Book Review: Einstein: His Life and Universe

The modern world knows Albert Einstein for the complex mechanisms of the theory of relativity, but in the biography Einstein: His Life and Universe, The New York Times bestselling author Walter Isaacson explores the numerous and often surprising facets of the human life with faults and worries. The beginnings of Einstein are far from illustrious; born to middle-class parents in the southern reaches of Germany, the famous scientist was notable for a lonesome nature and temper tantrums. But, a curiosity about the hidden facets of the world formed when he observed the magnetic needle of the compass turning without touch or contact, leaving behind a newfound devotion to field theories.From the time subsequent, Einstein often worked for days immersed in math problems considerably above the required level, with additional prompting from a medical student who shared books and knowledge with the young, dedicated boy. In Zurich Polytechnic, Einstein trained to become a teacher in physics and mathematics, but later was unable to find an acceptable post. The lack of opportunities proved fortunate; Einstein took a job working in the Swiss Patent Office, which allowed him time to compose four groundbreaking articles.The fame afforded by winning the Nobel Prize expedited interest in the musings of the then 42 year old scientist, leading to his position at the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton University. In 1939, World War II swept Einstein into indirect involvement in the effort to create the atomic bomb, but its devastating effects led to his later advocation to the curtailing of its use. In the following years, Einstein became detached from his colleges, an effect of his mounting obsession with finding a unified field theory of the universe. Einstein died without discovering his long sought after theory, but his numerous contributions to science still stand.Despite the hefty bibliography at the back that adds an extra thickness to the seven hundred pages, the novel is not weighed down by lengthy descriptions of complex scientific terms; in fact, accounts balance using concise terms necessary for future sections to make sense while avoiding the tone or complexity of a lecture. But Isaacson occasionally tangents off from the main focus of a chapter to write about the life of a peer or the history of society. Despite being a few paragraphs long, the tangents tear the reader away from the fluidity of the book, taking away the vivid picture of the world of that time for a few brief, jerking seconds.Occasionally a detour from the primary feature is flawlessly executed when it comes to individuals; the people surrounding Einstein are not left to the resignation of being supporting structures to tell the story, mere objects to string events together; instead every character is fully developed, painted with vibrant colors that take readers into the heart of the story rather than making them a bystander memorizing streams of information. And even with the half story-like quality to the novel, the information contained within is remarkably accurate with hundreds of quotes and pages upon pages of sources. By piecing together all the different accounts available, Isaacson developed a cohesive biography of Einstein’s life. Filled with an abundance of verbose language and impressive vocabulary words, Isaacson begins by chronicling a pivotal paper in the making of the theory of relativity, with insightful observations about its writer skillfully interwoven in the paper. From childhood to resulting legacy and impact on the world of today, Isaacson encompasses the enormous scope of the life of Einstein into just over 700 pages of descriptive words that bring characters to life and moving pictures that give a face to the name.