Einstein: His Space and Times (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9780300196719)

From the prizewinning Jewish Lives series, a revealing new portrait of Albert Einstein, the world's first scientific "superstar"

"With graceful lucidity, Gimbel illuminates the intensely personal challenges facing the great physicist."--Booklist, Starred Review

The commonly held view of Albert Einstein is of an eccentric genius for whom the pursuit of science was everything. But in actuality, the brilliant innovator whose Theory of Relativity forever reshaped our understanding of time was a man of his times, always politically engaged and driven by strong moral principles. An avowed pacifist, Einstein's mistrust of authority and outspoken social and scientific views earned him death threats from Nazi sympathizers in the years preceding World War II. To him, science provided not only a means for understanding the behavior of the universe, but a foundation for considering the deeper questions of life and a way for the worldwide Jewish community to gain confidence and pride in itself.

Steven Gimbel's biography presents Einstein in the context of the world he lived in, offering a fascinating portrait of a remarkable individual who remained actively engaged in international affairs throughout his life. This revealing work not only explains Einstein's theories in understandable terms, it demonstrates how they directly emerged from the realities of his times and helped create the world we live in today.

About Jewish Lives:

Jewish Lives is a prizewinning series of interpretative biography designed to explore the many facets of Jewish identity. Individual volumes illuminate the imprint of Jewish figures upon literature, religion, philosophy, politics, cultural and economic life, and the arts and sciences. Subjects are paired with authors to elicit lively, deeply informed books that explore the range and depth of the Jewish experience from antiquity to the present.

In 2014, the Jewish Book Council named Jewish Lives the winner of its Jewish Book of the Year Award, the first series ever to receive this award.

More praise for Jewish Lives:

"Excellent" -New York Times

"Exemplary" -Wall Street Journal

"Distinguished" -New Yorker

"Superb" -The Guardian

Author: Steven Gimbel
ISBN-10: 0300196717
ISBN-13: 9780300196719
Publisher: Yale University Press
Language: English
Published: 04/28/2015
Pages: 208
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 0.80lbs
Size: 8.50h x 6.10w x 0.80d

Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 02/15/2015
Publishers Weekly 03/30/2015
Library Journal 04/01/2015 pg. 114
Booklist 04/15/2015 pg. 7
New York Review of Books 05/07/2015 pg. 14
Choice 09/01/2015