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How did his mind work? What made him a genius? Isaacson's biography shows how his scientific imagination sprang from the rebellious nature of his personality. His fascinating story is a testament to the connection between creativity and freedom.

Based on newly released personal letters of Einstein, this book explores how an imaginative, impertinent patent clerk -- a struggling father in a difficult marriage who couldn't get a teaching job or a doctorate -- became the mind reader of the creator of the cosmos, the locksmith of the mysteries of the atom and the universe. His success came from questioning conventional wisdom and marveling at mysteries that struck others as mundane. This led him to embrace a morality and politics based on respect for free minds, free spirits, and free individuals.

These traits are just as vital for this new century of globalization, in which our success will depend on our creativity, as they were for the beginning of the last century, when Einstein helped usher in the modern age.

Average Customer Rating:

Wish I had purchased the unabridged version!

Customer Rating:

I enjoyed this immensely, but found myself wishing that I had gotten the unabridged version. The narrative would cut off before fully covering the topic at hand, and sometimes I would find myself deep into a subject that needed more introduction. I am sure the full version would have avoided these issues. Otherwise, it was an intriguing story -- so much so that I ordered the printed version to allow me to get the whole story.

Great Listening For Your Commute

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If anyone out there is similar to me in trying to find ways to utilize the time spent commuting back and forth to work the 18 CD audio version of Einstein is just the ticket. I am neither an Einstein expert or neophyte but was in fact just interested in expanding on my core knowledge and world/american history. I can fervently admit I have achieved both having just completed the final CD. You will no doubt find a number of reviews contained herein debating the pros and cons of this body of work by Isaacson. This collection of CD's is a no-brainer. Wonderful information intelligently read aloud by Edward Herrmann covering the entire life of one of the world's most enlightened thinkers. Don't hesitate to purchase it - it is worth every dollar.

An Excellent New Portrait

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Enough time has passed that a popular book was perhaps needed to turn the icon back into the man. It is a challenge to say something new about Einstein the man, and perhaps it is enough for Isaacson to shine the light of inquiry at a few new angles. Purists will appreciate the copious footnoting, but most readers will just enjoy letting the author present the material in an orderly, clear, and engaging manner. It is not possible to read the book (and enjoy the old photos) without feeling that you have made at least a good acquaintance with Prof. Einstein. In my distant youth, I was led to believe that only a few elite scientists actually understood Einstein's major theoretical breakthroughs, but this author is able to explain them well enough to the layman reader that he or she won't feel entirely left out. The book may inspire a few to pick up the quest for a unified field theory, but for most of us the effect will be simply a greater understanding and appreciation of the individual, his times, and his many important impacts on our world. It is particularly interesting to watch the essentially pacifist scientists with a "world citizen" viewpoint confront the irrefutable evil of the persecution and murder of Jew and others. Ultimately, however, Einstein proves that nobody is a genius at everything (including affairs of the heart), and he never seems to realize the implicit danger in one-world government. I see this book as having great value to anyone with deep roots in the 20th century, but even more value to young people (high school or older) who need to understand Einstein's life and times as context for today's world.

Held my interest for a while.	Customer Rating:
I read about 1/2 of the book, getting to the time of his life where he generated his historic theories about relativity. It was generally interesting, but I moved on to other books instead of finishing.

Remember...he's a rebel!

Customer Rating:

One of the biggest problems with this biography is its length. I agree that 550 pages isn't excessive for the most iconic intellectual of the 20th century, but the book is plagued by the constant repetition of information that was already given, presumably for emphasis. This wouldn't be a problem if there were an enormous number of characters, or if the facts were of special interest, but often the information has already been clearly articulated and was of obvious importance when it was first mentioned. Thus a book about one of the most important men in 20th century science becomes about 75 pages too long at a paltry 550 pages. By comparison Martin Gilbert's biography of Winston Churchill is over 1000 pages long (the short version) and every page is captivating and relevant. Nevertheless, the book does provide a serviceable account of Einstein's life, despite a few flaws that only become onerous as one slogs towards the conclusion. Another irritating habit of the author's is the repeated interludes where he ruminates on the qualities which contributed to Einstein's revolutionary achievements in theoretical physics, which serve mainly to disrupt the narrative flow and are for the most part uninteresting. Many of these could be summed up if the author just wrote 'Remember, he's a rebel!' every fifty pages or so. Isaacson also seems to glide through the second world war, only giving the most cursory attention to Einstein's opinions on the bloodiest conflict of the century and the near extermination of Einstein's European brethren. I don't think it's overly presumptuous to expect that Einstein's reaction to the most infamous atrocity in modern history might merit a few more pages. I think I'll stop here before I make this book sound worse than it actually is. As mentioned before it is for the most part interesting, despite bloating. Three and a half stars, rounded down to 3 for spite.