BBA-LIBOR

Reading this book is a bit like feasting on potato chips rather than brussel's sprouts. Certainly there are many avenues to learning about Einstein the man and his scientific theories. One could choose from the 20-odd published books and collections of writings by Einstein himself or from the many dense works written by scholars. Any of these choices would likely prove edifying but would come at the cost of a serious investment of time and thought. On the other hand, the Discoveries series offers this fast-food alternative, quick and easy-to-digest but leaving the reader with a pang of guilt over the indulgence.

The book is 136 pages long, but this is a misleading indicator of depth, as the pages of this slim volume are perhaps 4x6 inches and 126 of them include copious pictures and/or illustrations. While this does limit the word count and the depth of coverage, it does make for a visual treat. The pictures include, as one would expect, many of Einstein throughout his lifetime but also include some fascinating snippets such as a portion of his birth certificate, a newspaper advertisement placed by Einstein offering private tutoring and a page from his manuscript demonstrating through equations the general theory of relativity.

The text moves chronologically from his childhood through his schooling, marriage, work at the Swiss Patent office, flurry of fame-producing discoveries, pacifism, long fruitless struggle for a unifying "theory of everything" and his death at the age of 76. The coverage of the science is fairly high level and certainly understandable without any physics or higher mathematics experience. Particularly interesting is a series of Einstein letters, including several to and from his wife that reveal a playful, tender side and an exchange with Sigmund Freud regarding the problem of war.

This is not the choice if you're looking for the definitive account of Einstein's life or an in-depth discussion of his scientific genius. However, if you're looking for an entertaining and easy overview of the man, you will find this a very good option.

Einstein: Decoding the Universe is a short,nice little book about Einstein that can be read in a matter of hours. I found the book quite interesting but I admit that I have never read a book on Einstein prior to this one. Thus, I cannot accurately compare this book to another on him. Main details about his life are covered without going into an intricate life story. Over 20 pages in the back were devoted to letters he had written or others had written about him. I gave the book only 4 stars because I thought there could have been a little more mathematical jargon included. But, for the price and the brevity, I recommend this book as one to take and read while at an airport or what not.

The Abrams Discoveries series delivers another gorgeous book, with slick paper and beautiful photos and illustrations on every page. From drawings, graphs and pictures to Einstein's own scribblings-- even a Magritte painting and newspaper comics of the day-- the publishers have pulled out all the stops, giving the reader a kaleidoscopic visual treat. All of this brings to life the concepts in a punchy and and intriguing way. However, the text itself, translated from French physics professor Francoise Balibar's original, is insubstantial and only valuable as an overview and survey of Einstein's life and thought. While the author explores the political and scientific climate with sureness and ease, and illustrates particularly well Einstein's unique contributions-- vast as they are-- to 20th Century physics, the text never goes too deep into its subject.

I'd recommend this book to someone wanting a painless summation, introductory or otherwise, of Einstein. For someone wanting to get deep into the ramifications of relativity theory or the disharmony between it and quantum physics, I'd recommend another book-- perhaps Brian Greene's _The Elegant Universe_ or a book by Einstein himself.