<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: A REALLY WELL WRITTEN BOOK
Review: "The Emperor has no clothes!" is the theme of this masterfully written treatise. The author proves that Einstein stole credit for the theory of relativity, by comparing side-by-side the words of Einstein with the words of his predecessors. The documentation presented in this book is incredible! There appear to be thousands of references. I predict the emergence of many doctoral theses based on the facts presented in this book. I agree with the author's conclusion that "Einstein" is a comic book legend born of hype and myth. I never knew that there was so much evidence to support the conclusion that Einstein's first wife wrote his papers. I also was surprised to learn that Minkowski's ideas were so unoriginal. It seems this will be a series (see page 107), with a book coming out on the general theory? If so, I can't wait to read it. This is a really well written book! I'm glad I bought it. AJ
Rating:
Summary: Stop believing in "heroic myths".
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Stop believing in "heroic myths".
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Finally, the truth comes out!
Review: It is good to see that the public will finally know the truth about Einstein and about the theory of relativity. I remember back in the fifties and sixties when this debate raged in the physics world and the arguments were bitter and meanspirited. This book gives the facts and many wonderful references. Those reading it should realize that Bjerknes only exposes the tip of the iceberg. The Kaluza-Klein theory is another good example of Einstein's plagiarism. Bjerknes's treatment of the history of the time-space idea is especially good. As a retired physicist, I highly recommend this book!
Rating:
Summary: a very detailed book
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: COMPELLING AND FASCINATING
Review: The first chapter gives many quotes from people who accused Einstein of [not being original]. It also directly quotes Einstein and the papers he copied. The second chapter gives the history of space-time or as it was first called in 1885 time-space. It is interesting that Einstein not only did not create this idea but he argued against it until the general theory of relativity. This chapter is really fascinating and shows why Popper called Einstein Parmenides. The third chapter gives quotes from physicists who wrote that the theory of relativity is really a new theory of absolutism and is more absolutist than Newtonian physics. The fourth chapter discusses hero worship and gives a good quote from Joffe. This chapter is too short and too choppy. It should have been a major part of the book. The fifth chapter starts off a little polemic. It also is too short. The interesting and novel fact here is the quote from S. Tolver Preston. The sixth chapter is for all of us who have read Einstein's seminal paper on the theory of relativity and knew there was something wrong there. I read a paper by Bjerknes at the official web site for the book and it goes into more detail. This is a very important criticism and it shows how Einstein was able to fool people. The seventh chapter could easily have been an extension of the sixth. The eight chapter, like the first, is a real blockbuster. It was probably Einstein's wife who [was doing the unoriginal work]! This chapter has many good and interesting quotes and talks about the pattern of [unoriginal work]. The last chapter discusses why Einstein told some silly stories about his inspiration and proves that these stories are also unoriginal. There is a statement about the Michelson-Morley experiment and what it shows and how it has been misconstrued to support the special theory of relativity. Einstein's misogony again appears in his insestuous second marriage and the likely sexual affairs with his stepdaughters. The chapter concludes with what is essentially the most extensive bibliography of the general theory of relativity ever published. The second half of the book is an amazingly detailed set of notes and references that should prevent even the most die hard Einstein geek from daring to give the book one star. I am concerned that there appears to be a concerted effort to pan this book by people who obviously haven't read it. They try everything from attacking the publisher to attacking the reviewers. What they don't do is talk about the specifics of the book. I would not trust any review that gives this book one star and then gives a vague criticism that only proves the person hasn't read it. I would also be doubtful about any review that gives a paranoid diatribe but doesn't mention a single page in the book. There are a lot of people who earn their livings off of Einstein. There are also many people who are very emotionally attached to his image. Look at the "Editorial Reviews." They are more believable and favorable.
Rating: 
Summary: Einstein's Theory of Relativity Still a Masterpiece
Review: 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.
<< 1 >>
| 
