Editor: Michel Janssen and Christophe Lehner
2014
Cambridge University Press (New York)
ISBN: 9780521535427
Blurb:
This volume is the first systematic presentation of the work of Albert Einstein, comprised of fourteen essays by leading historians and philosophers of science. Meant to introduce readers to the work of the scientist, the Companion begins with an introduction that places Einstein’s work in the context of his life and times. The essays themselves focus on Einstein’s work—the papers of Einstein’s “miracle year” of 1905, covering Brownian motion, light quanta, and special relativity; his contributions to early quantum theory and the opposition to his light quantum hypothesis; Einstein’s path to the general theory of relativity in 1915 and the beginnings of two fields it spawned; and much more.
Review:
This is a fascinating and insightful collection of essays discussing the life and work of one of the greatest scientists of the twentieth century. Technical enough to sustain the interest science professionals yet equally suitable for the educated general reader. While the essays follow a general order from the origins of the papers that resulted in Einstein’s miracle year of 1905, through the development of relativity, to Einstein’s politics and philosophy, it is possible to dip in and out, reading the essays as the subject takes the reader’s interest. I read the first two chapters, discussing the early years of Einstein’s career and the development of special relativity, and then read chapter 14, discussing Einstein’s politics; the change of subject matter made a nice change.
Everything Is Better With Dragons 