EINSTEIN

Einstein: The Man and His Mind is a unique and valuable addition to the avalanche of books that have been published on different aspects of the Einstein phenomenon. The authors bring to this endeavor many years of intellectual, emotional, and professional kinship with Albert Einstein—the man and the scientist.  Dr. Gary S. Berger is an avid collector of documents related to Einstein.  The backbone of his collection, and the backbone of the present book, is signed photographs of the physicist. Michael DiRuggiero, an active player in the vibrant market of Einstein-related archival material, has been helping to curate the Berger collection.

Albert Einstein was twenty-one years old at the beginning of the twentieth century, just graduated from the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH) and in desperate search of an academic position that would allow him to pursue his ideas about the burning problems on the agenda of physics. About twenty years later he received the Nobel Prize, after having profoundly changed the scientific community’s understanding of the physical world. At the end of the century, he was elected by the readers of Time magazine as the “Person of the Century” (see page 158), followed by Mahatma Gandhi and Franklin Roosevelt.

The twentieth century is gone, and its memories are receding into history, but the memory of its great hero still reverberates with ever growing intensity. Einstein was, first and foremost, the architect and engineer of a new understanding of the physical world, the most revolutionary innovator since Newton. He remains the uncontested pioneer of the transition from classical to modern physics.

The papers he published in 1905, his “miracle year,” are the pillars of this transition. The technological consequences of these papers continue to affect our daily lives through myriad applications. In 1915, he formulated his masterpiece, a new theory of gravitation—the general theory of relativity—which became the genesis of modern cosmology and the basis of our understanding of the universe.

Einstein’s fame stems from his fundamental, groundbreaking contributions to science. Yet they alone cannot explain his universal iconic status. One of the apparently unique aspects of the Einstein phenomenon is that his work left its mark on the cultural history of the twentieth century, far beyond his area of expertise.  His presence in modern culture is all-encompassing—in art and literature, in movies and television programs, and in the digital media. He became one of the first media stars of science at a time when the world was eager to embrace such celebrities. Einstein was constantly in the public eye. In numerous articles and interviews, correspondence with peers, and public addresses, he expressed his views on a variety of political and moral issues—nationality and nationalism, war and peace, human liberty and dignity—and he launched relentless attacks on all forms of discrimination. Einstein’s views and activities outside of physics were not simply add-ons to a life devoted to science. They were evidently driven by the same inner urge as his quest for scientific progress.

This humble dedication to human rights is probably the most profound reason why Einstein has become such a popular cultural icon; why centennials of the landmarks of his creativity have been celebrated worldwide with public events, international conferences, workshops, and television programs; why his image decorates so many commercial products and is the most recognizable face on our planet.

The present book contains numerous signed photographs from the Berger collection, illustrating chronologically different chapters in Einstein’s life. They are interwoven with signed letters, Einstein quotations, covers of selected articles, and canonical equations, and are accompanied by descriptive remarks that are always informative, often thought-provoking, and sometimes amusing (for example, Einstein’s meeting with Charlie Chaplin, page 94). All these annotated items draw a fascinating portrait of Albert Einstein, a genuinely modest person. The photographs from the second half of his life, in particular, evoke an image of a friendly non-conformist. The fame that was his fate did not corrupt him. He remained a simple man who was not striving to please anybody, by either action or behavior, words or looks. He was an eccentric who defied authority and convention, to the extent that he did not wear socks when visiting President Roosevelt in the White House. His hair was usually in disarray, and one six-year-old girl wrote to him, “Dear Mr. Einstein, I saw your picture in the newspaper. You ought to have your hair cut so that you can look better.”

The authors’ gracious gesture to contribute the royalties from this book to the Albert Einstein Archives at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem is in line with their decision to dedicate their book to Einstein’s memory. It reflects their commitment to maintaining and spreading Einstein’s legacy in the public eye.

The Albert Einstein Archives constitutes an extremely valuable historical resource. Considered one of the most significant sources for the history of modern physics, the Archives is additionally an extremely important source for German, European, Jewish, and American intellectual, political, and social history of the first half of the twentieth century. Its documents include materials relating to Einstein’s lifelong scientific odyssey, and outside of physics there is also extensive documentation on pacifism, militarism, fascism, nationalism, McCarthyism, world government, and nuclear disarmament. Documents on antisemitism, the Holocaust, Israel, and the Arab-Israeli conflict are related to Einstein’s Jewish identity. The Albert Einstein Archives also includes subcollections of non-textual materials: photographs, medals, honorary diplomas, Einstein trivia and collectibles, sound recordings, and film footage.

Einstein was one of the founding fathers of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Therefore, it was natural that he made it the eternal home of his intellectual legacy. The Archives, together with the Einstein Papers Project in Pasadena and with Princeton University Press, have produced a scientific publication of the documents in the archives and made it freely accessible online. The Archives has also shared this material with the general public by presenting selected documents from its holdings in various exhibitions and events related to Einstein’s legacy worldwide. Therefore, the authors’ gesture is certainly appropriate, and it is accepted with appreciation and gratitude.

—HANOCH GUTFREUND
Professor (Emeritus) of Physics, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem,
and Academic Head of the Albert Einstein Archives