Einstein: His Life and UniverseEinstein: His Life and Universe
Score Modern
What it's about
Walter Isaacson tells the life of Albert Einstein: a rebellious student who couldn't get an academic job, a patent clerk who in 1905 published papers that remade physics, the creator of general relativity, a world celebrity, a refugee from Nazi Germany and an old man in Princeton who never accepted quantum mechanics. Isaacson drew on letters released only recently, including about Einstein's marriages and children.
Why it's worth reading
It spent weeks at #1 on the New York Times list. Isaacson explains the science clearly enough for anyone, and he shows how Einstein's imagination and independence drove his work.
You'll love it if you liked
Leonardo da Vinci
American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer
A Brief History of TimeGood to know
The physics chapters are clear but take some focus. His treatment of his first wife and children is unflattering.
By the numbers
- Readers73 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller60 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #52 of the 119 science and ideas books we rank
- #132 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #390 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #770 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story, Thought-provoking
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All 36 best-of lists →
Memoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 ranked
Science and ideas booksTop 25 · 119 ranked
Modern booksTop 25 · 1,573 ranked
Books of the 2000sTop 25 · 490 ranked
Fantasy booksTop 25 · 459 ranked
Mysteries and thrillersTop 25 · 555 ranked
Literary novelsTop 25 · 309 ranked
Science fiction booksTop 25 · 313 rankedQuick answers
Is Einstein: His Life and Universe worth reading?
Yes. It spent weeks at #1 on the New York Times list. It ranks #770 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 75.3 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Einstein: His Life and Universe about?
Walter Isaacson tells the life of Albert Einstein: a rebellious student who couldn't get an academic job, a patent clerk who in 1905 published papers that remade physics, the creator of general relativity, a world celebrity, a refugee from Nazi Germany and an old man in Princeton who never accepted quantum mechanics. Isaacson drew on letters released only recently, including about Einstein's marriages and children.
How long does it take to read Einstein: His Life and Universe?
About 18 hours (704 pages), or about 5 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Einstein: His Life and Universe?
If you liked it, try Leonardo da Vinci by Walter Isaacson, American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin or A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking.