Product Description

Time's 'Man of the Century', Albert Einstein is the unquestioned founder of modern physics. His theory of relativity is the most important scientific idea of the modern era. In this short book Einstein explains, using the minimum of mathematical terms, the basic ideas and principles of the theory which has shaped the world we live in today. Unsurpassed by any subsequent books on relativity, this remains the most popular and useful exposition of Einstein's immense contribution to human knowledge.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #14854 in Books
• Published on: 1996-06-30
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 208 pages

Synopsis
Einstein presents his views on the special and general theory of relativity and the universe as a whole.

From the Back Cover
'He was unfathomably profound - the genius among geniuses who discovered, merely by thinking about it, that the universe was not as it seemed.' - Time

'Time' magazine's 'Man of the Century', Albert Einstein is the unquestioned founder of modern physics. His theory of relativity is the most important scientific idea of the modern era. In this short book Einstein explains, using the minimum of mathematical terms, the basic ideas and principles of the theory which has shaped the world we live in today. Unsurpassed by any subsequent books on relativity, this remains the most popular and useful exposition of Einstein's immense contribution to human knowledge.

Albert Einstein (1879-1955). Born in Switzerland, died in the USA. Brilliant physicist who received the Nobel Prize in 1921, the same year he was made a Fellow of the Royal Society.

Customer Reviews

The single most original idea a human mind has every created
If you dont know why Einstein is famous this short book is the reason. In it he outline that time is not constant 1 year for me is not the same as 1 year for you (depending how many plane trips you've made) and time can in fact stop completely. I can here your mumblings of disbelief, just scientific mumbo jumbo?, How can you stop time?, how can you ever prove you can stop time?. What makes this work so impressive is the now 100 year old mountain of experimental observation and rigorous testing that have proven every theoretical prediction in this book exactly right. Why is E=mc^2 because if your were travelling at `c` the speed of light, you could cross the whole universe in 0 seconds, 100 times if you like, still only take you 0 seconds. Therefore if your mass is travelling at the speed of light like the formula says you cant carry any more potential energy, your travelling at an infinite number of (mph). Don`t believe me reed the book.

A uniqe conversation with one of the greatest minds of mankind.
This book is an excellent example of the fact that nobody can explain a theory better than it own creator. The main characteristic of Einstein's text is the clarity succeeded through brevity which renders this essay a terrific non technical introduction both for Special and General theories of Relativity. Some chapters dealing with the notions of space and time have a more philosophical approach but the rest of the book is pure physics. The usage of mathematical formulas is negligible and confined only to the Appendixes something that make it accessible to the layman. Even though the writer claims that this text is intended for the layman, it is a terrific source of knowledge and a fresh breeze of ideas even for physicist themselves who I believe must surely read it. Einstein's vivid style of writing comes from the fact that through his text it is as if he is directly talking to the reader. I dare to say that this small book which I've read multitude of times and each time with greater joy, contains the most crystal clear exposition of the ideas and needs that gave berth to the two theories which are unanimously considered to be as the jewels of human thought. If you don't have a deep knowledge of physics and you want to get an idea of what Relativity means then before you buy anything else, I recommend this book by heard.

He wasn't a genius at everything then?
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Looking for a clear, simple guide to relativity? Then read something else. I don't doubt the quality of this book if you're of the required intellect to understand it, but it is not a casual read and will disappoint the layman hoping to gain some insight directly from "the man". The maths is useless to the casual reader and further complicates an already unfathomable book

Either it does not translate into English well, or Mr E did not know how to comunicate with idiots like me :o(