Einstein for Dummies »

Carlos I. Calle, PhD, is a NASA senior research scientist with a doctorate in physics and extensive professional experience in Einstein's theories.

Genius demystified, the Dummies way!
In 1905, Albert Einstein revolutionized modern physics with his theory of relativity. He went on to become a twentieth-century icon-a man whose name and face are synonymous with "genius." Now, at last, ordinary readers can explore Einstein's life and work in this new For Dummies guide. Physicist Carlos Calle chronicles Einstein's career and explains his work-including the theories of special and general relativity-in language that anyone can understand. He shows how Einstein's discoveries affected everything from the development of the atom bomb to the theory of quantum mechanics. He sheds light on Einstein's personal life and beliefs, including his views on religion and politics. And he shows how Einstein's work continues to affect our world today, from nuclear power to space travel to artificial intelligence.

Introduction.

Part I: A Genius Awakens.

Chapter 1: Who Was Einstein?

Chapter 2: Portrait of the Scientist as a Young Man.

Chapter 3: 1905: Einstein’s Miracle Year.

Part II: On the Shoulders of Giants: What Einstein Learned in School.

Chapter 4: A Clockwork Universe.

Chapter 5: The Arrow of Time.

Chapter 6: Einstein’s Most Fascinating Subject.

Chapter 7: And There Was Light.

Part III: The Special Theory of Relativity.

Chapter 8: Relativity Before Einstein.

Chapter 9: Riding on a Beam of Light.

Chapter 10: Clocks, Trains, and Automobiles: Exploring Space and Time.

Chapter 11: The Equation.

Part IV: The General Theory of Relativity.

Chapter 12: Einstein’s Second Theory of Relativity.

Chapter 13: “Black Holes Ain’t So Black”.

Chapter 14: Was Einstein Right about Relativity?

Part V: The Quantum and the Universe.

Chapter 15: Atoms Before Einstein.

Chapter 16: Quantum Leap: God Plays Dice.

Chapter 17: Einstein and the Bomb.

Chapter 18: Einstein’s Greatest Blunder.

Chapter 19: Not a Blunder After All.

Part VI: The Part of Tens.

Chapter 20: Ten Insights into Einstein’s Beliefs on Religion and Philosophy.

Chapter 21: Ten Women Who Influenced Einstein.

Appendix A: Glossary.

Appendix B: Einstein Timeline.

Index.