Rating: 
Summary: I can not say enough good things about this book
Review: A truly outstanding account of an exceptional individual. Einstein???s way of thinking and outlook on life is beautifully represented and truly inspiring.This book gives the reader the feeling of knowing Einstein personally.
Rating:
Summary: Einstein
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Einstein
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Meet Albert Einstein - the greatest scientist of all time!
Review: 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.
Rating: 
Summary: Detailed, but not tedious.
Review: Author Brian does a commendable job in presenting a very detailed, yet not burdensomely tedious portrait of one the 20th century's most important physicist and one of history's most enduring cults of personality. Brian's book is extensively researched with copious notes, although it does buck the current biographical trend of oral history and personal interviews with eyewitnesses/friends/participants, of which there are only a handful throughout the book's 528 pages. The book's most important feature is Brian's effective blending of Einstein's public/professional/personal lives into a cohesive and comprehensive biography. A thorough and enjoyable biographical tome.
Rating:
Summary: Einstein in Detail
Review: Based on recently released archival material about Einstein, this biogrpahy presents facts that make it clear that Einstein was all too human and reserved most of his passion in life for scientific investigation, while in personal relations he could slide into being aloof, or even callous. The biographical information is very detailed. This is one of the most thoroughly researched biographies I have ever come accross. Stylistically this may pose some challenge to the reader, because the book becomes very fact-laden and slow about a third way through. This is a conscientious and detailed examination of Einstein's life. You will probably find out more facts about Einstein from this biography than from any other.
Rating: 
Summary: Not too bad... however not what I was looking for.
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Not too bad... however not what I was looking for.
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Best biography I've read about Albert Einstein!
Review: I started reading about Einstein about 1 year ago and once I read the first book my hunger for knowledge about this person grew so I picked up this book by Denis Brian. I've read a few books about Albert Einstein, "Creator and Rebel" by Banesh Hoffmann, "Der private Albert Einstein by Peter Bucky", "Am Sonntag kuess ich Dich muendlich" by Albert Einstein & Mileva Maric, "Einstein sagt" & "Die Welt wie ich sie sehe" by Albert Einstein. I've enjoyed all these books yet none of them really gave me a big glimpse at who Einstein really was (except for his quotes and his love letters to Mileva, but that's only one side of him). Some of these books attempted to portray the private Einstein but at the same time were careful not to show to much or hide things which weren't thought of proper at the time of publishing (what happened to the Media since then ? ;-) Denis Brian tries to uncover this very private person and does so successfully considering how well protected Einstein was from the public by his close friends, co-workers and neighbors. If you are out for "dirt" on this great scientist, you have the wrong book. You will find out facts, some of them will not enlighten you but at the same time, he was only human. But if you are out for scandalous news about him, forget it, you won't find it here. Back to this book, I found it to be very informative but definitely not boring, very entertaining and delightful. You will catch yourself laughing out loud or snickering at some of the things Einstein said or did and he will remind you of the kid next door, very down to earth. Anyway, I could go on and on, but I really would like to recommend this book. Denis Brian did his homework, the materials have been researched very well (impressive bibliography) and at the same time are written in an entertaining style. Even though I already read a few books about Einstein, I still discovered plenty of new material. If you are looking for a book to become aquainted with the human behind the genius, this will be your best bet!
Rating:
Summary: The Story of Einstein the man, not Einstein the Scientist
Review: 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.
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