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The Born-Einstein Letters

Max Born, one of the founders of quantum theory, was a friend of Einstein from their time as professors at the University of Berlin , and they kept in touch for until the end of Einstein's life. This book is a collection of the letters between them together with explanatory notes by Born. Such correspondence provides an insight into some of the issues which Einstein and Born thought important. For instance in political issues the two were generally in agreement, but Born made it known that he wanted nothing to do with the atomic bomb, whilst unbeknown to him, Einstein signed a letter encouraging its development by the USA.

Another area of interest is Einstein's correspondence with Max's wife Hedi - it seems that he was never quite comfortable with her complex character. Also notable is the fact that Einstein didn't visit the family after the mid-1920's, athough he counted them as amoung his closest friends. As regards quantum theory, there is surprsingly little argument about it during its early years - presumably Einstein argued more with Niels Bohr. There is a series of letters in the mid 1940's about the localisation of particles, and it is interesting to note how Born seems determined to defend the 'official' interpretation of quantum theory in spite of its problems

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Hardcover 256 pages
ISBN: 1403944962
Salesrank: 655290
Weight:0.84 lbs

Published: 2005 Macmillan

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Hardcover 256 pages
ISBN: 1403944962
Salesrank: 284309
Weight:0.84 lbs

Published: 2004 Palgrave Macmillan

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Hardcover 256 pages
ISBN: 1403944962
Salesrank: 206539
Weight:0.84 lbs

Published: 2004 Palgrave

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Product Description
Albert Einstein and Max Born were great friends. Their letters span 40 years and two world wars. In them they argue about quantum theory, agree about Beethoven's heavenly violin and piano duets (that they played together when they met) and chat about their families. Equally important, the men commiserate over the tragic plight of European Jewry and discuss what part they should play in the tumultuous politics of the time. Fascinating historically, The Born-Einstein Letters is also highly topical: scientists continue to struggle with quantum physics, their role in wartime and the public's misunderstanding. First published by Macmillan in 1971, this book is re-issued, with a substantial new preface by leading US physicists Kip Thorne and Diana Buchwald, as part of 2005's Relativity Centenary celebrations.

Product Description

Albert Einstein and Max Born were great friends. Their letters span 40 years and two world wars. In them they argue about quantum theory, agree about Beethoven's heavenly violin and piano duets (that they played together when they met) and chat about their families. Equally important, the men commiserate over the tragic plight of European Jewry and discuss what part they should play in the tumultuous politics of the time.

Fascinating historically, The Born-Einstein Letters is also highly topical: scientists continue to struggle with quantum physics, their role in wartime and the public's misunderstanding. First published by Macmillan in 1971, this book is re-issued, with a substantial new preface by leading US physicists Kip Thorne and Diana Buchwald, as part of 2005's Relativity Centenary celebrations.

A vivid account of XXth century history and science *****
This book is the history of a lifelong frienship between two great scientists, but is much more than this as it covers perhaps the most dramatic period of the history of humanity. Their lives were conditioned by the two world wars which originated the scene in which we all live now in XXI century.

A vivid account of XXth century history and science *****

This book is the history of a lifelong frienship between two great scientists, but is much more than this as it covers perhaps the most dramatic period of the history of humanity. Their lives were conditioned by the two world wars which originated the scene in which we all live now in XXI century.

A peculiar glimpse into the relationship of two physicists *****
Take a great mathematician, add to it the talent of a philosopher, the mindfulness of a Buddhist monk and the intuition of a gifted doctor and you get a world's greatest physicist. This book is a peculiar glimpse into the relationship of two accomplished physicists. The letters touch up on a number of scientific, humanitarian, and political issues. Enlightening account of two intelligent people dealing with the inevitable intellectual and personal differences within the context of their freindship. A fascinating account of Einstein's state of mind during his last days and his general attitude towards dying at the end of the book. The translations are done in questionable English but it only adds to the charms. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

A peculiar glimpse into the relationship of two physicists *****

Take a great mathematician, add to it the talent of a philosopher, the mindfulness of a Buddhist monk and the intuition of a gifted doctor and you get a world's greatest physicist. This book is a peculiar glimpse into the relationship of two accomplished physicists. The letters touch up on a number of scientific, humanitarian, and political issues. Enlightening account of two intelligent people dealing with the inevitable intellectual and personal differences within the context of their freindship. A fascinating account of Einstein's state of mind during his last days and his general attitude towards dying at the end of the book. The translations are done in questionable English but it only adds to the charms. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Revealing the Human Side of Two Brilliant Scientists!! ****
+++++ The highlight of this book by Nobel Prize-winning physicist Max Born (1882 to 1970) is the letters he and Nobel Prize-winning physicist Albert Einstein (1879 to 1955) exchanged between the years 1916 and 1955. These letters (that were never meant to be published) show the human side of these brilliant physicists. This book has an overall introduction broken up into seven sections: (1) Note on this new edition by Gustav Born (one of Max Born's sons). (2) Acknowledgements for this new edition again by Gustav. (3) A Modern Preface to this new edition by historian Diana Buchwald and physicist Kip Thorne. (4) Forward to the original edition by Nobel Prize-winning philosopher Lord Bertrand Russell. (5) Introduction to the original edition by Nobel Prize-winning physicist Werner Heisenberg. (6) Acknowledgements to the original edition by Max Born. (7) A kind of Preamble to the letters again by Max. Then we come to: (8) "The Born-Einstein Letters" (9) "Index" I recommend reading the seven sections of the overall introduction first before reading the actual letters themselves. Special mention should be given to the Modern Preface (written in Sept. 2004) to this new edition. This section is very thorough (it has more than 60 footnotes) explaining everything you need to know about the letters themselves. The "Born-Einstein Letters" themselves are numbered for easy reference. The first letter is dated (Feb. 27, 1916) while the last is dated (Jan. 29, 1955). There are commentaries, explanations, and autobiographical remarks by Born accompanying almost every letter. As the modern preface says: "These commentaries are striking in their candor, in their admiration for Einstein and the apparent need for Born to comprehend and explain some of the major disagreements with Einstein over the years." This collection of 120 translated letters itself can be broken down as follows: (i) 39 letters from Einstein to Born (ii) 7 from Einstein to (Born and his wife Hedwig nicknamed "Hedi") (iii) 17 letters between Einstein and Hedi (iv) 48 from Born to Einstein (v) 3 from (Born and Hedi) to Einstein (vi) 1 from Born to Einstein's second wife (vii) 1 in each direction between Einstein and Born and Max's friend, the physicist James Franck (viii) 3 from Wolfgang Pauli, a theoretical physicist, to Born As the modern preface says: "The letters themselves constitute one of the most vivid and valuable testimonies in the development of modern science. They also tell us much about the personal hardships that Einstein and Born overcame during two world wars, the vagaries of academic life, the daily grind of administrative work, and the steadfastness and frailty of human relationships. Throughout runs a scientific dialogue that was central to their lives... [Most of these letters] attest to the close, lively, and at times turbulent relationship among [Born, Hedi, and Einstein]. Esteem, affection, and occasional criticism from the Borns is countered by warmth from Einstein with occasional flirtatiousness toward Hedi and at times defensive, even wounded humor... Born included [the 3 letters from Pauli (as indicated in viii above)] as they illuminate a misunderstanding between himself and Einstein about quantum mechanics... The frequency, topics, and tone of the letters...reflect the initial closeness, and cooling and final rapprochement between Einstein and Born. Between 1916 and 1920 both wrote to each other eagerly. After Einstein's rise to national and international fame, they exchanged less than four letters per year on average, until the final year and a half of Einstein's life, when the early warmth returned and their correspondence regained its original intensity." The themes in these letters and Born's commentaries impart an "impressive tapestry." Some include those of a personal nature such as Einstein's philosophy of life; his relaxed attitude towards mistakes in his scientific work; and Born's disappointment over the poor early recognition of his contributions to quantum theory. Larger social and political themes include Communism; Zionism; Born's and Einstein's extensive efforts to help Jewish scientists in the wake of Hitler's rise to power; the Holocaust; the atomic bomb; Hiroshima and Nagasaki; and the evolution of Germany after World War Two. In these letters we meet a large number of distinguished scientists of the era. We also see the extensive range of scientific issues that occupied Born and Einstein during their careers. A highlight of this book (for me, at least) is the historical 1927 black and white photo of almost 30 distinguished scientists (all men except one woman) of that time. Born and Einstein are highlighted in this photo. Don't worry! You don't have to know any science to read this book. You can simply skip those science parts you don't understand. However, knowing some science or having access to a good science dictionary would be beneficial. Finally, there were two problems I found with this book: First, there is no table of contents. I thought this odd since the book is so well organized. Instead there is only a title page that only lists (without giving page numbers) 5 of the 9 sections indicated above. For a book of such important historical and scientific historical magnitude, I thought this was a major oversight. Secondly, the index is only a name index. There is no subject index. Why? There is an impressive array of topics covered in these historical letters (some of which I touched on above). Thus, I think a subject index should have been mandatory. In conclusion, this is a unique book that includes the actual letters between Albert Einstein and Max Born. Be sure to read this book and see why Born said, "With [Einstein's] death, we, my wife and I, lost our dearest friend." (first published in English 1971; this edition published 2005; overall introduction of 7 sections; 120 letters with commentaries; overall introduction and letters comprise 270 pages; name index) +++++

Revealing the Human Side of Two Brilliant Scientists!! ****

+++++

The highlight of this book by Nobel Prize-winning physicist Max Born (1882 to 1970) is the letters he and Nobel Prize-winning physicist Albert Einstein (1879 to 1955) exchanged between the years 1916 and 1955. These letters (that were never meant to be published) show the human side of these brilliant physicists.

This book has an overall introduction broken up into seven sections:

(1) Note on this new edition by Gustav Born (one of Max Born's sons).
(2) Acknowledgements for this new edition again by Gustav.
(3) A Modern Preface to this new edition by historian Diana Buchwald and physicist Kip Thorne.
(4) Forward to the original edition by Nobel Prize-winning philosopher Lord Bertrand Russell.
(5) Introduction to the original edition by Nobel Prize-winning physicist Werner Heisenberg.
(6) Acknowledgements to the original edition by Max Born.
(7) A kind of Preamble to the letters again by Max.

Then we come to:

(8) "The Born-Einstein Letters"
(9) "Index"

I recommend reading the seven sections of the overall introduction first before reading the actual letters themselves.

Special mention should be given to the Modern Preface (written in Sept. 2004) to this new edition. This section is very thorough (it has more than 60 footnotes) explaining everything you need to know about the letters themselves.

The "Born-Einstein Letters" themselves are numbered for easy reference. The first letter is dated (Feb. 27, 1916) while the last is dated (Jan. 29, 1955). There are commentaries, explanations, and autobiographical remarks by Born accompanying almost every letter. As the modern preface says:

"These commentaries are striking in their candor, in their admiration for Einstein and the apparent need for Born to comprehend and explain some of the major disagreements with Einstein over the years."

This collection of 120 translated letters itself can be broken down as follows:

(i) 39 letters from Einstein to Born
(ii) 7 from Einstein to (Born and his wife Hedwig nicknamed "Hedi")
(iii) 17 letters between Einstein and Hedi
(iv) 48 from Born to Einstein
(v) 3 from (Born and Hedi) to Einstein
(vi) 1 from Born to Einstein's second wife
(vii) 1 in each direction between Einstein and Born and Max's friend, the physicist James Franck
(viii) 3 from Wolfgang Pauli, a theoretical physicist, to Born

As the modern preface says:

"The letters themselves constitute one of the most vivid and valuable testimonies in the development of modern science. They also tell us much about the personal hardships that Einstein and Born overcame during two world wars, the vagaries of academic life, the daily grind of administrative work, and the steadfastness and frailty of human relationships. Throughout runs a scientific dialogue that was central to their lives...

[Most of these letters] attest to the close, lively, and at times turbulent relationship among [Born, Hedi, and Einstein]. Esteem, affection, and occasional criticism from the Borns is countered by warmth from Einstein with occasional flirtatiousness toward Hedi and at times defensive, even wounded humor...

Born included [the 3 letters from Pauli (as indicated in viii above)] as they illuminate a misunderstanding between himself and Einstein about quantum mechanics...

The frequency, topics, and tone of the letters...reflect the initial closeness, and cooling and final rapprochement between Einstein and Born. Between 1916 and 1920 both wrote to each other eagerly. After Einstein's rise to national and international fame, they exchanged less than four letters per year on average, until the final year and a half of Einstein's life, when the early warmth returned and their correspondence regained its original intensity."

The themes in these letters and Born's commentaries impart an "impressive tapestry." Some include those of a personal nature such as Einstein's philosophy of life; his relaxed attitude towards mistakes in his scientific work; and Born's disappointment over the poor early recognition of his contributions to quantum theory. Larger social and political themes include Communism; Zionism; Born's and Einstein's extensive efforts to help Jewish scientists in the wake of Hitler's rise to power; the Holocaust; the atomic bomb; Hiroshima and Nagasaki; and the evolution of Germany after World War Two.

In these letters we meet a large number of distinguished scientists of the era. We also see the extensive range of scientific issues that occupied Born and Einstein during their careers.

A highlight of this book (for me, at least) is the historical 1927 black and white photo of almost 30 distinguished scientists (all men except one woman) of that time. Born and Einstein are highlighted in this photo.

Don't worry! You don't have to know any science to read this book. You can simply skip those science parts you don't understand. However, knowing some science or having access to a good science dictionary would be beneficial.

Finally, there were two problems I found with this book:

First, there is no table of contents. I thought this odd since the book is so well organized. Instead there is only a title page that only lists (without giving page numbers) 5 of the 9 sections indicated above. For a book of such important historical and scientific historical magnitude, I thought this was a major oversight.

Secondly, the index is only a name index. There is no subject index. Why? There is an impressive array of topics covered in these historical letters (some of which I touched on above). Thus, I think a subject index should have been mandatory.

In conclusion, this is a unique book that includes the actual letters between Albert Einstein and Max Born. Be sure to read this book and see why Born said, "With [Einstein's] death, we, my wife and I, lost our dearest friend."

(first published in English 1971; this edition published 2005; overall introduction of 7 sections; 120 letters with commentaries; overall introduction and letters comprise 270 pages; name index)

+++++