Albert Einstein and the Theory of Relativity

I had first thought this book would be boring, honestly, but it was A very beautiful way to tell the story of a wonderful genius that inspired the world. I was surprised to learn of the tragic ending, and my 11-year-old actually connected and loved this book. I did too! I absolutely recommend this to any homeschool family or to keep any personal collection. It’s a very inspirational book.

I read this book in elementary school and fully understood it. This book provides a good biography of Albert Einstein, a good introduction to the world of physics at the beginning of the 20th century, and how Einstein's theory of relativity changed it. The book traces Einstein's life from birth in Germany, his move to Switzerland where he made a name for himself while moonlighting as a patent office clerk, and his move to the USA to escape the Nazis. The book balances both Einstein's scientific achievements and his political ones too. The latter include his letter to the US president on the possibilities of nuclear weapons, and his later stance of pacificism and nuclear disarmament. Another plus of this text is its willingness to address Einstein's Jewishness, how this affected his life and career, and how he dealt with bigotry and prejudice due to his faith and heritage. The book does leave out Einstein's marital problems, which is probably the best for a book addressed to pre high school students. Overall a good book.

In 1879 Albert Einstein was born in Ulm, Germany. He moved to Munich, Germany when he was a baby. When Einstein was a child, he witnessed the town theater being lighted up by his father and uncle's D.C. generator. In that time his town did not have electricity. Later that night he was marveled by the power of light. He was determined to find the secret behind light and the way it worked. As a child Einstein did not enjoy school at all. He usually daydreamed in class and was not interested in what the rest of the class was doing. He also hated the teachers and the way they taught. He thought they were like the military, strict and very unimaginative. Soon his family left for Italy and left Einstein behind to finish school. He became the class clown and was later expelled from school. The author tells all the things that Einstein went through as a child, as a young adult, and as a man. What I liked about the book was all the theories, experiments, and the way the author describes everything so thoroughly. I recommend this book for people who are interested in famous American heroes or are just interested in Albert Einstein. I really hope you read this book.

I am a 5th grade science teacher and require my students to read and report on a scientist biography each semester. This book does an excellent job of retelling the story of Einstein's life, including his life challanges (personal and academic). The book deals with the Nazi rise to power of the 30's and its effects of the scienctific community. This is all done while still giving a accurate and understandable explaiation of Einstein's work. And, most importantly, my students really enjoy it.