“The universe of these beings is finite and yet has no limits.” – Albert Einstein, in chapter XXXI
So says one of the great thinkers – perhaps, the great thinker – of the twentieth century in explaining his general theory of relativity. While there was much mathematical in its derivation, Einstein explains it in common language to the educated reader in this short work. He also explains the special theory of relativity here. While such things are hard to digest (at least at first), they are certainly able to be digested in this format. That this presentation exists in such clarity at all bespeaks to Einstein’s genius.
I once took theology classes at a seminary on Mercer Street in Princeton, just down the street from where Einstein used to live. Stories about his commonness yet uncommonness still filled the town. He amazingly had the gall to claim that the universe was circular or elliptical – and then attempted to prove it. He did so by clear thought, not by experiment as he was a theoritician, and this book contains an accessible version of those thoughts. For that reason alone, the curious reader is encouraged to dwell deeply within this record of his understanding.
Like mathematics, physics is a field full of geniuses whose ingenuity is common with respect to each other. I am not a physicist, and I will not attempt to comment on the science presented. From what I understand, some of Einstein’s formulations have been questioned by contemporary experiments, and string theory (though still unproven) attempts to generalize even further. To me, neither of these discredits Einstein’s accomplishment with regards to relativity. Of course, his annus mirabilis (“miracle year” of 1905) included other important findings like Brownian motion, and for better or for worse, his legacy will forever be bound with the Manhattan project and its atomic bomb.
Thumbing through a work like this and dwelling on the beauty of its contents surely provide one of the greatest experiences humans can have. Only a handful of works, like those by Immanuel Kant or Isaac Newton or Augustine of Hippo, reach the heights like this. As such, anyone with any inkling of interest in physics should attempt to study these theories, and who better to read than the author of them himself? I enjoyed my time reading this work immensely. The translation is clear and scientific, but reading still is a little difficult due to the complex subject matter. Nonetheless, being a dog eating the crumbs from Einstein’s table still provides quite a treat!
Relativity: The Special & General Theory
By Albert Einstein; translated by Robert W. Lawson
Written 1916; translation copyright (c) 1920
Dover Publications
ISBN13 9780486417141
Page Count: 168
Genre: Science, Physics
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