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 Ideas & Opinions :: 0517003937
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| IDEAS AND OPINIONS contains essays by eminent scientist Albert Einstein on subjects ranging from atomic energy, relativity, and religion to human rights, government, and economics. Previously published articles, speeches, and letters are gathered here to create a fascinating collection of meditations by one of the world's greatest minds. Editorial Descriptions are usually submitted by the manufacturers, publishers and authors. Contact us if you are one of them, and wish to change the above description. |
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Author: Guest
This is great reading, important reading. Impressive stuff. I know I'm not the first person to say this but, man that Einstein was a brilliant guy.
"Ideas and Opinions" is a collection of his writings over a lifetime. It is broken up into sections, with some of the more interesting work being well after his scientific genius days. Chapters include writings on freedom, religion, politics, government, pacifism, Judaism and the plight of the Jewish people, as well as a nice sampling of scientific essays.
A major theme that emerged for me, recently re-reading this, is the gradual transformation of creative, rational intelligence into true astute wisdom.
The young mind is still being myelinated, with rapid changes, lots of plasticity, pruning of excess neuronal connections, restructuring of synaptic connectivity. In this stage, memories and emotions are processed by the limbic system but drive the body and the mind by variously igniting or diminishing arousal as mediated by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. The neocortex, particularly frontal lobes communicating with the parietal lobes, are the source of the brilliance of the Theory of Relativity. It takes the ability to think outside of norms, think creatively (maybe time is unreal, maybe matter and energy are the same thing...), and then have the brilliance to think it through, pull it all together. But let's take an honest look. Just about everything Einstein contributed to our scientific knowledge stemmed from thought experiments he did in his twenties. Those were some exceptional frontal lobes, and they were driven to success by a limbic system, but a limbic system speaking through that primitive endocrine axis, that endocrine system that's no more sophisticated than a rat's, little more the a chicken's.
But then something changes. The brain is mostly done sealing over new tracks of neocortex, but the limbic system is being integrated more and more with the neocortex. Emotions and logic learn to communicate in ways that bypass the reptilian paleocortex. This is when religiosity turns into spirituality. This is when lust begins to approach unselfish love. This is the source of the wisdom of the elderly. Obviously, Einstein was exceptionally bright to start with and had a nice head-start here, but one can track his thinking chronologically and really see a continuous process, a developmental process, a mode of intelligence revamping, subtle neuronal renovations yielding a distinct mode of reason.
There's so much to comment on here, volumes could be written interpreting his communications, and probably have been. There are lots of relevant angles to focus on, but nothing broke my heart like reading his essays written between the two world wars, reading these pleas to the people and governments of the world, especially reading this in short spurts on the train after listening to the world news in recent days while I trudge, half-bleary, pre-caffeinated, to the train station:
"Few of us still cling to the notion that acts of violence in the shape of wars are either advantageous or worthy of humanity as a method of solving international problems. But we are not consistent enough to make vigorous efforts on behalf of the measures which might prevent war, that savage and unworthy relic of the age of barbarism. It requires some power of reflection to see the issue clearly and a certain courage to serve this great cause resolutely and effectively"... "this failure is due not only to the intrigues of ambitious and unscrupulous politicians but also to the indifference and slackness of the public in all countries..." Boy, lucky for us we had true intellectuals around, glad we got that under control.
All this stuff I'm fumbling to say, Einstein's on it, he gets it, we see it in a private letter to Sigmund Freud, where he invokes the efforts of "Jesus Christ to Goethe to Kant" in the struggle against violence as the means to an end: "You have shown with impelling lucidity how inseparably the combative and destructive instincts are bound up in the human psyche with those of love and life. But at the same time there shines through the cogent logic of your arguments a deep longing for the great goal of internal and external liberation of mankind from war." Yeah, ditto. That's what I'm trying to say.
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Author: Guest
Interesting book, you will find in it something new about six sigma.
I have a book from Pyzdek and one from Brayfogle, but also this one gave me new insite.
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Author: Guest
+++++
This fascinating book contains brief writings of physicist Albert Einstein (1879 to 1955), one of the most creative intellects of the twentieth century. It contains articles from early in his career until his last writings of 1954. All works were gathered under the supervision of Einstein himself.
This book gives a comprehensive and personal portrait of the man behind the scientific legend. It contains the most important items from three important books of articles, speeches, statements, and letters by Einstein. These important books are: "The World As I see It" (1934), "Out of My Later Years" (1950), and "Mein Weltbild" (1953). As well, there are a few selections from other publications.
Finally, this book is divided into five parts. Below I will give the titles of each part as well as other relevant information concerning each part. Note that I will use the word "article" to denote a speech, letter, essay, etc.
(1) Ideas and Opinions (contains about 45 articles). This is the only part that has sub-sections of which there are five: General Section (untitled); About Freedom; About Religion; About Education; and About Friends. Some of my personal favorite articles in this part are entitled:
(i) The meaning of life (ii) The true value of a human being (iii) On wealth (iv) On academic freedom (v) On freedom (vi) Science and religion and (vii) Education for independent thought. Some of Einstein's friends included Bertrand Russell (philosopher), George Bernard Shaw (playwright), Marie Curie (chemist), Mahatama Gandi, and Max Planck (physicist).
(2) On Politics, Government, and Pacifism (about 35 articles). Note that Einstein was a pacifist (one who opposes the use of force under any circumstances). Six of my favorite articles in this part were:
(i) Peace (ii) Atomic war or peace (iii) The military mentality (iv) Why Socialism? (v) The pursuit of peace and (vi) On the abolition of the threat of war.
(3) On the Jewish People (nearly 15 articles). Note that Einstein was Jewish.
(4) On Germany (5 articles). Einstein who was born in Ulm, Wurttemberg, Germany emigrated to the United Stated in Dec. 1932.
(5) Contributions to Science (about 20 articles). For those that do not have a scientific background, most of these articles are not difficult to understand. Topics Einstein discusses include relativity, theoretical physics, science, and gravitation. As well, Einstein gives tributes to Isaac Newton, Johannes Kepler (discovered three laws of planetary motion), James Clerk Maxwell (known especially for his work on electromagnetism), and Copernicus (stated that the Earth revolves around the Sun).
Note that Einstein did win a Nobel Prize but he did not win it for his Theory of Relativity.
In conclusion, this may be the most definitive collection of Albert Einstein's popular writings and enables the reader to get to know the man behind the science!!
(first published 1954; publisher's note; 5 parts or about 120 articles; main narrative 375 pages)
+++++
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Author: Guest
This book is a good read whether you're familiar with Einstein or not. I'd recommend it for everyone, especially for those of you that are vehemently opposed to socialist "Ideas & Opinions," because you'll get a kick out of this...or you'll just kick it. Because after you read this, you'll be surprised we didn't throw the old man in jail during the second red scare.
Other than socialism, this book will also help you realize just how ironic Einstein's life was:
1)As a zealous Pacifist, Einstein is indirectly responsible for the construction of the most destructive military weapon ever conceived.
2)Despite his disapproval of the idolization and worship of icons, Einstein is now the face of science & intelligence.
3)Although he had no religious doctrine (Unless you consider Newton's Principia to be the Pantheist's Bible), he stubbornly opposed the implications of quantum theory as if they went against God him/her/it self. *This irony isn't quite as obvious from this book as it is from others on the subject of entanglement.
I don't know if this review will be helpful or not, but I felt compelled to write one after reading some of the other reviewers who thought that he should've "Stuck to Science." But I disagree, a great mind shouldn't stick to anything, but only become more & more involved in everything so that they may help us avoid the pitfalls brought about by our own ignorance. He didn't have a great mind for science, but for logical analysis in general, isn't that what makes a genius?
Nevertheless, at least we all recognize Einstein for the genius that he was, just as we recognize Jesus for the same. Now we just need to start taking their advice.
And if Einstein should've stuck to science, Jesus should've stuck to carpentry.
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Author: Guest
'Ideas & Opinions' gathered an excellent collection of short essays & letters written by Einstein, which covers subjects such as: politics, government, human rights, & (of course) science. The writings provide an intimate & holistic glimpse at Einstein's thinking process & personal philosophy. What interest me most among these writings are those that reveal Einstein's philosophical perspectives (such as about religion, war & peace); & more interestingly, how these perspectives are rationally formulated & concisely crystalized.
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