Einstein

His Life and Universe

By: Walter Isaacson

Narrated by: Edward Herrmann

Length: 21 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's summary

Winner of the 2008 Audie Award for Biography/Memoir

How did Einstein's 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 the newly released personal letters of Albert Einstein, Walter Isaacson 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.

It's all relative: listen to more about Albert Einstein.

©2007 Walter Isaacson. All rights reserved (P)2007 Simon and Schuster Inc. All rights reserved.

Critic reviews

• Audie Award Winner, Biography/Memoir, 2008

"[A] lucid account." (Publishers Weekly)
"Isaacson has admirably succeeded in weaving together the complex threads of Einstein's personal and scientific life to paint a superb portrait." (Arthur I. Miller, author of Einstein, Picasso)
"Isaacson has written a crisp, engaging, and refreshing biography, one that beautifully masters the historical literature and offers many new insights into Einstein's work and life." (Diana Kormos Buchwald, General Editor of the Collected Papers of Albert Einstein)

Not My Favorite By Isaacson, But Still Good

I guess it’s harder to write about people you’ve never met. Isaacson’s, Steve Jobs, and Elon Musk are better in my opinion. It was nice to learn about Einstein though.

Einstein's Humility and Humanity

The insights and descriptions of Einstein's growth over the years and over his lifetime are a rare glimpse of what made his life, his mind and him as a person.

Author Does a Nice Job of Engaging Us in the Story

Einstein is a fascinating man scientifically, politically, and personally. Isaacson does a good job of telling the story in a way that balances these three aspects of the famous man. Hermann's narration is masterful.

Interesting Guy

I thought this was an interesting book. I didn't find the scientific explanations eye-poppingly clear or any different than the previous fifty thousand times I have heard them explained, but the writing was very effective. I didn't know that Einstein was a Player though. That surprised me...that a man of such intelligence and stature couldn't control the primative urge to propogate was eye popping. I recomend this book to people who are interested in great people...it really humanizes motal gods.

a history of science

I suspect that if this biography were to be published using standard scientific conventions, the author list would be long indeed. This is not to diminish the achievement of the primary author, but given the immense breadth of scientific topics, there were many contributors to the clarity of the content. This is not so much a biography as a history of science at the turn of the 20th century. Everything from optics to fluid dynamics, wave theory, relativity, quantum mechanics, early atomic theory, fission, and the expanding universe are touched on - and so much more. Adding to the mix are insights into antisemitism, European politics, scientific hierarchy, socialism, communism, the atomic bomb, and the world wars. Yes, there are insights into Einstein the man, including his various romantic entanglements, but the biography truly shines in its extraordinary ability to cogently coelesce myriad scientific topics. This book is a treasure for those who love the history of science, and can appreciate the contributions of the many expert consultants.

Better than I expected.

I was hesitant to pick this one because I thought there wouldn't be enough science in it for my taste, but I was wrong. I loved the explanation of the metric tensor (it should be in Wikipedia). I thought the author was too kind to Lyman Briggs. The end was very moving. I highly recommend it.

A great man in addition to a great scientist

Once again Mr. Isaacson produces a biography which provides exceptional insight on the subject at hand. Listening will provide you with a clear understanding of why Einstien was able to develop insights that others were not. Amazingly, he never won the noble prize for his greatest accomplishments - the special and general theories of relatively. This bio provides much more beyond a clear understanding of Einstein's contributions. Einstein was extremely compassionate and made many lasting contributions to society that went beyond science. This is a worthwhile listen about an exceptional human being.

The incredible story of the world's leading mind

After having watched the miniseries Genius: Einstein on the National Geographic channel I found myself compelled to know more about the physicist who changed the way we look at the universe. Although he is basically known for the equation E equals mc squared, the theory of relativity and the atomic bomb, he excelled in so many other areas. His contributions during decades to fighting injustice and oppression in the face of complete adversity (Nazism just to name one of them) is a testament to his greatness. He definitely lived a life worth living.

The author, Walter Isaacson, wrote a very engaging biography of an enlightened and complex man (although Einstein always praised simplicity) and the narrator Edward Hermann did a wonderful job in captivating and maintaining my attention over the many hours. In the end I felt a little disappointed that the audiobook eventually had to come to an end.

Personal and detailed

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. It is both a story of a man and a story of science. This book paints Einstein as a very real person with faults and successes. I knew about the plight of Jews in pre-war Germany, but I had no idea that it was so pervasive in the highest scientific circles. At times I wanted to cheer, at times I wanted to cry and at times I shout out in protest. Excellent writing, details and performance.

Overall, a good listen.

The narrator did a great job and it was easy and fun to listen to. Learned a great deal about the great mind and life of Einstein. Recommend to anyone interested in his life.