Einstein's masterwork 1915 and the General Theory of Relativity

*Starred Review* A mere instant in the time scale of the universe it explains, a century still gives Gribbin much-needed historical perspective on the theory of general relativity, published by Albert Einstein in 1915. Though less widely appreciated than his special theory of relativity (with its iconic formula E=mc2), Einstein's general theory has given scientists over the last 100 years a vastly wider and more profound perspective than its predecessor, fully justifying Einstein's judgment that it was the most valuable theory of my life. Forged during a year when Einstein nearly starved because of food shortages in wartime Berlin and endured acute emotional distress because of marital difficulties, the general theory revolutionized science. Steering mercifully clear of the mathematical complexities, Gribbin explores the ways this theory has illuminated a wide range of cosmic phenomena including black holes, gravity waves, and cosmic expansion of space-time. Again and again in recent decades, scientists using technology undreamed of in 1915 have verified the most counterintuitive features of Einstein's theory. Even the feature of that theory that Einstein came to regard as his greatest scientific blunder has turned out to be spot-on as a prediction of the amount of dark matter and dark energy in the universe! A must-read for armchair physicists.--Christensen, Bryce Copyright 2016 Booklist

Contrary to widespread belief that 1905 was Einstein's most important year, British astrophysicist and science writer Gribbin (13.8: The Quest to Find the True Age of the Universe and the Theory of Everything) posits that 1915, the year that Einstein published his general theory of relativity, holds much more historical and scientific importance. Leading up to this argument, Gribbin describes Einstein's life, mingling personal events with his work, and successfully humanizing the iconic image of the scientist, describing him more as "a cross between God and Harpo Marx." Gribbin tells the sad fate of Einstein's first marriage from both sides and describes Einstein's social interactions within the wider international physics world. Einstein's work might not have been recognized as revolutionary if not for the support of respected scientists such as Max Planck and Einstein's old friend Marcel Grossmann. Despite Gribbin's claim, he devotes the book's longest chapter to the excitement surrounding the special theory of relativity in 1905. When Gribbin finally arrives at 1915, instead of making the case that it was Einstein's true annus mirabilis, he points out that those who came before Einstein laid the groundwork for the idea of a curvature of space-time. The book's primary virtue is Gribbin's clear explanations of Einstein's theories, which can be understood by those lacking an extensive background in math or science. Illus. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.