The Unexpected Einstein: The Real Man Behind the Icon

by Denis Brian

Book Overview

The Unexpected Einstein tackles many unexpected and rarely covered aspects of Albert Einstein's life, thoughts, and personality. This fast-paced and informed account strips away the myths, rumors, and outright lies that continue to circulate about Einstein to offer readers a uniquely intimate portrait of the living, breathing man. Brian draws upon an impressive array of original sources including recently discovered documents and interviews--many...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0471718408
• ISBN13: 9780471718406
• Release Date: June 2005
• Publisher: Wiley
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.8" x 8.7"

Customer Reviews

A broader picture, with limitations

While Brian presents a broader picture of Einstein than many recent portrayals, and dispels a number of myths, I would have liked to have seen him dealing in greater depth on some topics. For instance, he doesn't articulate the central bases on which the most serious allegations of plagiarism rest, thereby somewhat trivialising the subject. This means that he fails to provide rebuttals of the allegations, which have superficial plausibility for people without the background knowledge to appreciate what is at issue. For instance, in relation to special relativity everyone knows that the Lorentz-Fitzgerald equation antedates Einstein's 1905 paper, but the significance of the latter is that the equation was derived on an entirely different fundamental basis, one which was to lead to a revolution in the understanding of space-time. Similarly, the fact that the equation E=mc2 had appeared in the literature earlier does not have the significance that some have ascribed to it. What matters is that Einstein showed it was a natural derivation from his newly developed conceptions. Within a few months of the publication of the 1905 special relativity paper, the eminent theoretical physicist Max Planck gave a lecture on it in Berlin. Planck appreciated its significance immediately, and as an editor of Annalen der Physik he would have been familiar with the relevant literature on the subject. Had the paper been the work of a plagiarist, Planck could hardly have failed to have recognized the fact. The same applies to Wilhelm Wien who immediately arranged a colloquium on Einstein's paper, and for numerous physicists in the next couple of years such as Max Born, all of whom were thoroughly knowledgeable about the subject matter and the relevant literature. It is unfortunate that readers of the claims about Einstein's alleged plagiarism have insufficient knowledge of the subject matter, and of its history, to appreciate that the superficially plausible allegations do not withstand critical analysis. It is a weakness of Brian's chapter on the subject that he failed to deal adequately with the substance of the allegations.

"...published by the bucketful such brazen lies and utter fictions about me..."

The book is on the defense to all myths, lies, and misunderstandings to the electric and complex yet down to earth and often simple figure Albert Einstein: Was he dyslexic? A womanizer? A terrible father? Did he believe in God? And was he a plagerizer? He also examines what Einstein was like face to face by using quotes by many people who knew or met him. The author answers these questions honestly and reveals a man full of good humor, contradictions, and unexpected personality.