The Einstein Almanac

More about the book

Albert Einstein was an exceptional human being. Perhaps nothing reflects the breadth and scope of his brilliance, his interests, and his influence better than his publications―more than six hundred scientific papers, books, essays, reviews, and opinion pieces. Einstein began publishing in March 1901 with a scientific work that appeared in the German journal Annalen der Physik when he was twenty-two; the last publication was an editorial in the journal Common Cause which appeared a few months before his death in 1955. In the fifty-four-year interval, his published work ranged widely over relativity theory and quantum physics, nationalism, Judaism, war, peace, and education. Indeed, Einstein's literary output was so abundant that even many of his most informed admirers are not familiar with all of it. The Einstein Almanac takes a look at Einstein's year-by-year output, explaining his three-hundred most important publications and setting them into the context of his life, science, and world history. Concentrating primarily on Einstein's scientific and humanitarian writings, Alice Calaprice summarizes most of the papers and describes meaningful events surrounding their publication, including Einstein's personal life, his travels, the work of other scientists, social and cultural developments at the time, and national and international events. Enjoyable and informative, The Einstein Almanac provides a unique perspective on Einstein's genius―and his humanity.