Einstein by Walter Isaacson

I read this book several years ago; on rereading it I was much more interested in Einstein’s science than his life story. Yet the story is still inspiring; it is a testimony to what an unconventional mind and a lot of curiosity can accomplish. Einstein remained a determinist throughout his life, and on reading a book about a successful life like this it is easy to believe that some mysterious Providence guides us through life, although Einstein’s determinism was scientific rather than religious. Alas, Fate is not so generous to all men. Einstein had the rare good fortune to not only be a genius but to have his genius recognized and celebrated in his own lifetime. And he was not a tormented genius; his biography bespeaks a man possessed of tremendous inner calm. I have not gotten very far studying Einstein’s theories, but his life as well as his science has lessons that all of us can profit from.