Synopses & Reviews
For Albert Einstein, 1905 was a remarkable year. It was also a miraculous year for the history and future of science. In six short months, from March through September of that year, Einstein published five papers that would transform our understanding of nature. This unparalleled period is the subject of John Rigden's book, which deftly explains what distinguishes 1905 from all other years in the annals of science, and elevates Einstein above all other scientists of the twentieth century. Rigden chronicles the momentous theories that Einstein put forth beginning in March 1905: his particle theory of light, rejected for decades but now a staple of physics; his overlooked dissertation on molecular dimensions; his theory of Brownian motion; his theory of special relativity; and the work in which his famous equation, E = mc2, first appeared. Through his lucid exposition of these ideas, the context in which they were presented, and the impact they had, and still have, on society, Rigden makes the circumstances of Einstein's greatness thoroughly and captivatingly clear. To help readers understand how these ideas continued to develop, he briefly describes Einstein's post 1905 contributions, including the general theory of relativity. One hundred years after Einstein's prodigious accomplishment, this book invites us to learn about ideas that have influenced our lives in almost inconceivable ways, and to appreciate their author's status as the standard of greatness in twentieth-century science.
Review
A century ago, in 1905, Einstein proved that time, as it had been understood by scientist and layman alike, was a fiction. And this was scarcely his only achievement that year, which John S. Rigden skillfully chronicles, month by month, in Einstein 1905: The Standard of Greatness. Nature
Review
Between March and September 1905, Einstein wrote five Annalen Physik papers that would greatly influence 20th-century physics...For each paper, Rigden discusses the background, underlying ideas, content, and organization before surveying its reception and impact. General readers who wish to understand the magnitude of what Einstein accomplished during his annus mirabilis will find this lucid, nonmathematical account ideal. Eric Ormsby - New York Sun
Review
In Einstein 1905: The Standard of Greatness, John S. Rigden provides a lucid account of Einstein's astonishing outburst of creativity, explaining its scientific context and impact, which include, in the case of the relativity theory, the reconstruction of both space and time and the equivalence of mass and energy. Science
Review
To mark the centenary of the publication of Albert Einstein's first scientific papers, the year saw a flowering of books about the 20th century's greatest thinker. The best of the bunch is John S. Rigden's book Einstein 1905: The Standard of Greatness. Rigden provides an excellent no-frills overview of five papers that Einstein published within the space of six months, transforming our understanding of nature.
Review
A marvelous book...John Rigden not only summarizes accessibly [Einstein's] accomplishments of that year; he analyses the nature of scientific research...Einstein's papers are not accessible to a nonexpert by and large. But for those who feel the urge to at least try to go where they're not technically qualified with the accurate suspicion that it matters, this is the year for some physics, and John Rigden's provocative work is a place to start. Jim Holt - New Yorker
Review
The year 2005 [is] the centenary of Einstein's annus mirabilis, when he published the five papers that marked him as one of the greatest scientists of all time. Washington University professor Rigden sits readers down in front of his white board and explains what Einstein said in each of these papers, what was significant in them and how the scientific community reacted (not very well, in most cases--for a while)...Rigden writes with a rare felicity, free of jargon and with everyday metaphors that Einstein himself would no doubt have appreciated. Publishers Weekly
Review
Between March and September 1905, Einstein wrote fiveAnnalen Physikpapers that would greatlyinfluence 20th-century physics...For each paper, Rigden discusses the background,underlying ideas, content, and organization before surveying its reception andimpact. General readers who wish to understand the magnitude of what Einsteinaccomplished during his annus mirabiliswill findthis lucid, nonmathematical account ideal.
Review
Rigden provides a fine account of the scientific importance ofEinstein's five papers.
Review
A fine, slender introduction to Einstein's mind and science forthe lay reader is John Rigden's Einstein 1905: The Standard ofGreatness.
Review
[A] valuable addition to the Einstein canon. -- Publishers Weekly
Review
Mr. Rigden is very good at evoking the vehement debates that took place over Einstein's findings...The portrait of Einstein that emerges from Mr. Rigden's account is as compelling as his theories. Thomas Oliphant - Boston Globe
Review
Mr. Rigden's book provides a clearly written account of these papers. It places each one in the context of the physics of the time, and explains the unique contribution Einstein made by his unerring vision for the key principles involved and his convincing solutions to the problems he tackled. Daniel J. Kevles - Times Literary Supplement
Review
[Rigden] gives an excellent overview of each of the 1905 papers. Jeffrey Marsh - Washington Times
Review
[A] valuable addition to the Einstein canon. Werner Israel
Synopsis
For Albert Einstein, 1905 was a remarkable year and a miraculous year for the history and future of science. In six short months, from March through September of that year, Einstein published five papers that would transform our understanding of nature. This unparalleled period is the subject of John Rigdenâs book, which deftly explains what distinguishes 1905 from all other years in the annals of science, and elevates Einstein above all other scientists of the twentieth century.âA century ago, in 1905, Einstein proved that time, as it had been understood by scientist and layman alike, was a fiction. And this was scarcely his only achievement that year, which John S. Rigden skillfully chronicles, month by month, in Einstein 1905: The Standard of Greatness.â Jim Holt, New YorkerâA marvelous book ...John Rigden not only summarizes accessibly [Einsteinâs] accomplishments of that year; he analyses the nature of scientific research ...Einsteinâs papers are not accessible to a nonexpert by and large. But for those who feel the urge to at least try to go where theyâre not technically qualified with the accurate suspicion that it matters ...John Rigdenâs provocative work is a place to start.â Thomas Oliphant, Boston Globeâ[A] valuable addition to the Einstein canon.â Werner Israel, Nature
Synopsis
For Einstein, 1905 was a remarkable year. It was also a miraculous year for the history and future of science. In six short months, he published five papers that would transform our understanding of nature. This unparalleled period is the subject of Rigden's book, which deftly explains what distinguishes 1905 from all other years in the annals of science, and elevates Einstein above all other scientists of the twentieth century.
Synopsis
A Financial Times Best Science Book of the Year
About the Author
John Rigden is Adjunct Professor of Physics, Washington University in St. Louis.
Washington University in St. Louis
Table of Contents
Preface
Prologue: The Standard of Greatness
March: The Revolutionary Quantum Paper
April: Molecular Dimensions
May: "Seeing" Atoms
June: The Merger of Space and Time
September: The Most Famous Equation
Epilogue: Beyond 1905
Notes
Further Reading
Acknowledgments
Index