Anyone who knows Albert Einstein only as a tousle haired face on a poster has seen only the surface. How could a physicist so fundamentally change the Newtonian view of the world that time and space suddenly became mobile and the twentieth century learned a new way of thinking. This non fiction book shows why Einstein, as the originator of the theory of relativity, became the very image of the scientist, the genius and the pacifist, and why his ideas still shape research, technology and everyday life.
You follow a fact rich cultural journey through classroom, patent office, lecture hall and world politics, explained in a way that is accessible, entertaining and clearly structured. The text explains the major terms of theoretical physics without haze, relativity, spacetime, the speed of light, energy and mass, and at the same time introduces Einstein’s contributions to quantum physics. In this way, knowledge takes shape that gives you confidence when it comes to placing modern natural science and understanding the impact of scientific revolutions, and it equips you with arguments for any discussion.
Einstein grew up in Germany, sought his own path early on, and found in Switzerland the intellectual freedom he needed. After his studies and first posts, he ended up at the patent office in Bern, a seemingly unremarkable place that gave him time to think. This was the setting for the famous year 1905, in which he published several papers and opened new doors in physics, including on the nature of light, on the motion of the smallest particles, and on the relationship between energy and mass.
In 1905 Einstein published the ‘Special Theory of Relativity’ and in doing so called the familiar order of time and motion into question. Out of this very radical thinking grew worldwide recognition. At the latest, when observations during a solar eclipse in 1919 made his predictions about the bending of light famous, he became an international icon. He gave lectures and worked within a network of scientists and research institutes that shaped the global scientific world. The book shows how this interconnectedness accelerated research and how Einstein’s methods created a new language for physics.
Even beyond the early breakthroughs, Einstein remained a driving force of progress. His contributions to quantum physics were extraordinary, and in 1922 he received the Nobel Prize. At the same time, his public weight grew because he never understood science as an isolated ivory tower, but as part of society, bound up with fears, ambitions and the values people want to stand for. This makes clear why he was not only a researcher, but also a voice of his time.
When the National Socialists came to power in 1933, Einstein had to emigrate and went to the United States. From there, his political and social influence continued to grow. He became a prominent advocate of freedom of expression and peace between nations and vehemently opposed the use of atomic bombs. This non fiction book makes it tangible how a scientist took responsibility without betraying the core of his work, and why Einstein’s name still stands for insight and conscience.
The author of the book is Bert Alexander Petzold, and it is ideally suited to preparation for examinations leading to the higher education entrance qualification and for study at university.
Secure this book and discover Albert Einstein as a person and thinker who pushed back the limits of what can be imagined. Anyone who wants not only to have heard of relativity and quantum physics, but to have understood them, will find clarity, context and a perspective that lasts.
