Einstein: His Life and Universe - Review

Albert Einstein is one of the most famous people of the twentieth century. His formula, E=mc², is known around the world and has changed the face of modern science. Walter Isaacson's biography, Einstein: His Life and Universe, describes this iconic figure and the world in which he lived.  Isaacson takes a topical approach to the life of Einstein and many sections tend to overlap. This style of writing allows for some of the big ideas behind Albert's work to be laid out in a palatable way for non-theoretical physicists. Regardless of Isaacson's considerations my mind was often blown. Science takes center stage for much of the book which properly reflects the life of Einstein. His personal life is also described and Isaacson is careful to prepare readers for later scandals and controversies that would enter into Einsteins gravitational pull.

I would recommend reading this book. It can be dense and the lack of chronology felt distracting at times. However, I believe that Walter Isaacson did a great job presenting a series of deep ideas which convey the character of a deep man. Einstein had an interesting moral code and a dynamic perception of the world and how it should be. Be ready to invest a few hours with Minute Physics to make sense of it all.