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Einstein  By  cover art

Einstein

By: Walter Isaacson
Narrated by: Edward Herrmann
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Editorial reviews

Why we think it's Essential: Isaacson is the modern master of the biography, so it was only natural that he turn his pen to Einstein. And more than any biography of the past, Isaacson's account unravels the life behind the brain and provides a full picture of the man who embodied the scientific spirit of the 20th century. Edward Herrmann is stirring and moves effortlessly from humorous anecdotes to scientific theories. — Chris Doheny

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)

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What listeners say about Einstein

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awesome to get insight into his life

vocabulary is great. Einstein's trajectory is fascinating. peaking mid life from a career stand point. especially with luminaries like musk pivoting to trying to run Twitter after so much success, will it persist?

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Einstein

I enjoyed this book very much. The narrator was pleasant to listen to. The story of Einsteins life I found enthralling. It seemed the background and story was well researched and laid out so that the listener acquired a good understanding of all of Einsteins work and related theories and also how that work fit into the greater scope of his life.

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Good experience

I enjoyed the story and narration! I recommend it. I learned more about the physics and history of Einstein!

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Good Insights into a great mind

The political side of Einstein was especially interesting as that is not discussed about him as much.

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Absolutely perfect.

The story was absolutely perfect. As someone interested in physics, the explainations on special and general relatively were magnificent, and perfectly understandable. I’ve seen complains about a robot-like voice, but I felt none of that. Instead, I got a worthwhile experience that will stick with me for the foreseeable future—narrated perfectly.

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Amazing

Walter Isaacson is one of my top 5 authors. And this one of his best. The narration was superb and the information gleaned was super. I can highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in knowing and learning about famous people. Y Even if you are not into science, it will amaze you. Einstein was a humanitarian and a funny fellow. Read it please

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Great listen!

I felt like I was traveling around with Einstein, like I knew him. Loved this book and how it was written.

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Very comprehensive and defailed

Goes into great detail, not only about Einstein but about his theories as well. Author repeats himself an awful lot though. Gets annoying. If not for that I would have given a 5.

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Amazing Detail

How several women impacted his life and how much people liked him as a person

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Excellent life story

Must read to know how to be a better human being to create a world for freedom of thinking and beyond!!

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