Synopses & Reviews
Columbia University professor David Swift is called to the hospital to comfort his mentor, a physicist who's been brutally attacked. With his last words, the dying man gives his former pupil a seemingly random string of numbers that could hold the key to Einstein's last and greatest secret.
Einheitliche Feldtheorie. The Theory of Everything. Einstein's proposed Unified Theory -- a set of equations that could explain all the forces of nature -- would have revolutionized our understanding of the universe. But Einstein never discovered it.
Or did he?
Within hours, David is arrested by the FBI and taken to a secret interrogation center. But the FBI isn't the only faction pursuing Einstein's long-hidden theory. A Russian mercenary wants to force David to talk -- and he will do whatever it takes. On the run for his life, David teams up with an old girlfriend, a brilliant Princeton scientist, and frantically tries to piece together Einstein's final theory to reveal its staggering consequences.We used E=mc2 to build the atom bomb....What could we do with the key to creation?
Seamlessly weaving real science, history, and politics with an intriguing love story, Final Theory expertly combines fact and fiction with nonstop heart-pounding action in a plot that will have you riveted until its explosive end.
Review
"Final Theory is a stupendous read! Real characters, real science, a deliciously explosive premise, and a breakneck plot combine to make this one of the finest science-based thrillers to appear in a long time. Final Theory rules. If I were Michael Crichton, I'd be packing my bags and heading for a quiet retirement in Tahiti..." -- Douglas Preston, New York Times bestselling author of Blasphemy
Review
"Wow! Einstein would have loved this book. It's a great thriller, it has a sure feel for politics, and the science is both fun and solid. He always dreamed that he would discover a unified theory that explained all of nature's forces. Now this book makes the quest come alive." -- Walter Isaacson, New York Times bestselling author of Einstein
About the Author
A self-described lifelong "science geek," Mark Alpert majored in astrophysics at Princeton University, writing his undergraduate thesis on an application of Einstein's theory of relativity. After earning an MFA in poetry at Columbia and working as a reporter, he became an editor at Scientific American, where he simplifies bewildering scientific ideas for the magazine's readers. Mark lives in Manhattan with his wife and children.Adam Grupper's Broadway performances include Baz Luhrmann's La Boheme, 45 Seconds From Broadway, The Wild Party, Guys and Dolls, The Secret Garden, City of Angels, and Into the Woods. He has appeared in films such as Two Weeks Notice and It Runs in the Family, and on television in The Sopranos, Hack, Third Watch, Now and Again, LawandOrder Criminal Intent, and Law and Order SVU.
Reading Group Guide
For Discussion 1. When David is being interrogated by the FBI immediately after Dr. Kleinman's death, he thinks, "Why should he be responsible for keeping the secret? He hadn't asked for this." Why does David choose not to reveal what he knows to the FBI?
2. Monique and David haven't seen each other in nearly twenty years when he arrives on her doorstep in Princeton. Why does David seek out Monique for help? Why does Monique, in turn, risk her life to aid David? Is it merely academic interest that compels her to accompany him on his dangerous quest, or is there something more?
3. Karen refuses to believe the FBI when they tell her that David is wanted for murder and selling drugs. Given her contentious personal history with David, why does she stand by her ex-husband? What makes her so certain that he's not involved in these illegal activities?
4. Discuss the novel's narrative structure and plotting. Did you guess the identity of Henry Cobb before it was revealed? What did you find to be most compelling about Final Theory -- the action scenes, the characters, the scientific and historical information, or something else entirely?
5. Why do you suppose the author chose to give Simon, a cold-blooded killer-for-hire, such a sympathetic back story? Was he a convincing villain? Did you empathize with him at all, given that he lost his wife and children because of an American military error in Chechnya? Why or why not?
6. David's difficult childhood is mentioned throughout the story. What, if anything, did knowing about these aspects of his past add to your understanding of his character? How does his upbringing -- in particular his relationship with his father -- continue to affect him?
7. What is Professor Gupta's motivation for wanting possession of the Theory of Everything? At one point in the story he says to David, "It's not a physics problem, it's a problem of human behavior. Humans are simply not intelligent enough to stop killing each other." If such knowledge were to come to light, do you believe it would be used for the good of humanity or to our detriment?
8. What statements is the author making in the book about our current political climate, including things like the War on Terror and the FBI's perceived misuse of the Patriot Act? What is your opinion of the way the author portrays the FBI, as well as several White House figures -- the President of the United States, the Vice President, and the Secretary of Defense? Did you find that this enhanced or detracted from the storyline?
9. Why does FBI agent Lucille Parker change her stance about David and the recovery of the Unified Theory? Given her behavior at the beginning of the story, why does she ultimately refuse to continue participating in the cover-up, even putting her career on the line to do so?
10. Do you think David and Monique made the right decision to keep Einstein's Theory of Everything from the U.S. government? Why or why not? Why do they decide to not even reveal its existence to a neutral international organization like the United Nations?
11. Did you find the scientific aspects of the storyline easy or difficult to follow? How much did you know about Albert Einstein prior to reading this book? Has reading Final Theory inspired you to find out more about the scientist?
12. For the person who selected Final Theory for discussion, what made you choose this book? Overall, were you satisfied with the read? Why or why not?
Enhance Your Book Club
Visit Mark Alpert's website, www.markalpert.com, to learn more about the science behind Final Theory, and for links to Scientific American articles written by the author on topics related to the book's subject matter.
Pair your reading of Final Theory with a biography about Albert Einstein, such as Walter Isaacson's Einstein: His Life and Universe.
David admits to playing the New York Lotto from time to time "despite the pitifully bad odds." Give each member a scratch-off lottery ticket and see if the numbers work in your favor.