Book Description

Dwight Eisenhower was not exactly born into poverty, but the family's circumstances were at least austere. He was one of seven children; his father, a railway worker. But the family was strong and unified, the youngsters energetic and ambitious.

Ike made it to West Point, where he excelled in sports. He was a natural leader. But it was at Leavenworth years later, as a student at the war college, that his intellectual talent showed itself. He graduated first in his class.

The author draws in a wealth of previously unpublished information to give us this beautiful portrait. As a result Eisenhower emerges as complex, one who as the author states, ". . .was a good and great man." ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A first-rate biography
After reading Ambrose's so-so history of the transcontinental railroad, I was admittedly looking at reading this book with low expectations. Fortunately, this book is far superior to Ambrose's more recent work.

Ambrose does a great job at showing what Eisenhower was like prior to his election as President. Although a generally affectionate work, Ambrose also points out the flaws in the man. The book shows the value of hard work and intelligence, as Ike was essentially a self-made man who got where he was without any special family or friend connections.

This book also depicts the dangers of politics. As Eisenhower gets more involved in the political arena, he becomes a less admirable person, succumbing to the hypocrisy that seems inherent in that field.

This is a well-written portrait of one of the more significant people of the last century. I look forward to reading the second volume and learning more about Eisenhower the President.

Dull bio of an interesting man
Ambrose doesn't manage to totally bore me to death, but I find him highly overrated, judging from this work. He manages to turn the life of a great man into your typical boring biography. It really doesn't compare with the biographies written by Remini or the other top historians. Still, it does a fairly good job of covering Eisenhower's life and times, based very much on Ike's own writings. Moderately recommended.

Outstanding historical work on the 34th President
Stephen Ambrose, America's most dynamic, truthful and objective historian, has given us the clearest picture of one of the most incredible personalities of the 20th Century. From General Eisenhower's birth to the the election of 1952, Ambrose covers the life of this man in such detail, and with such clear objectivity, that one can hardly put it down. As a former teacher, I believe it, along with Volumne II, should be required reading of all students, from the 12th grade on into the college ranks. ... Read more

Book Description

This magnificent, large-scale volume presents in facsimile form one of the most revolutionary and influential scientific documents of the twentieth century: Albert Einstein's exposition of the theory of relativity. Each of the seventy-two handwritten pages are faithfully reproduced to actual size and accompanied by an English translation of the original German text. A tribute to Einstein's genius, Einstein's 1912 Manuscript on the Special Theory of Relativity: A Facsimile opens with brief accounts of thoughts and reminiscences by Einstein's friends, colleagues, and admirers, among them such eminent figures as Freeman J. Dyson, Hanoch Gutfreund, Peter G. Bergmann, Phillip A. Griffiths, and Frank Wilczek. To introduce the facsimile, a detailed description of the manuscript, its contents, publication history, and provenance are provided. The facsimile then follows, with an English translation facing each page. No effort was spared in achieving the highest fidelity possible in the reproduction of the manuscript pages. Subtle variations in paper and ink are clearly visible, indicating where and when Einstein drafted certain parts of it. Because the manuscript shows extensive re-working, it reveals Einstein's thought processes more than any other of his handwritten works. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A very nice gift
This book contains a facsimile of the hand written draft of the original relativity paper by Albert Einstein. The quality of the facsimile is great, and it is quite interesting to see the corrections made by A.E. to the draft.

The paper itself is surprisingly readable as the mathematical notation used is still very much current. Reading the paper requires first-year calculus and physics, so this book is definitely not for everybody.

The left side of the page contains a translation in English of the facsimile of the original in German, which appears on the right side of the page. ... Read more

Book Description

• Rich vocabulary
  
• More-challenging stories
  
• Longer chapters

Amelia Earhart always loved adventure, and she did not let anything prevent her from following her dreams. Read all about how many "firsts" she accomplished in her life -- from her amazing airplane flights to her groundbreaking approach to life! ... Read more

Book Description

Stephen E. Ambrose draws upon extensive sources, an unprecedented degree of scholarship, and numerous interviews with Eisenhower himself to offer the fullest, richest, most objective rendering yet of the soldier who became president. He gives us a masterly account of the European war theater and Eisenhower's magnificent leadership as Allied Supreme Commander. Ambrose's recounting of Eisenhower's presidency, the first of the Cold War, brings to life a man and a country struggling with issues as diverse as civil rights, atomic weapons, communism, and a new global role.

Along the way, Ambrose follows the 34th President's relations with the people closest to him, most of all Mamie, his son John, and Kay Summersby, as well as Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, Charles de Gaulle, Harry Truman, Nixon, Dulles, Khrushchev, Joe McCarthy, and indeed, all the American and world leaders of his time. This superb interpretation of Eisenhower's life confirms Stephen Ambrose's position as one of our finest historians. ... Read more

Reviews (21)

A True Leader at America's Calling
Stephen Ambrose's portrayal of Eisenhower as both soldier and president is a grand tribute to one of America's greatest war and peacetime leaders.

Though Ambrose views Ike in a very positive light he is willing to be critical of his choices not to engage the Civil Rights debates of the 1950s and not take a firm stand in regards to retaining or dumping Nixon as VP in 1956.

Eisenhower aimed to please and find compromise. It is striking how his style remained the same throughout the war and into his presidency. Though Ike was often viewed as a compromiser, Ambrose illustrates that Ike kept his options open at all times and thought out each major decision.

There has been no recent president more willing to think outside the box then Ike when it came to foreign policy affairs and the drive to limit the nuclear stockpiles of both the US and USSR as the Cold War began.

Ambrose again adds to the rich American tradition of the time with this book. It is an easy read and logically put together. I highly recommend this book on Ike, I have a great respect for a leader I knew little about prior to reading this novel. An A+.

The best book on Ike
This is a wonderful book, easy to read and very inspiring. Ike was a qunitesential american from the midwest who rose to the pinnacle of american power. Among the excellent insights in this book you will find:
1) Details of Ike's creation of the Highway system, he had learned first hand that americas roads were unexceptable in the 20s.
2) Ikes decision at Nromandy, where he penned a note in case of disaster.
3) Ike's simple manners and soldierly conduct. The quiet demeanor that held the alliance together.
4) Ike's term as president where he ended the Korean war, and created a policy of intervening to stop communism(Eisenhower doctrin).

The BEST book on Ike, a wonderful account. Clearly the best book on Ike ever written. Ambrose brings his superior prose to this volume.

The definitive work on Eisenhower
If you are only going to read one biography about Eisenhower, this one-volume version by Stephen Ambrose is the one to choose. Ambrose exhibits his deep and comprehensive knowledge of his subject and in the process provides the reader with with a real sense of Eisenhower.

While Ambrose does highlight Ike's shortcomings where appropriate, there is no doubt that he had a deep admiration for his subject. This admiration leads him to write the book from a certain perspective - not necessarily biased, but certainly favorably disposed. If you are looking for a different take on Ike (albeit narrowly focused on his relationship with Truman) read David McCullough's Truman.

Overall, this a solid book from a great author.

good favorable bio of ike
I very much enjoyed this book. Ambrose went over Ike's life in good detail. I learned alot about the man and also about his military career and his political background.
I was most interested about his presidency and I feel like Ambrose did give me a very good idea of how Ike came to his decisions and also how Ike formed his beliefs.
I do think that this was a very favorable bio of Ike.
Ambrose seemed to not want to really find fault with Ike on any of the issues except for his stance on civil rights.
I also do not agree that Ike is one of the greatest presidents of the 20th century along with Wilson and the two Roosevelts as Ambose said.
I would say that the best presidents of the 20th century were the two Roosevelts, Truman,and Reagan.
I would rank Ike as a good president but not a great president.
Thus I feel this biography of Ike is the best out there and will teach you alot about the man and his policies but that I would not agree with the positive assessment of Ambrose of Ike in many areas.

A better general than president.
But he was ok as president realizing than in his own sphere of influence you have more power as general than president. Steve Ambrose has done a skillful job condensing two volumes into one. I'm not sure what he left out. Having read "At Ease" written by Ike just before the presidency & "At War" written by his grandson this book dwelt on his presidency. Although it is a whole life biography there is not a lot of attention spent on his greatest accomplishment in life: Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in Europe.
The image of Ike as a do nothing golfer is changing. While there was relative calm at home he was in his element dealing with international affairs. This required a disipline & organized mind, so in that sense his military background served him well. His political instincts were good & he did not rush to judgement. Stevenson looked foolish running against him but how could have anyone have beaten him? He virtually ignored McCarthy & he eventually self destructed.
In race relations he was lost & did a poor job. He could have done more to advance civil rights but he merely enforced the law. Ambrose goes into some detail on how he basically managed the "cold war". That it did not become hot is an accomplishment. You don"t get credit for bad things that never happen. The most unfortunate event of his administration was the U-2 that was shot down over the Soviet Union. Ike was striving for a nuclear test ban treaty that was to be the capstone of his career. Ambrose was a well known cheer-leader for Eisenhower but takes the reader through the painful cover-up that ensued. A sorry chapter in the saddest year of his presidency & the last. Ike wasn't comfortable with Nixon as the Republican canidate for president in 1960 but except for Rockefeller there wasn"t anyone else. He disliked JFK but his less than whole hearted support for Nixon may have cost him the election. This was a surprise admission of the author near the end of the book.
That he ranks in the top third of all out presidents is probably a fair accessment. ... Read more

Book Description

Albert Einstein expanded the way we understand our universe and helped create a framework for modern physics with his groundbreaking theory of relativity.In this detailed and well-balanced biography, illustrated with exceptional archival photographs, John B. Severance recounts Einstein's life from his privileged childhood and disappointing early career to his later recognition as one of the most respected and beloved scientists of this century.The author identifies Einstein's complex theories and makes clear why his ideas are still the basis of work by today's top physicists.He also reveals many of Einstein's inner complexities and eccentricities, exploring the personal and public controversies that followed him throughout his life.What emerges is a picture of a brilliant, compassionate, yet imperfect man whose remarkable theories gave the world an enormous push into the future. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Einstein:Visionary Scientist
I chose this book because one day I had nothing to do so I went to the library and saw this book. The book was about Albert Einstein. I thought about some things about him, but didn't really find something important about him so that made me want to read this book. I wanted to know how his life was and how did he become so smart. I learned many new things in the book about Albert Einstein. The book was really easy to understand and had some pictures of him doing things.
I recommend this book to anybody who wants to learn more about Albert Einstein. There are many surprising things in this book. One thing was that when Albert was taking his first violin lessons he flung a chair at his teacher. His parents quickly hired another teacher. When Albert was little his parents complained that he was too heavy and also that his head was too large and square shaped. They worried that their son was going to become retarded, but they were wrong. At the age of twelve Albert was really interested in math so he asked a medical student named Max Tameley to lend him some books on math. By the age of thirteen Albert was already past the level of Tameley's.
My favorite part of the story was when Albert Einstein was about at the age of six and taking his first violin lesson. He got mad and all of a sudden through a chair at the chair. I never knew that Albert had a really bad temper when he was a little kid. I always thought that he was a nice little young boy who liked to study and work. The book also says that whenever his sister, Maja, saw that Albert's face was pale she would run away and find cover because she knew that he would throw things. Once Albert almost hit her with a bowling ball and once he did hit her with the handle bar of a hose.

a good book
john severance is a good nonfiction writer besides this book he has wroght books like gandhi:great soul,artist and thomas jeforson.Most people in the world know the name albert einstein and the famous E=MC2, but the theory of relativity and his life in general is on known of but with this book will help you under stand it a bit better,did you know he won the nobel prize well he did for physics. ... Read more

Book Description

Did Amelia Earhart die when her 1937 Worldflight ended? Major Joe Gervais' spy-hunt, told by L/C Joe Klaas, pierces history's tightest secret. A plane crash in California bearing her number, a secret code, a living lady who might be the long-dead flyer, and startling "coincidences" ask: Did she die in 1937, or secretly return after World War II? ... Read more

Reviews (4)

I believe
I could not put down this book, and yes I believe! The main investigator is Joe Gervais, who I believe is very credible considering he was a command pilot in the Air Force and also an aircraft accident investigator. According to Mr. Gervais, when he visited Ameilia's sister, Muriel Morrissey, she told him to not open his breifcase and refused to see any material from his investigation. It is interesting that so many road blocks were put up for Mr. Gervais, and there are those that went to great lengths to find out what he was uncovering while at the same time not wanting him to find out anything. I believe Irene Bolam is/was Amelia Earhart.

For those interested, there is a new book out this month continuing this investigation by Rollin C. Reineck. It is published by the Paragon Agency. I could not find it here at Amazon to my surprise. I had to order it direct from Paragon. Mr. Reineck's book follows up what transpired after Gervais and Klass book came out, and what happened to Irene Bolam. An article was in the LA Times a few weeks ago about the new book.

A Fraud for Financial Gain
As a young high schooler, I read the original publication and visited A.E.'s sister and asked her about the book. Mrs. Morrissey said that she had both spoken with the supposed A.E. and determined that she was not her sister. Mrs. Morrissey then said that the author had produced faked photos of the plane and that he was only out to make a buck. Shame on the new author and publishers!

Fantastic Investigation - Should Be a Movie
This is a great book from an apparently knowledgeable author. The story is gripping and reads like a novel. A must read for anyone interested in a true mystery and its possible resolution.

A.E. was alive when book written
The first few pages of book mention Bob Dinnger, Well, Bob and I had lunch with each other,in Santa Rosa, Calif, every week at Rotary. I would ask Bob about all aspects of the book. I believe this book is real, very interesting and a good read. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

The Best !
What a refreshingly well-written, concise and historically well-researched book! Ridley is a master of the historic biography, and every book I have read so far (having started off with his account of Henry VIII) is a riveting read and impossible to put away.

May Royal Tunbridge Wells continue to serve as an inspiration to this gifted writer and connaisseur of the depth of the English language.

Outstanding research tool, extensive detail
Jasper Ridley's biography of Elizabeth is well-written and coherent, broken into chapters that examine pivotal events during the reign in foreign and domestic policy. Ridley's work differs from most Elizabethan biographies in its focus on political and military aspects rather than personal studies of the queen. While at times the text drags, for the most part it is crisp and solid reading, and paints a fascinating picture. What makes the book stand out, however, is the quality of its documentation and use of primary sources, and its tremendous value as a research tool. Mr. Ridley has made assiduous use of archived state papers and contemporary commentaries that depict events as they were actually experienced and grasped by the people in the 16th and early 17th centuries. A student partaking in research on this period or studying the European Renaissance in general would benefit tremendously from a consultation of the bibliography, since the author essentially gives an index of the calendars of state publications that detail various decisions and military planning of the late 1500s. Furthermore, Mr. Ridley is careful to delve deeply into foreign sources as well; he makes extensive use of the archives in Simancas, Spain, as well as archival resources in Italy, to furnish shades of detail often overlooked. The overall result is that Mr. Ridley's biography has an unparalleled "real-time" feel to it. And, the author covers territory that too often is neglected in Elizabethan biographies, especially in regard to military affairs that are difficult to research elsewhere. He examines the English defeat and expulsion from Le Havre in France that resulted in the permanent loss of Calais in 1563; the long Anglo-Spanish war of the 1590s that crippled the finances of both countries, and (with Spanish victories at sea) frustrated English attempts at colonization in the Western Hemisphere while preserving Spain's foothold; and also at the bitter Anglo-Irish guerrilla war of the century's last decade, which devastated the Irish countryside and drained England's resources to the limit. For a detailed biography, Jasper Ridley's biography (along with that of Anne Somerset) is top-notch, and as a research tool it is of inestimable help.

The Virtue of Shrewdness..!
Having just finished Anne Somersets more definitive bio on Elizabeth I have to agree with previous reviewers that the author seems to have it in for his subject. Does he even like her?. He portrays her more as vindictive, vascillating, procrastinating,vain and downright bloodthirsty. Most notably in her relations with the english puritans, the protestant rebels in the Netherlands and especially her close relatives. The latter being her treatment of Katherine Grey, sister of the beheaded Jane for whom there was no love lost. He does not give her any credit for being a woman in a mans world and having the guts and wisdom to choose some very bright men as ministers and councillors and not yes-men at that. Walshingham and William Cecil openly disagreed with her on many issues but at no time did she contemplate dismissing them. He also appears to be saying that Elizabeth's foreign policy was based on the divine right of princes to rule their own kingdoms, and that rebels against their rightful lords be they protestant or catholic deserve to be severely punished hence her sympathetic correspondence with Philip of Spain. Ridley also has a penchant for drawing out in unnecessary detail execution and torture scenes. When the assassin of William of Orange is submitted to all kinds of horrific torture before his eventual execution, smiling the whole time the reader finds himself squirming uncomfortably. Despite the authors elegant prose I prefer the Sommerset or even Antonia Fraser biographies. They may not deify the woman but at least they dont vilify her.

Losing the Woman in the Details
Ridley provides an excellent overview of Elizabeth's reign, but he spends precious little time with the Queen and her court. I recommend reading this book in tandem with Alison Weir's "The Life of Elizabeth I." Together they provide a fuller picture of the Queen and her times than either book does individually.

Exceptionally well researched and written.
This is postitively the best book that I have ever read on the wonderfully shrewd and amazingly intelligent Elizabeth I. I have read literally hundreds of biographies on the legendary Queen but none have echoed my own thoughts and opinions on the matter as well as this one. After spending two years researching this area of history and all of its characters, I actually learned hundreds of new facts from Ridley's book. The facet of this work that I enjoyed the most was Ridley's examinations of lesser characters. People know that Elizabeth allied herself with the Dutch Protestants in their religious wars against Spain but Ridley actually researches and presents to the reader the specifics; the personalities of the people involved, the events that shaped them and the Queen's own personal opinions. Anyone who is passionately addicted to this fascinating period should definitely read this book. ... Read more

Book Description

Why do people invent? How do inventors know something will work? Can children invent? Featuring the popular Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) format often used on the Internet, along with ingenious activities and fascinating facts, this book answers young readers’ questions and provides all the inspiration they’ll need to come up with some bright ideas of their own! ... Read more

Book Description

Can modern science tell us what happened to Amelia Earhart? The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR) has spent fifteen years searching for the famous lost pilot using everything from archival research and archaeological survey to side-scan sonar and the analysis of radio wave propagation. In this spellbinding book, four of TIGHAR's scholars offer tantalizing evidence that the First Lady of the Air and her navigator Fred Noonan landed on an uninhabited tropical island but perished before they could be rescued. Do they have Amelia's shoe? Parts of her airplane? Are her bones tucked away in a hospital in Fiji? Come join their fascinating expedition and examine the evidence for yourself! ... Read more

Reviews (7)

I Couldn't Put This Book Down!
I picked up this book at my library on a lark. I've always been interested in what really happened to Amelia Earhart, but always just assumed that her plane crashed into the ocean. This book, however, completely opened my eyes to a new hypothosis: that Amelia and her navigator managed to land on an island and send out radio signals for help. The information presented in this book isn't just wild guesses and conspiracy theories - the authors make a point of backing up their thoughts with cold, hard evidence. I was hooked from the first page and got so engrossed that I ended up not doing my work at my job just so that I could finish a few more chapters. The book also has a wicked sense of humor and debunks the myth that scientists are just stodgy old guys. I'd reccomend this book to anyone with even an ounce of curosity. I'm holding my breath until Dr. Tom King and the other authors put out another book on Amelia. I can't wait to see what they find!

Fascinating, based on evidence
I had the opportunity to meet the primary author of this book (Tom King) recently and was impressed with his fact-based approach to the Earhart mystery. This book describes the search for artifacts from Earhart's last flight. The book presents evidence, analyzes its value and develops a hypothesis concerning the events of July, 1937. The author is primarily a archeologist, and while no "[fool]-proof" evidence is presented, what is known is presented and explained in scientific, but easy to read prose. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. My only nits with it are the reproductions of many of the photographs are poor, however, they can all be found at the TIGHAR web site.

A great read!
A visual treat for armchair travelers, this book takes you on the exciting and sometimes frustrating search for the answer to the Amelia Earhart question. Thoroughly researched and well edited, the story does not slow down for the facts. Highly recommeded.

Satisfying and Entertaining
This book is an excellent marriage of a good mystery and a scientific report. I find the appoach of the authors much more satisfying than those who claim to have "solved the mystery" based on interviews with "witnesses" removed a generation or more from the possibility of seeing first-hand anything that would be applicable to the search for Earhart. The best book on Amelia Earhart's disappearance so far.

Impossible to put down (Six Stars)
This is an absolutely fantastic book!! It is extremely well written in a very readable and friendly style. It describes the search for evidence to support the hypothesis that Amelia Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan wound up on a certain island in the Pacific after radio communication between her and her contacts near and around Howland Island was lost on 2 July, 1937. The four co-authors of this book are all scientists who have been very careful in applying the scientific method in this historical/archaeological research project. Well illustrated with photographs and diagrams, this book is a must read for anyone interested in Amelia Earhart and her fate, in history of the mid-twentieth century, in how scientists work or simply in great detective stories. Very highly recommended!! ... Read more

Book Description

The name "Einstein" evokes images of genius, but was Albert Einstein, in fact, a plagiarist, who copied the theories of Lorentz, Poincare, Gerber, and Hilbert? A scholarly documentation of Albert Einstein's plagiarism of the theory of relativity, "Albert Einstein: The Incorrigible Plagiarist" discloses Einstein's method for manipulating credit for the work of his contemporaries, reprints the prior works he parroted, and demonstrates through formal logical argument that Albert Einstein could not have drawn the conclusions he drew without prior knowledge of the works he copied, but failed to reference. Numerous republished quotations from Einstein's contemporaries prove that they were aware of his plagiarism.

"The appearance of Dr. Silberstein's recent article on 'General Relativity without the Equivalence Hypothesis' encourages me to restate my own views on the subject. I am perhaps entitled to do this as my work on the subject of General Relativity was published before that of Einstein and Kottler, and appears to have been overlooked by recent writers." -- Harry Bateman

"All this was maintained by Poincare and others long before the time of Einstein, and one does injustice to truth in ascribing the discovery to him." -- Charles Nordmann

"[Einstein's] paper 'Zur Elektrodynamik bewegter Koerper' in Annalen der Physik. . . contains not a single reference to previous literature. It gives you the impression of quite a new venture. But that is, of course, as I have tried to explain, not true." -- Max Born

"In point of fact, therefore, Poincare was not only the first to enunciate the principle, but he also discovered in Lorentz's work the necessary mathematical formulation of the principle. All this happened before Einstein's paper appeared." -- G. H. Keswani

"Einstein's explanation is a dimensional disguise for Lorentz's. . . . Thus Einstein's theory is not a denial of, nor an alternative for, that of Lorentz. It is only a duplicate and disguise for it. . . . Einstein continually maintains that the theory of Lorentz is right, only he disagrees with his 'interpretation.' Is it not clear, therefore, that in this, as in other cases, Einstein's theory is merely a disguise for Lorentz's, the apparent disagreement about 'interpretation' being a matter of words only?" -- James Mackaye

"The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources." -- Albert Einstein ... Read more

Reviews (22)

Einstein was a fraud ??
What I like about this book is that the author lets many scientists, philosophers, mathematicians and Einstein do the talking for him. Chapters are mostly dated and referenced quotations that are tied together by Bjerknes. The ideas found in relativity came before Einstein in the works of people like Viogt, Lorentz, Poincare, etc.

Einstein supposedly plagiarized these, provided a minor contribution and a difference in interpretation. You've heard the expression "on the shoulders of giants", was Einstein just a midget peeking over them? I don't really buy it but the possibility of a scandle might be titilating to some. Einstein's new interpretation which amount to a major reconstruction using ideas around at the time was very significant! He probably just should have cited the works of others more often.

The many references are interesting but the problem is that the author has an ax to grind. This may mean a selective review of the literature and evidence not presented in context. It's probably not to hard to find negative views about Albert at that time given that he was going up against the reigning orthodoxy. One probably needs to study Relativity and it's history a bit before coming to any good conclusions about this book. The author has too much attitude and it makes me skeptical.

Most complete history of relativity theory ever written.
Four hundred pages of facts. No one can show a single mistake in the book. Einstein did not win the Nobel Prize for relativity theory. In fact, no one knows why he won the prize. There was an outcry against Einstein. Many of Einstein's colleagues spoke out against his plagiarism. There was even a book One Hundred Authors Against Einstein. The papers in the Annalen der Physik from 1905 were signed "Einstein-Marity" and this was Mileva Maric's married name. Physics Today, 42, 2, Feb. 1989: 9, 11 and 44, 2, Feb. 1991: 122-124, published an article on this by Evan Harris Walker. If you want to learn the facts, then read Albert Einstein The Incorrigible Plagiarist. It has the most complete history and survey of the literature on relativity theory ever written. And no can find a single mistake in it. Every quotation and fact is true. Let anyone try to say something specific disputing anything in this book. They can't for the simple reason that the book sticks to the facts and there are a lot of them.

Stop believing in "heroic myths".
If you're the type of person who believes that Einstein came up with his monumental works entirely on his own, then chances are you also believe Newton "discovered" gravitation from spending some time one summer at a farm.

If the book should have taught us anything it is this: an individual's ego at times mask the true origin of a person's thought, whether it be a minute clue captured from a loose discussion over coffee, or merely observing an "accident" in nature.

Einstein once visited the Hoover Dam. Upon gazing at the engineering marvel, he "confidently" told the world that it wouldn't last beyond forty years. Would he be willing to bet his Nobel Prize on his prediction? In the mid 1990s he was proven wrong. Do we ever hear anything about that? No. Because we are so fixated on the heroic myth...Einstein is human. He made mistakes, academic as well as personal. And he has been proven wrong.

If you step out into the real world for once (leave the hallow halls of academia) and enter into, say the engineering arena, you'll see many people receiving credit for the things they did not do and your anger may even boil over.

History isn't fair, but it is "very accurate" in documenting our "egos", in so far as we allow it.

Einstein's Theory of Relativity Still a Masterpiece
Before we jump to conclusions as to whether Einstein plagiarized the Theory of Relativity, it must be said at the outset that the theory itself is excruciatingly complex. We have to trace the idea back to its original idea. This may be difficult to prove in a pure sense as many were involved in the formulation of it by bits and pieces.Poincare came up with the idea and Lorentz also had a hand in its development. Elements of the theory had its roots even in the calculus.

Admittedly it is difficult to draw a line where somebody left off and somebody else creates a "new" theory or an original idea. Einstein was the first to collate all the syntheses of the theory into a "calculus of the theory of relativity". No one had done this before. And Einstein was the first to extend and apply the theory to the physical universe itself. Lorentz and Poincare were pure mathematicians, not physicists.

At one time, Einstein enlisted the help of the famous mathematician Kurt Godel. Godel said, "I don't know physics" but Einstein said, "I know physics and you know mathematics". Afterwards Godel went to work for Einstein.

As we all know in science, we all stand "on the shoulders of others". No one, I repeat, no one is the supreme genius of all time.

Yes, of course, Einstein should have acknowledged his sources for his theory. I am sure he was aware of the literature, otherwise he would not have known where the others left off and where he was to begin.

In his time, when his theory was first published, everyone was astonished and that's why he was so controversial.Everyone at the time knew it was something different and as it turned out later, great!

a very detailed book
It is very interesting to see all these facts about Einstein and the theory of relativity gathered together in one place. I have been watching this saga for about a year now and I think the book tells the truth about Einstein and it offends some people to see Einstein exposed like this, but it is all true and it is really fascinating! This book proves that the theory of relativity came from many sources and Einstein tried to take all the credit for it. It is kind of funny to read Einstein saying the exact same things other people said before him, like he thought of it first. I want to see more about the general theory of relativity. I know that Einstein did not come up with that theory either. A big surprise to me was the fact that Einstein's wife wrote his stuff for him. I learned a lot from reading this book. I think it traces the history back farther than other books I have read about Einstein, and it doesn't try to glorify Einstein or his methods. It is very honest. I would like to see more books like this one. I read it from beginning to end in one sitting. ... Read more

Book Description

The "Easy Biographies" series focuses on the childhood and young-adult years of famous men and women who overcame obstacles to achieve greatness. Inspirational and informative reading for students with big dreams. ... Read more

Book Description

Blends the brilliance of the scientific genius with the compassion, playfulness, and wit of the private figure

"A fascinating read with more interesting material about Einstein as a human being than I have ever seen before."--Robert Jastrow, astrophysicist and bestselling author

"A thoughtful and captivating account of one whom I had the joy of knowing and loving."--George Wald, Nobel Prize Laureate

His face is one of the most recognized on the planet. His very name is synonymous with genius. Yet, for all the attention and countless biographies, our images of Albert Einstein rarely go beyond the eccentric and larger-than-life scientist unraveling one cosmic mystery after another.

In this engaging popular biography, Denis Brian draws on a wealth of new information recently opened to the public to bring us a broader, more authentic portrait of Einstein than previously available. The first full-scale Einstein life published in 20 years, it is also the first to integrate Einstein's genius with his private and public life to give us a complete impression of the real person.

We meet an Einstein with a gift for friendship, a romantic with a roving eye for women. We confront a man whose countless scientific triumphs were tempered by tragic ironies in his personal life. We encounter Einstein the humanist who showed compassion for the children of others yet neglected his own sons. We learn from his former assistants how they revered Einstein, how he worked at his science, and of his warm relationships with other physicists.

Based on information drawn from new access to the Einstein archives as well as exclusive interviews with colleagues and friends, Einstein: A Life reveals an endearing and sensititve man, but one slightly detached from even those closest to him, as if he inhabited his own world of lofty thoughts and cosmic dreams.

DENIS BRIAN (West Palm Beach, Florida) is the author of The True Gen: An Intimate Portrait of Hemingway by Those Who Knew Him and Genius Talk: Conversations with Nobel Scientists and Other Luminaries. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Thorough but Hollow Biography
My first reaction to finishing this book was "Gee, That was interesting... now I would like to read a biography about Einstein."

This book is so focused on the details, that at times it becomes incoherent. In its pursuit of distilling Einstein to a more personal level, it still rings shallow. There were so many relationships discussed in such cursory detail, that I was not able to get a flavor for Einstein's interactions with magnificent scientists such as Born, Bohr, Plank, Milliken, etc.

The books strength is that it is fact laden. If you finish this book, then you will be able to discuss the individual elements of his life with 98% of people. It dispels a lot of lure, and at the same time illuminates some majestical quotes.

One of my biggest beefs with the layout of this novel is that the author goes to great pains to break his life into 1 to 2 year intervals (which I like), but the chapter titles never seem to come across in what is written. For example there is a chapter title called "The FBI Targets Einstein" yet the chapter itself has very little to do with that, and certainly doesn't differ from the surrounding chapters that discuss Hoover. Thus, I felt that an opportunity to explore various elements of Einstein's life were entirely lost. If it had been presented in relation to ideas as opposed to time frame, then perhaps Einstein would have been better illuminated.

I realize that this review is a bit harsh. The bottom line is that I feel that I am better off from having read the book. Nevertheless, I must be honest and say that as a scientist and idolizer of Einstein... I found this book extremely painful to read. It gives a lot of information, but not in a particularly user-friendly manor.

Einstein
Any reader who thinks it might be profitable to spend
some quality time with Albert Einstein - arguably the
greatest scientist of all time - should read this book. The
author, Denis Brian, knows how to write a biography
and, in his 'Alfred Einstein, A Life", he offers a
wonderful subject.
This reader - whose science background is close to
nil - approached this book with considerable trepidation
- needlessly. While the author deals properly and
necessarily with Einstein's scientific pursuits and
achievements - which means he sometimes employs
some 'heavy' jargon - like relativity theory, unified
field theory, quantum mechanics, electromagnetism,
superstring theory with 4 dimensions plus 6, photon
theory, neutrons, protons, atoms, particles - negative
and positive, etc. - he does so in a merciful fashion
that places few demands on the reader. NOT to
understand what Einstein was working on at any
given moment was always pretty much the norm,

anyhow, for even his peers and other world-class
scientists.
On the other hand, there is plenty in Einstein's life
that nearly any reader can understand and probably
relate to- much of which is highly fascinating and
illuminating. Here is a list of some of the subjects
and issues that Einstein chose or was compelled to
deal with - apart from his science: women and
romances and marriage, religion and the hereafter,
career decisions, anti-Semitism and racism, parenting
and a mentally ill son, celebrity-status and death
threats, Israel and Zionism, Russia and Communism,
Hitler and Fascism, Gandhi and pacifism vs. defense
needs, capitalism, atomic energy and weapons,
disarmament, Cold War politics, friends and relatives,
Germany and Germans, Americans and their culture,
world-wide lecture tours, mind vs. matter, Freud
and psychoanalysis, J.B. Shaw and literary criticism
and socialism, Upton Sinclair and social reform, and
the Rosenburg spy case. In short, while Einstein was always focused primarily on science and the mysteries
of the universe, he also found some time to do some
serious thinking, talking and writing about other serious,
mundane issues, as well.
The author does a marvelous job of researching and
organizing the materials in this book. I liked his decision
to introduce each chapter with a title, the years covered
therein, and Einstein's age during those years. I also liked
his thoroughness in including first-hand accounts, letters,
notes, and experiences of people of every possible age,
class, and status. The traits and qualities they describe
show clearly the essence of Albert Einstein: mental genius modest, shy, well-informed, explosive and lusty laugh,
absent minded, casual, unkempt, outspoken, impulsive, punster, impudent, kind, enthusiastic, energetic,
well-traveled, versatile, frugal, ebullient, stubborn, moody,
lucid, liberal, unpretentious, warm-hearted, informal, passionate, workaholic, direct, absentminded, prematurely
aged, pro-world government, tobacco addicted, endearing,
self-assured, handsome and noble face, sweet smile, radiant
and penetrating eyes, high brow, egalitarian, mischievous,
sparse eater, 'soft touch', metaphor lover, quick-witted,
non-swimmer boater, non-driver, walking and hiking
enthusiast.
David Ben-Gurion, Israeli Prime Minister at the time,
said this about Alfred Einstein: "He has the greatest mind of any living man...He's a scientist who needs no laboratory, no equipment, no tools of any kind.
He just sits in an empty room with a pencil, a piece
of paper, and his brain, thinking!"
"Thinking" was Einstein's favorite sport.
This book gets all the stars and 'thumbs up' I can give it.

Not too bad... however not what I was looking for.
I am pretty much in agreement with the fellow amazon reviewer - herrdirektor's impression of this book. It is a very well researched biography. However, the book looms away from Einstein, the man and focuses more into his works. Brian writes of his scientific researches in great detail and in a manner which may not be too convenient for any reader unrelated to the scientific field. I was particularly looking for a book which gave me a glimpse inside the mind of the philosopher/scientist. With its prime focus on his career, this book fails the philosopher that Einstein was. I feel that those philosophies played a very important role and maintaining his mass popularity even after decades of his death. This missing element may disappoint some of the readers.

Meet Albert Einstein - the greatest scientist of all time!
Any reader who thinks it might be profitable to spend some quality time with Albert Einstein - arguably the greatest scientist of all time - should read this book. The author,
Denis Brian, knows how to write a biography and, in his 'Einstein, A Life", he offers a wonderful subject.
This reader - whose science background is close to nil - approached this book with considerable trepidation -needlessly. While the author deals properly and necessarily with Einstein's scientific pursuits and achievements - which means he sometimes
employs some 'heavy' jargon - like relativity theory, unified field theory, quantum mechanics, electromagnetism, superstring theory with 4 dimensions plus 6, photon theory, neutrons, protons, atoms, particles - negative and positive, etc. - he does so in a merciful fashion that places few demands on the reader. NOT to understand what Einstein was working on at any given moment was always pretty much the norm,anyhow, for even his peers and other world-class scientists.
On the other hand, there is plenty in Einstein's life that nearly any reader can understand and probably relate to- much of which is highly fascinating and illuminating. Here is a list of some of the subjects and issues that Einstein chose or was compelled to deal with - apart from his science: women and romances and marriage, religion and the hereafter, career decisions, anti-Semitism and racism, parenting and a mentally ill son, celebrity-status and death threats, Israel and Zionism, Russia and Communism, Hitler and Fascism, Gandhi and pacifism vs. defense needs, capitalism, atomic energy and weapons,
disarmament, Cold War politics, friends and relatives, Germany and Germans, Americans and their culture, world-wide lecture tours, mind vs. matter, Freud and psychoanalysis, G.B. Shaw and literary criticism and socialism, Upton Sinclair and social
reform, the Rosenberg spy case - and more. In short, while Einstein was always focused primarily on science and the mysteries of the universe, he also found some time to do some serious thinking, talking and writing about other serious, mundane issues, as well.
The author does a marvelous job of researching and organizing the materials in this book. I liked his decision to introduce each chapter with a title, the years covered therein, and Einstein's age during those years. I also liked his thoroughness in including first-hand accounts, letters, notes, and experiences of people of every possible age, class,
and status. The traits and qualities they describe show clearly the essence of Albert Einstein: mental genius, modest, shy, well-informed, explosive and lusty laugh, absent minded, casual, unkempt, outspoken, impulsive, punster, impudent, kind, enthusiastic, energetic, well-traveled, versatile, frugal, ebullient, stubborn, moody, lucid, liberal, unpretentious, warm-hearted, informal, passionate, workaholic, direct, absentminded,
prematurely aged, pro-world government, tobacco addicted, endearing, self-assured, handsome and noble face, sweet smile, radiant and penetrating eyes, high brow, egalitarian, mischievous, sparse eater, 'soft touch', metaphor lover, quick-witted, non-swimming boater, non-driver, walking and hiking enthusiast.
David Ben-Gurion, Israeli Prime Minister at the time, said this about Alfred Einstein: "He has the greatest mind of any living man...He's a scientist who needs no laboratory, no equipment, no tools of any kind. He just sits in an empty room with a pencil, a piece of paper, and his brain, thinking!"
"Thinking" was Einstein's favorite sport and his forte.
This book gets all the stars and 'thumbs up' I can give it.

The Story of Einstein the man, not Einstein the Scientist
In this very readable biography, Brian conveys an extraordinary amount of information about Einstein's personal life so that the reader gets a real sense of what it must have been like to be around him.

Einstein's brilliance as a scientist did not turn him into a snob even tho' he clearly recognized that he had extraordinary abilities. He was both amused and repulsed by the trappings of celebrity that came with his status. Brian makes clear that Einstein was a kind man, a good friend, and a mediocre husband and father. The same man who labored intently over both scientific and social issues apparently put little effort into his family life. Brian does an excellent job of relating Einstein's family, social, and business world.

The 2 areas where this otherwise good biography falls short are the lack of context about Einstien's scientific achievements and the inadequate treatment of his interaction with other leading scientists outside of social and business matters. To the first matter, the book doesn't address why the theory of relativity mattered. He explains that it is a different model of the universe than what Newton defined centuries earlier; but, he leaves out any discussion of the impact. Similarly, the importance Einstein's quest for a unified theory is identified as an activity, but not why it was an important one. Brian never addresses why Einstein resisted Heisenberg's theories with such vehemence and for so long? The author provides little of Heisenberg, Bohr, or Plank's perspective of Einstein.

If you know the science already, this book is an excellent intrduction to the man. If you only know that Einstein was a "really smart guy," but not why his contributions mattered, then this is not the book for you. ... Read more

Book Description

Susan Doran describes and analyses the process of the Elizabethan Reformation, placing it in an English and a European context. She examines the religious views and policies of the Queen, the making of the 1559 settlement and the resulting reforms. The changing beliefs of the English people are discussed, and the author charts the fortunes of both Puritanism and Catholicism. Finally she looks at the strengths and weaknesses of Elizabeth I as royal governor, and of the Church of England as a whole. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Albert Einstein met Mileva Mari at Zurich's Polytechnikum, where they were both physics students. Shortly thereafter, in 1902, she secretly gave birth to their daughter, Lieserl, at her parents' home in a small Serbian village. Although the couple married a year later (and divorced in 1919), they never publicly acknowledged their first child--and, in all probability, the girl never left the country of her birth. In order to uncover Lieserl's fate, author Michele Zackheim knew she had to gain access to the fiercely proud and private Serbian kin who sheltered Mileva after the baby's birth until she rejoined Albert in Switzerland in 1903, and presumably never saw her daughter again. Zackheim's narrative, studded with Serbian proverbs and accounts of elaborately polite fencing with elderly relatives who might just know something, offers a vivid glimpse of a rural life that has changed little in the nearly 100 years since Mileva's time. It's also a cat-and-mouse tale of missing documents, letters with sentences obliterated or pages destroyed, and four women who might have been Lieserl... but weren't. The author's final conclusion about Lieserl's fate is speculative, to put it mildly, and most Einstein scholars have questioned it. Einstein's Daughter is best enjoyed as a memoir of scholarly detection and a colorful social history rather than a conventional biography. --Wendy Smith ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Very informative
The author put five years of her life into writing this book, and it shows. This is a thoroughly researched book about a little-known event that happened 100 years ago. The conclusion is, of course, speculative but entirely convincing. What is even more revealing is what she tells us about the character of Einstein. For this information she draws on her extensive bibliography. She didn't make any of it up. The quotations are from letters that Einstein wrote. He was a philandering cad who cared for nobody around him. I would not have liked to be related to him in any way. In addition, the letters indicate that Mileva may have played a significant role in his work of 1902-1906. So much for the myth of Einstein, genius, humanitarian, etc.

A thesis on conjecture
Albert and Mileva Einstein had premarital sex and as a result, Mileva got pregnant. She had a girl, born in 1902. This was considered a big disgrace in those days in her country, and little is known about the child and her fate. The author sets to find out what happened to Lieserl. This book is easy to read, in general, although the abundant number of people interviewed makes it a bit confusing at times. Fortunately, the author did not forget to include a genealogical tree in the first few pages, to which i referred constantly.

Just a few points:

· The author stretches facts quite a bit. For example, on page 175, Einstein is supposed to have written to his ex-wife: "But the heredity of our own children is not without blemish", and the author affirms that Einstein "was ostensibly including Lieserl". Really? People speak like this all the time and are not necessarily referring to a love child. The front cover photo is another example. Zackheim says, "This may be the only existing image of Lieserl", and the blur she is referring to can also pass as a goat, a fence post or a dahlia. There are many other examples of these might-or-might-not situations, and the problem is that the author draws too many conclusions from them.

· While i was reading this book I could not help but think that her research did not differ all that much from what journalists do when writing an exposé on a modern day celebrity. They usually do not have to travel to Central Europe to do so, and do not get financial support from the NEA, but in substance they do the same job. Zackheim speculates whether Einstein and Mileva had sex after their divorce, whether Einstein's syphilis is what caused his children's ailments and all this speculation becomes slightly sordid after a while.

· When Woody Allen became tabloid fodder a few years ago, i was very disappointed. I like what he creates but do not like him as a person. Same thing with Einstein after reading this book. He was a genius who revolutionized the way we do science today, but as a human being he was a self-centered, tyrannical, arrogant, miserly,...(and you can add your own list of pejorative adjectives here). If only half of what Zackheim says is true, he was truly evil, especially to his children.

· Zackheim spent a lot of time in Serbia, and her accounts about the war and the difficulties she observed are some of the best writing in the book. However, she writes about Serbs as an American (and who can blame her? that's what she is). There is a slight condescending tone whenever she refers to Serbian culture, especially more blatant when talking about any of the male relatives of Mileva (alive and interviewed by her, or long dead).

In summary, this is a passable book about an unsolved mystery. It is entertaining, fast, provides some good information on life in Central Europe from the late 1800's to present, but when you get to the back cover it leaves you dissatisfied. Ultimately, it did not deliver.

Not bad
Well-researched, well put together. Easy, pleasant reading. Nothing stunning or dramatic. On the plus side: Voyeuristic insights give reader access to the mysterious lives of Mileva and Albert. Letters and interviews bring them to life. Engaging description of the author's tracks in the mystical Voijvodina, Yugoslavia. On the minus side, two observations: (1) Regarding Lieserl, there are no new conclusions. The infant dies of scarlet fever, removing the shame and burden of an illegitimate child from Mileva, Albert, and their families. (2) Regarding Albert, the revelations about his coldness are not new. He is a man of another world, of unparalleled genius. Rating him by our human standards is impossible. Unfortunately for Mileva, she fell in love with him.

The Futile Search for Einstein's Daughter
This book was a fascinating read .... Other problems: The book bogged down in names and is hindered by a lack of an index. So when my head was swimming with names, I couldn't check the book's first mention of that person to be reminded who it was. Zackheim was repeatedly careless with pronouns, so a "she" or "her" in a sentence could refer to more than one woman.

Zackheim speculated too much, such as who knew whom, and what motivated people. She speculated on small things, such as whether Einstein and his ex-wife resumed sexual relations. She speculated on big things - such as what happened to Lieserl.

I was originally engrossed in the book. I dreamed about it one night, and the next day, I had to read the last 100 pages to find out what happened to Lieserl. Zackheim doesn't know. I felt let down.

Little Girl Lost--Or Not?
Zackheim's style is certainly readable, but her conclusions leave something to be desired. She provides the reader with too much irrelevant or misleading detail and too many of her own strong opinions. I also found her explanation of Lieserl's ultimate fate to be unconvincing. To her credit, she has told a story that should be known, and provided a number of wonderful photos. In my opinion, two of the photos depict an extremely plausible candidate for an adult Lieserl. ... Read more