributions of others and some insight into their lives. This slim book contains three parts each made up of three surprisingly easy-to-read chapters. Below I will give the title of each chapter (not necessarily the same as the book's) and what I consider to be the highlights of each chapter. For chapter nine, I will provide a overview only. Part I: (1) Physics before Einstein The scientific discoveries of Isaac Newton and James Clerk Maxwell. (2) The Early Years of Einstein Einstein in school; Einstein and religion; Einstein's introduction to science, mathematics, and philosophy; his thinking; his loves; Einstein and authority; Einstein begins working for a living; his marriage. (3) Special Relativity and the "Miracle Year of 1905" Einstein's first thought picture; two simple principles by Einstein that "mark the most profound insights into the nature of the universe since Newton's work;" his famous equation; Einstein explains the photoelectric effect; he gives the first experimental proof of the existence of atoms; Einstein receives his Ph.D.: Einstein's guiding principle in physics; Experimental evidence confirms some of Einstein's ideas; Einstein becomes a professor of physics; the famous "twin paradox;" his marriage begins to "unravel;" Einstein meets his second love. Part II: (4) General Relativity (1915) The concept of free fall; the difference between Newton's and Einstein's thinking; Einstein's second thought picture; Euclidian or flat-surface geometry versus non-Euclidian or curved-surface geometry; Einstein explains what causes gravity; Einstein focuses on three experiments that would eventually prove his ideas concerning the geometry of space and gravity; an outbreak of war; Einstein saves a close friend from execution; he suffers a breakdown; Einstein marries again. (5) Einstein Becomes Famous A solar eclipse of 1919 confirms Einstein's theory of gravity; he goes from professor of physics to a world figure, "a worthy successor to Isaac Newton;" Einstein's fame attracts many detractors; Einstein decides to promote other causes such as peace; he wins the Nobel Prize; Einstein visits the United States; his thoughts on philosophy and religion. (6) Einstein's Universe Einstein's static and finite universe; he introduces a "fudge factor" (cosmological constant) in his theory of general relativity; Edwin Hubble's discoveries "shake the foundations of astronomy"; Einstein's "greatest blunder of his life;" general relativity introduces unexpected concepts such as the expanding universe, the "big bang," black holes, neutron stars, gravity waves, and Einstein lenses & rings. Part III: (7) Unification and Quantum theory (1925) Einstein begins work on the unified field theory (unifies his theor

A Concise Review of Einstein's Life and Work

There are many Einstein biographies out there, and I've read a number of them. In my opinion, this is one of the most concise and readable ones. The writing is clear and engaging, thus making the book difficult to put down. Einstein's theories are clearly explained for anyone to understand, amidst the main highlights of his life and times. I recommend this book to a wide audience, from science buffs to Einstein fans to anyone wanting to understand what is was that made Einstein so famous, and why.