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A small portion of the book is biographical in nature, dealing with Einstein's personal and professional life. Even more, of course, is devoted to the development of his brilliant theories, especially the Special and General Theories of Relativity.
Beyond that, there's a lot of information on quantum physics. In my opinion, up to that point, most of the book is written such that the average reader could understand most of it. Of course, once you get to quantum physics, one might question whether ANYONE could really understand that topic!
I would have given this book 4 or maybe even 5 stars, if the author hadn't wasted his (and my!) time with overly-lengthy discussions into "modern psychology" (e.g., Freud, Kant, etc.) and "Eastern mysticism " (e.g., Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, etc.). While he tries to make a connection between these topics and his discussion of quantum physics, I didn't think it was useful.
The book kicks of with two parts of preliminary information about the history of physics. If you get this book to learn about Einstein I suggest you start at part three. Part one will bore anyone with previous knowledge on the topic. Part two gets a bit more interesting as it goes into thermodynamics (the study of heat) and optics (the study of light).
The third and fourth parts take a lot of concentration and time to get through. I found these two parts very interesting and were pretty much the heart of the book.
Part five moves away from science for and looks at the atomic bomb and World War Two from a historical perspective. This part takes you to the end of Einstein's life. Part six (Worlds beyond Einstein's) is by far the most interesting part of the book as it journeys through different aspect of the Universe.
I strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in physics. If your looking to learn more about Einstein himself, it might be a good idea to stay awat from this book. The only math needed to embark in this excitinting journey is an elementary school knowledge.
There are three aspects of the book that I find most useful. First, being a "complete idiot's guide" means that it is written without being overly scientific. It allows the reader to understand these sometimes difficult topics without having a doctoral degree AND provides interest. Secondly, the integration of the history makes for a multidisciplinary approach similar to what I aim for in my teaching. If science and math are not your "true loves", then the historical and anecdotal notes will reach you. Thirdly, I especially think that the author's ultimately succeeds at his attempt to call for not just tolerance but understanding...whether it be for different theories or different cultures.
There is only one "bone" to pick. In the section on chemical bonding, the author fails to mention that Mendeleev's periodic table is not the one that we use today. Mendeleev organized his table based on increasing atomic mass, which is mentioned in the book. However, our table is based on increasing atomic number, thanks to Henry Moseley (who is not mentioned). This fact is often overlooked. Yet, as a chemistry major, I must fight for Moseley's right to be recognized for this vital contribution.
But one omission does not detract from the overall superiority of the book. This book is a "must have" for all physical science teachers!
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For preliminary reading I recommend "Linear Algebra - Gateway To Mathematics" by Robert Messer. This clears up a few things before taking on "Abstract Algebra"
Best regards
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