Einstein: His Life and Universe by Walter Isaacson

Einstein: His Life and Universe is a warm exploration of the life of one of history's most endearing characters and one of physics' greatest minds. For those wanting to learn more about Einstein's life, there are few better starting points than Isaacson's biography, which mingles science, friendships, politics, family life, and other aspects of Einstein's life into a coherent story of a man who created a new order of the universe out of a strong belief that such order must inherently exist there.

In this biography, Isaacson once again tackles a controversial and compelling figure - Albert Einstein. With careful explanations of his scientific principles, from Relativity to the EPR Paradox, Isaacson is not content to merely explore Einstein's science, but instead takes us deep into his life to find the fundamental forces that shaped his achievements.

As a young boy, Einstein began to speak late and had trouble controlling his temper. He left for school in Zurich as a teenager with the intention of renouncing his German citizenship, feeling disconnected from his nation of origin.

This rebellious spirit, the willingness to step outside of the norm and pave his own path, would also identify his physics. His bold 1905 work in proving atomic theory, describing the photon theory of light, and ultimately creating the theory of relativity, are all marked by this same willingness to break the status quo.

Isaacson also explores the close friendships that Einstein developed, mostly among physics and mathematical colleagues, along with his unconventional personal life. The book refers to indiscretions, but there are few details to support these comments, but what is there is strange enough, as he fails in one marriage and goes on to marry his own cousin!

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of Einstein's life is the popular fame that he achieved worldwide among a public that could barely comprehend his work. Many would seek to link him to various political or social organizations, but he would rarely allow such connections to grow too strong.

The overarching sense that one gets from Isaacson's look at Einstein is that he was a strongly independent man. His actions were guided by the sense that there must be order in the universe, and he forever sought that order.