Einstein: The Passions of a Scientist

by Barry Parker

Book Overview

Einstein continues to captivate, not only for his revolutionary scientific insights but also for his complex personality and personal pursuits. In this unique contribution to the Einstein literature, physicist and acclaimed science writer Barry Parker draws on the great scientist's letters and personal papers to explore the intellectual and emotional passions that motivated both his work and his life.Parker focuses on five aspects of Einstein's emotional...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1591020638
• ISBN13: 9781591020639
• Release Date: March 2003
• Publisher: Prometheus Books
• Length: 300 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.4" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

A well written account of his life.

This book does an excellent job of telling the life of Einstein. The author, Barry Parker takes many accounts of his life and sums them all up into one book. The author was compelled to write about Einstein because of how important he was to our understanding of physics. I highly recommened this story because unlike most biographies this one throws in some humor, which keeps you interested. Also, this book not only talks about Einstein's many achievements but also takes you into his younger years. This book is also short so if you are interested in Einstein but do not want to read a 500 page book about him pick this one up. This book also includes many photographs and drawings of his early years and of people who influenced him in his life. My favorite fact of this book is that Einstein was not only interested in math and physics, but also enjoyed playing music. The only negative part of this story is some of the chapters feel out of place. Parker begins to jump around near the end. Other then that it is an excellent read.

Einstein's Passions and Troublew

When most people think of Albert Einstein, they think only in terms of his older years. Parker's book takes the reader through his early years, some of which were quite stressful. Like most great musicians and artists he was quite poor when young. Also, his stubborness got him in trouble in school all the way through college. Parker's book is well written and depicts Einstein's trouble with things such as mathematics and having to write serveral theses for his doctorate before one was accepted. This book describes some of Albert's passions such as a love for physics, playing the violin, hiking, sailing and women.

An excellent read

I have just read "Einstein: The Passions of a Scientist" and found it to be most informative and entertaining. I have always been curious about Einstein, what kind of a person he was, what his interests were outside of science. Mr. Parker, in fine style, certainly answers those questions and more. He has a very arresting way of capturing Einstein's personality. Mr. Parker has a writing style that I find particularly easy to read and understand, a rare quality amongst science writers. Congratulations Mr. Parker for a book that not only held my complete attention throughout, but was also entertaining and educational. Geoff Pearson, Jacksonville, N.C.

"But I Know Mr. Einstein"

I recall when I was a kid reading a piece in the Reader's Digest about "Mrs. Einstein" being interviewed by the press. "Do you understand the theory of relativity, Mrs. Einstein?" a reporter is said to have asked. "No," she demurely if rather smugly replied, "but I understand Mr. Einstein." Ha! Author Barry Parker, in "Einstein, the Passions of a Scientist" blows her cover. This was a man whose passionate interests were not limited to whether space was curved, and it is unlikely that either his first wife or his second was aware of the scope of his love life. In his lively and informative biography of the greatest scientist of our age, Barry Parker brings the man alive with a fascinating look at his personal life, as well as his intellectual one. A great read.

Einstein Awakening

If you didn't know much about the personal side of Einstein you do now. The book was stimulating, and has enlightened us to the human side of his persona. From his marriages and love of woman to his love of classical music he comes alive once again. Without finding all the answers he search for in his physics pursuits, he had many other faucets that shed a new light on who he was as a man, and not just a brillliant scientist. Wonderful book!