Midwest Book Review — Einstein: The Man And His Mind
D. Donovan, Sr. Reviewer – Midwest Book Review

ENSTEIN: The Man and His Mind gathers photo highlights from the Berger Collection that illustrate chronologically significant moments in Einstein’s life, pairing them with Einstein quotes, signed letters, and biographical notes. The result is a synthesis of personal and professional insights that, when taken as a whole, reveal and profile Einstein’s persona and achievements in a manner that has somehow been missed by the wealth of Einstein books already on the market.

Between historical resources from the Albert Einstein Archives and the collaborative prowess of two researchers who bring to the table different approaches to Einstein along with a shared admiration for his achievements (Dr. Gary S. Berger is an avid collector of documents related to Einstein, while Michael DiRuggiero plays an active rule in curating the Berger collection of photos), the result both differs from and vastly enhances any other Einstein coverage.

Delving into EINSTEIN: The Man and His Mind for an idea of this significance, the first note is that the biography and notes are represented in a unique manner—via vintage photos juxtaposed by a facing page of information explaining the image and the circumstances of its creation.

Biographical material is thus linked to visual pieces that will appeal beyond the usual science or biography reader, reaching into circles of genealogists and photographic arts enthusiasts interested in the intersection of visual and written explorations.

This quote, the opening introduction to the collection, illustrates the power of history, biography, and art which are all given equal attention: “The year 1896 was memorable for Einstein in other ways as well. While boarding with the Winteler family, he fell in love for the first time with eighteen-year-old Marie Winteler. And, to avoid mandatory German military service, which he detested, Einstein renounced his German citizenship (for the first time; he would renounce it for the second time in 1933). He was stateless for the next five years, finally becoming a Swiss citizen in 1901. This photograph, a formal studio portrait in the carte-de-visite style, printed on card stock, was designed for presentation. Einstein gave it to his lifelong friend Albert Karr-Karusi and inscribed the back (in German): “To my dear Albert / Your Albert.” It was a memento of their friendship, given in the spirit of today’s high school students who sign each other’s yearbooks.”

An exquisite dance connecting past history with present-day experience is crafted which continues throughout the presentation, allowing modern-day audiences to understand the ongoing relevance and importance of Einstein’s life and times by relating his processes and life to modern experiences.

From his enjoyment of and respect for children to interpretations of Einstein’s portraits and their reflection of his changing life in later years (“This image shows Einstein in an unusual pose, squarely facing the camera. His formal posture in front of a studio background delightfully contrasts with his attire, a leather jacket buttoned over a dress shirt. Earlier studio portraits of Einstein typically showed him wearing a suit. This portrait of Einstein at age sixty-five reflects his more informal way of life at Princeton.”), the insights provided by Gary S. Berger and Michael DiRuggiero are both key to understanding Einstein’s evolutionary process and unparalleled in the vast body of Einstein literature that seeks to capture his life and works.

These days, ebooks are often easier choices than hard copies of a book, lending to easier browsing and return to a thought via entering keywords in searches. Those who eschew the hard copy, however, are more than missing something. Einstein is packaged in a lovely oversized hardcover that does complete justice to the vintage images that power the production. This quality creates a visceral impact that does not fully translate to ebook formats.

The idea was to reproduce the experience of looking at the original documents and photos as realistically as possible. The heavy weight of the book due to its superior paper quality and glossy varnish on the photos required the book was published in Italy by a publisher with experience in reproducing artwork and photos.

It cannot be emphasized enough that any library seeking a definitive collection of Einstein information should consider the powerful, well-researched EINSTEIN: The Man and His Mind a ‘foundation pick’ to their holdings.

With its ability to reach a wide audience, from those with a special interest in Einstein to others who may have relatively little prior familiarity with the man, EINSTEIN: The Man and His Mind is a standout in Einstein literature and in researched biographical and artistic studies, and deserves a place not just in Einstein libraries, but in those representing the intersection between photographic art and biography.

EINSTEIN: The Man and His Mind

Einstein: The Man and His Mind
By Gary S. Berger and Michael DiRuggiero
Available in the United States in bookstores and online.
ISBN 978-8862087841
December 2022