The Road to Relativity
The History and Meaning of Einstein's "The Foundation of General Relativity", Featuring the Original Manuscript of Einstein's Masterpiece
Published on 2. June 2015
Book
Hardback
264 pages
978-0-691-16253-9 (ISBN)
Description
This richly annotated facsimile edition of "The Foundation of General Relativity" introduces a new generation of readers to Albert Einstein's theory of gravitation. Written in 1915, this remarkable document is a watershed in the history of physics and an enduring testament to the elegance and precision of Einstein's thought. Presented here is a beautiful facsimile of Einstein's original handwritten manuscript, along with its English translation and an insightful page-by-page commentary that places the work in historical and scientific context. Hanoch Gutfreund and Jurgen Renn's concise introduction traces Einstein's intellectual odyssey from special to general relativity, and their essay "The Charm of a Manuscript" provides a delightful meditation on the varied afterlife of Einstein's text. Featuring a foreword by John Stachel, this handsome edition also includes a biographical glossary of the figures discussed in the book, a comprehensive bibliography, suggestions for further reading, and numerous photos and illustrations throughout.
Reviews / Votes
"Any devotee of Einstein will relish the chance to parse this annotated facsimile of the physicist's original manuscript on general relativity... [Gutfreund and Renn's] cogent descriptions and the accompanying illustrations and documents open a fascinating window onto Einstein's otherwise inaccessible opus."--Scientific American "[Gutfreund and Renn] remind us of the charm a manuscript affords: rare glimpses into the working process of a great mind."--New Scientist "The Road to Relativity by Hanoch Gutfreund and Jurgen Renn reproduces the 45 handwritten--and hand-corrected--pages of Einstein's general theory, accompanied by extensive annotations on the science, its historical context and the implications for the future. The volume also includes a glossary of scientists and philosophers relevant to Einstein's work and some entertainingly lively illustrations--such as one of Einstein pouring coffee on a moving train to demonstrate that motion is relative--by Laurent Taudin."--Nancy Szokan, Washington Post "Gutfreund and Renn dissect every page of the manuscript, explaining the meaning of each passage and describing Einstein's thought processes leading up to it... The Road to Relativity is accessible and engaging."--Tom Siegfried, Science News "[A] wonderful book that combines a facsimile of Einstein's original manuscript, an English translation and a rich annotation."--Bill Condie, Cosmos MagazineMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
New Jersey
United States
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Trade binding
Illustrations
100 halftones. 41 line illus.
Dimensions
Height: 254 mm
Width: 203 mm
Weight
851 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-691-16253-9 (9780691162539)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Hanoch Gutfreund | Jürgen Renn
The Road to Relativity
The History and Meaning of Einstein's "The Foundation of General Relativity", Featuring the Original Manuscript of Einstein's Masterpiece
E-Book
07/2015
1st Edition
Princeton University Press
€26.49
Available for download
Persons
Hanoch Gutfreund is professor emeritus of theoretical physics at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he is also the academic director of the Albert Einstein Archives. Jurgen Renn is a director at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science in Berlin.
Content
*Frontmatter, pg. i*CONTENTS, pg. vii*A Brief Note on the Publication of this Work, pg. xi*Foreword, pg. xiii*Preface, pg. xvii*The Charm of a Manuscript, pg. 1*Einstein's Intellectual Odyssey to General Relativity, pg. 7*The Annotated Manuscript, pg. 37*Notes on the Annotation Pages, pg. 141*Postscript: The Drama Continues ..., pg. 149*A Chronology of the Genesis of General Relativity and its Formative Years, pg. 159*Physicists, Mathematicians, and Philosophers Relevant to Einstein's Thinking, pg. 165*Further Reading, pg. 179*English Translation of "The Foundation of the General Theory of Relativity", pg. 183*English Translation of "Hamilton's Principle and the General Theory of Relativity", pg. 227*Index, pg. 233