Just finished listening to Einstein: His Life and Universe by Walter Isaacson. It's a rather long listen (18 CDs/21.5 hours) or read (704 pages), but quite engrossing, never boring.
Since I'm a science idiot, I'll leave it to my good friend Dr. Phil to judge the scientific merits/accuracy of the book. I was fascinated, however, by the discussions of science that I could understand, and those I didn't I was able to roll with a fairly small amount of confusion.
The aspect of the book I enjoyed the most was Einstein's thoughts about the universe and God. According to Isaacson, Einstein believed in God, but not in a personal God. He was sort of on the same page as Jefferson, a deist who believed in a God who created the universe, then stepped back and watched it run. What convinced Einstein that there is a God was not miracles, but the lack of them. He believed that the universe was simply too structured to have been created by a random cosmic event and that the consistencies and (mostly) normal operation of the universe meant that something held it all together. Of course people debated that then and continue to do so today. I still find it fascinating.
The man was simply fascinating. I had no idea Einstein didn't win the Nobel Prize for his Theory of Relativity. (Anybody who hasn't read the book know what he won it for? You can't play, Dr. Phil.) He both abhorred and embraced his worldwide popularity. He both loved and practically ignored those closest to him. And by all accounts, he played a pretty mean violin. And who wouldn't be fascinated by the story of the activity of Einstein's brain after his death?
Very enjoyable. Highly recommended. Good enough to buy - but wait for the paperback edition that will (1) take up less space and (2) weigh less. Important considerations...ya know, the whole E = mc2 thing and all...
3 comments:
I taught a year of Physics at Hope College, an exceedingly fine liberal arts & sciences college in the Christian Reformed Church sphere, and enjoyed many discussions a la Einstein on our hard science versus religion. My standard answer to any student who wanted to know my stand on science versus religion was (1) you can't argue them, because the rules of each discipline are incompatible with the other, but if that doesn't satisfy you, then (2) check out the beauty of the Periodic Table of elements and then realize that all elements and all atoms & ions are made of the same three things (electrons, protons and neutrons) and that only a handful of simple rules are needed for the whole thing to coalesce. Now THAT's design. (grin)
Dr. Phil
I really like response # 1. That's a great point!
I took a college course where we went through both the special and general theories of relativity. What has always amazed me about Einstein is that he had the ability, like Stephen Hawking, to come down to the lay person's level and explain the high hifalutin stuff very well without needing a go-between. We also read some of Al's personal philosophies, including his religious beliefs, which were all fascinating.
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