A Remarkable Book

I just finished reading Walter Isaacson's EINSTEIN: HIS LIFE AND HIS UNIVERSE. And I highly recommend it to others !!

Of course, we all "learn" about Albert Einstein as students - snippets in textbooks about his famous Theory of Relativity. But we rarely learn about the "man" himself, neither much of his life story, nor anything about the world in which he lived. And so his scientific theories are just THAT to many of us -- snippets. And most people do not really even have a great understanding of his scientific theories.

I love reading books about History and Historical Figures (biographies and autobiographies, etc). And so, not being a gifted scientist, I selected this particular book about such a well-known figure (in science in addition to history) with the hope of a better "picture" of this man .... this Einstein. (and maybe a better understanding of his science too !)

WOW !! Words cannot describe this book adequately. It is a shame that we are not taught more about this curious man, his life, and the world in which he lived. I had only a basic understanding of his theories. I was always comfortable disagreeing with Einstein's pacafist outlook, his religious views, his varied stands with regards to nationality, and many other "common" things we hear about him -- he always seemed to me a bit TOO odd and a bit TOO extreme. And now, although I still disagree on many points, but I can "understand". I see much much more clearly now why he was the "man" that he was, and how his life progressed ... and it all makes a lot more sense now. The world in which he lived, and his life story ... these brought about his "theories", not the other way around. For me, understanding the life and the world of Einstein helped so much to understand the accomplishments -- and the theories as well.

I will encourage each of my children as the time comes to read this book or one very similar. I only wish someone had encouraged me to know more once-upon-a-time ... or taught me in more than "snippets" and disconnected information. Perhaps I might have been more interested in science ?? Who knows.

I can proudly say that I now understand a lot more concerning the science of Einstein (beyond just his Theory of Relativity) -- and I will leave it at that (theoretical science explanations do not make good blog posts - HA !). Some of the "light" yet interesting things I learned about this unique man ... after years of hearing that Einstein was a poor student despite his "genius", he in fact was a GOOD student (well above average in performance and in grades) .... and that he never failed math (which is commonly said of him), but rather failed to submit a formal paper (by free choice) for Math as required for graduation from college (which he eventually did submit a few years later in order to complete his degree requirements). I was not surprised by this information (the thought of Einstein being a poor student always seemed hard to accept somehow), except that it directly contradicted what is said of him "on the street" (so to speak). I was thrilled to discover that he was a solid student who worked hard on his lessons (an admirable quality for sure !), and also worked beyond his lessons in his free time. I was thrilled to learn that Einstein credited his own "talent" (he never claimed to be "special" or a "genius" - quite a humble man, he was) , and later his educational philosophies, heavily on curiousity, imagination, and "research". And I learned that his "odd" appearance only came about in his latter years -- he was quite the dapper young fellow (without the crazy hair) who took great pains in the area of appearance and hygeine.

This is a remarkable book because it is about the man, the world in which he lived, and about his "science". It also provided me with a much better understanding of his theories. In most cases, this new clarity (for me) came from his own explainations given in written letters to all kinds of people in and out of the scientific community. What a tremendous benefit these "actual" explainations would be to students everywhere - I will be sure my own children see them.

Sprinkled throughout this book are quotes, taken from public speeches he gave, articles he published, lectures he presented to students, writings in his many many journals, and even from letters he wrote. Quotes are strange things as they are perceived and ultimately interpreted differently by everyone. But these are my favorite quotes by Einstein:

Most teachers waste their time by asking questions which are intended to discover what a pupil does not know, whereas the true art of questioning has for its purpose to discover what the pupil knows or is capable of knowing.

Never regard your study as a duty, but as the enviable opportunity to learn to know the liberating influence of beauty in the realm of the spirit for your own personal joy and to the profit of the community to which your later work belongs.Humiliation and mental oppression by ignorant and selfish teachers wreak havoc in the youthful mind that can never be undone and often exert a baleful influence in later life.The aim (of education) must be the training of independently acting and thinking individuals who, however, can see in the service to the community their highest life achievement.Teaching should be such that what is offered is perceived as a valuable gift and not as a hard duty.In the teaching of geography and history a sympathetic understanding (should) be fostered for the characteristics of the different peoples of the world, especially for those who we are in the habit of describing as "primitive.

Imagination is more important than knowledge ….

It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education.

The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery every day.

Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.

Any man who reads too much and uses his own brain too little falls into lazy habits of thinking.

Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school.

Few are those who see with their own eyes and feel with their own hearts.

He who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead; his eyes are closed.

I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.

I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.

If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it ?

Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.

Information is not knowledge.

It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity.

The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education.

The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.

To raise new questions, new possibilities, to regard old problems from a new angle, requires creative imagination and marks real advance in science.

A person starts to live when he can live outside himself.

Great ideas have often encountered violent opposition from weak minds.

There are two ways to live your life - one is as though nothing is a miracle, the other is as though everything is a miracle.

People do not grow old no matter how long we live. We never cease to stand like curious children before the great Mystery into which we were born.

The tragedy of life is what dies inside a man while he lives.

Check your local library for this book (and others by Walter Isaacson) or to order this book, click here:

http://www.amazon.com/Einstein-Life-Universe-Walter-Isaacson/dp/0743264738/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1208101838&sr=1-2