Reviewed: Einstein A to Z Karen C. Fox and Aries Keck Wiley, Hoboken, New Jersey, 2004 Everybody knows E=mc2 and the hair, but did you know Einstein had an extramarital affair with his cousin then married her at the urging of his mother? Einstein A to Z is a handbook on the celebrity scientist, offering short alphabetical entries on everything from his convoluted relationships to his superb science. Despite some of the tabloid-worthy details, the book is not sensational. The entries are bright, down to earth, informative and easy to dip into randomly or otherwise. The passages on general and special relativity give clear background and context on how Einstein came up with the theories, what they mean, and how they were received and proven—all as valuable for non-physicist aficionados as knowing his Nobel Prize was for the photoelectric effect, and that he did not want a gravesite for fear it would become a tourist attraction. The authors draw heavily on the numerous Einstein biographies, leaving you to wonder why the world needs yet another such tome. But the public and even scientists can't seem to get enough of the man who died half a century ago and is still the poster boy for brilliance—and on the advertising poster for the 2005 World Year of Physics. Heather Rock Woods Click here to download the pdf version of this article. |
