Ronald W. ClarkRecensioni

The "definitive biography" of one of the most famous scientists who ever lived is detailed and well-researched. Though a scientific genius and a nice man, Albert Einstein (1879-1955) had his prejudices, hated Germany, was the prototype of the "absent-minded professor" more comfortable with things than with people, and generally disdained anyone not in his inner circle (though he loved children). A very fair biography, exposing Einstein's faults and mistakes as well as lauding his brilliant mind and ethical principles.

De acuerdo con el relato de su vida, para Russell tres pasiones gobernaron su vida: el anhelo de amor, la búsqueda del conocimiento, y la compasión por los sufrimientos de la humanidad.

Einstein was a remarkable man. I was aware of this and knew his reputation as a brilliant scientist who postulated the theory of reletivity.

But there was more to the man than this. There are three main things in his life he dedicated himself to. Science was his greatest love, followed by pacifisim, and Zionism.

WWI deeply affected Einstein. He saw his brother scientists turn their minds to creating better ways to kill their fellowmen and it disturbed him. After WWI he spent a great deal of time and effort arguing for mutal disarment and made speeches encouraging the men in Europe to refuse to serve in the military and if drafted to refuse to serve. There was a lot of support for this type of thinking in the years between the world wars and there was a great number of people who could not fathom another world war or even major military conflict ever taking place in Europe.

Einstein made speaches, lent his name to groups, and wrote in support of a pacivistic viewpoint. After the rise of Hiter, the dispelling of Jews from professional engagement in education and science in Germany, and the rise of military might in Germany Einstien changed his mind and believed that military service was appropriate and that Hiter and Germany had to be stopped using violence.

Most people know that he was somehow involved with the atomic bomb. He did not work directly on the project but he acted to initiate the project by sending a letter to president Roosevelt about the research that was going on that could produce a prodigious explosion bigger than any so far achieved. He was concerned that the Germany military might develop it first and gain a disturbing advantage over the allies. While he probably knew from conversations with scientists involved in the actual development of the bomb, and contributed some brain power to solving some issues, he did not participate directly nor was he given security clearence to do so.

In the years after WWII he sated he regretted sending the letter.


The persecution of the Jews in Germany drove Einstein to embrace his Jewish roots. One fact I found interesting was that as Jews were being driven from their educational posts in Germany books written by Jews, even those who had lived their whole lives in Germany and never learned Hewbrew had their books marked "translated from Hebrew" so that the German public would know that the ideas in the book were probably rubbish based on the race of the author.

Even before the war Einstein worked with other Jews in establishing Jewish higher education in what was to become Israel. He helped raise funds for the Jewish people there and later, for displaced German Jewish academics as they were being driven out of Germany.

At the passing of the first prime minister of Israel his name was suggested as a suitable replacement. He declined citing his age and health as good reasons for his action.

Einstein never stopped working on his scientific research. While his most earthmoving theory was postulated in his earlier age he continued thinking and proposing ideas about how the universe worked until he passed away.

You cannot understand Einstein unless you understand that a major part of what made him tick was his belief in the importance of the empowering of the individual when it comes to self education and actualization. Einstein had a terrible time in school at a younger age. The highly regimented classroom and typical German instruction methods were something he resented and spoke against for the rest of his life. His ability to come up with the theory of reletivity was related to his ability to think outside the box of conventional ways of looking at the universe. When it comes to discipline modern American schools are nothing like German schools. However, I wonder if he would disapprove of the cookie cutter approach we take to education? I suspect not.

A note on religion, it seems Einstein is quoted by everyone who is for, against, or unsure whether God exists. He commented on an accusation that he was a godless communist once and advised that he believed in God, a view he repeated on many occaisions, but later clarified that he did not have any sort of relationship with a personal God. He was a theist but it does not appear that there is evidience that would support an argument that he was a devout Christian, Catholic, Jew, or practicing member of another religion. I suppose because people view him as such a brilliant person that his opinion lends credibility to what you think about the existance of God if it agrees with what you believe.

I felt the author did a good job of not stooping to hagiography, did a decent job of explaining the theory of relativity in a way that allowed me to understand what he was talking about, and the significant effect that the theory had on the world of science. I felt like I understood to a decent degree the man behind the accomplishments and some of the things that made him tick. Overall this book was lengthy, seemed to cover the subject well, and seemed to maintain a good tone relating to the main character, and drew from many sources to create a picture of a brilliant life.

Vertaling in het Duits.

A very well written biography of an intellectually elite family whose individual efforts in England and America helped shape the dialogue on religion and science. My own appreciation for the book comes from the author's attention to detail on Aldous Huxley and his work in Los Angeles and the link to his views on mysticism. Aldous was acutely aware of Catherine of Siena and John of the Cross and sought ways to reach the knowledge they wrote of in scientific ways. Excellent B&W pictures, bibliography, and index.

An historical speculation about the development of an atomic bomb in Victorian England, this captures the literary style of the time and manages to give a credible scientific flavour to the tale.

I should have paid more attention to the subtitle. There is a greater emphasis on the idea - and by this I mean in the finer points of evolutionary theory - than I have the desire, and most likely, ability, to retain. A positive of the book is that it handles quoted and referenced material in a virtually seemless manner. The attributions are only rarely mentioned in the text itself and are instead listed sequentially, and exclusively, in the back of the book. This allows for a flowing narrative style and is an approach that should be more widely used.

Useful for nonpolitical people because it's balanced and while it tries to connect Lenin to Stalin editorially, I think it contains enough information for a critical reader to think that there's good reason to be skeptical of such a conclusion (and therefor to hopefully do the research that I believe would prove such a thing).

Thomas Henry Huxley (1825-1895) was an intellectual giant of the 19th century, a pioneering genius whose influence was felt throughout the worlds of science, education, and politics during the Victorian era. A man of astonishing energy, and prodigious talent, Huxley had a sharp wit and a brilliant, questioning mind. Inventor of the term "agnostic", and self-proclaimed as "Darwin's bulldog", T.H. Huxley is best remembered today for his prominent role in defending evolution against attacks from scientists, theists, and philosophers. However, Huxley's writings spanned a remarkable range, reflecting his broad interests, intellectual passions, and social commitment.

T.H. Huxley was the patriarch of an extraordinary family, and Ronald Clark's book offers a biographical history of the Huxley clan and their accomplishments. Most of the focus is on Thomas himself, and on his grandsons Julian (biologist and social activist) and Aldous (the novelist, screenwriter, and political writer, and sometimes visionary). Other than Thomas' son Leonard (who published T.H.'s correspondence, and was father to Julian and Aldous), the remaining Huxley descendants are mentioned but briefly, including Andrew Huxley, who won the 1963 Nobel prize for work on physiology of the giant squid axon.

This account provides a good general source of information about the Huxleys, and has its share of fascinating anecdotes and insights about their early lives. Thomas Huxley had to struggle to find a paying position such that he might marry Henrietta; their engagement lasted eight years, during which time she waited for him in Australia. One is forced to contemplate what the history of science might have been like if he had gained the chair at the University of Sydney for which he had hoped.

Julian Huxley [of whom Thomas had said "I like that boy. I like how he looks you right in the eye and disobeys you...] followed in his grandfather's footsteps, as an evolutionary biologist, a secular humanist, and an indefatigable worker on behalf of social causes. Aldous receives Clark's most sympathetic portrayal. Julian noted: "From early boyhood, I knew in some intuitive way that Aldous possessed some innate superiority and moved on a different level from us other children". And, as the story goes, when his aunt tried to intrude into four-year old Aldous' reverie with the question: "What are you thinking about Aldous dear?", she was silenced by the little boy's simple reply: "Skin". Aldous became nearly blind through corneal pigmentation, and could barely read; only much later did he regain his sight. A pacifist in both World War I and II, he lived in America for many years. Clark seems to consider "Point-Counterpoint" his best novel; many readers will know Aldous at least as well for "Brave New World", and his essays "Doors of Perception" and "Heaven and Hell", which were based on his experiments with hallucinogens.

One of the weaknesses in Clark's account is that he seems to have little understanding of the scientific work of two of his main protagonists. The significance of particular works of both Thomas and Julian is neither discussed nor appreciated. Thomas Huxley's surprising reticence about natural selection (as opposed to evolution) is also overlooked. It is not clear from Clark's work how and why Julian came to write "Evolution: the Modern Synthesis"; did he deserve to be considered an architect of the Modern Synthesis, or did he gain that recognition by coining and popularizing the phrase?

Moreover, the author is naive when it comes to genetics; he seems to be preoccupied with the notion that a special set of genes accounts for the Huxley success (despite environmental effects and the 50% genetic dilution of each generation!) In addition, Clark tries to trace personality characteristics to particular ancestors. One wishes he had been as well versed in biology and psychology as in history. The fault in the book lies with its central premise -- that something inherent in the Huxley line explains the successes of members lying two generations apart. One wonders: what about the many other descendants of Thomas and Henrietta, including those not bearing the name Huxley? is none of Julian's success in biology attributable to his inheritance of that famous last name? In short, what form of selection (if any) accounts for success of the later Huxleys -- natural or cultural?

Clark's book offers an interesting and often entertaining account, and at the time of its writing (in the 1960s), it was the best single source of information on the family. However, with several other works now available on Thomas, Julian, and Aldous (including biographies of T.H. Huxley by Paradis and by Adrian Desmond), Clark's book is no longer definitive, and will not adequately suit the interests of biologists or historians. It does offer, however, an informative introduction to the history of this most remarkable of families.½

He had some personal failings, but Albert Einstein has for most of my life been one of my most admired characters. This excellent biography, with 200+ photographs, is a fine look at his life, work and ideas. The science is clearly explained without mathematics (quite a trick for the Relativity Theory). A useful reference of the man who said that God does not play dice with the universe. It pleases me that his life and mine overlapped a little (he died a year after I was born. I don't know why that pleases me; it just does.)½

Gets bogged down in places. A LOONNGG biography.

7/9/22

Unfiled

steampunkish before anyone was doing it..

*note to self. Copy from A.= Different dust jacket.(scan later)1967 ed by Johnathan Cape Publishers. Hardcover.

Biography