Reviewing Relativity

While reading Isaacson’s Einstein, I learned that Einstein actually wrote a book in 1916 titled Relativity: The Special and General Theory where he explains relativity to the “layman” as he describes in the preface:

“The present book is intended, as far as possible, to give an exact insight into the theory of Relativity to those readers who, from a general scientific and philosophical point of view, are interested in the theory, but who are not conversant with the mathematical apparatus of theoretical physics. The work presumes a standard of education corresponding to that of a university matriculation examination, and, despite the shortness of the book, fair amount of patience and force of will on the part of the reader.”

That was (2) sentences written by Einstein in german 102 years ago that have since translated to english, and it only gets more mind-bending from here. These 77 pages will convince you that he is genius in every sense of the word, not just in physics.

This book contains all of Einstein’s famous thought experiments around relativity: pulled elevator in space, viewing lightening strikes while on a moving train, moving measuring rods and clocks, and how to think about multidimensional finite but limitless shapes (like our the surface of a sphere or our universe).

There is also some math in here, but I glossed over it and it’s not really necessary to understand the bigger ideas being discussed.

The real reason I wanted to read this book was to just put more Einstein in my brain. After reading his 700pg biography which was filled with quotes (and amazing Isaacson writing) I realized it had a profound effect on not only my understanding of physics but my writing and speaking. But is it such a crazy thought that reading the definition of relativity by reading the words of it’s creator would make me smarter?

In the end I’m kind of upset I didn’t read this in school. This book would be a great exercise for either a physics class or even an english class to review together. The reading is challenging but the content creates discussions too engaging for students to drown out.

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This is the 13th book I read of 2018.

Book #12 was Flow: The psychology of optimal experience

Book #14 was Animal Farm