EDITORIAL INFORMATION

In this biography the author intends to transmit the great contribution that Einstein meant to modern science and modern thought. The book is structured according to the three great pillars of his research, namely special relativity, general relativity and gravitation, and quantum physics. The twentieth century can be considered as Einstein's century, since all his intuitions are the foundation for the new Physics, and it is being used as the starting point to discover and research the mysteries of the Universe.

(Extracted from the back cover).

GENERAL TABLE OF CONTENTS

-Contenido.

-Prefacio a la Segunda Edición (1991).

-Prefacio.

-El Hombre y Su Obra.
-Plan del Libro.

-1. Teoría de la Relatividad.

-Los Primeros Años.
-La Física Clásica.
-Un Comentario Sobre el Experimento de Michelson-Morley.
-Einstein y la Relatividad del Tiempo.

-2. Relatividad, Gravitación y Cosmología.

-Preámbulo: Einstein Cuando Era Joven.
-Lorentz y Pointcaré.
-E = mc2
-El Espacio-tiempo Tetradimensional.
-El Principio de Mach.
-La Primera Guerra Mundial y la Curvatura de la Luz.
-Geometría y Cosmología.

-3. La Teoría Cuántica.

-Preámbulo: Einstein y Newton.
-El Movimiento Browniano.
-El Cuanto.
-En la Plenitud de la Vida.
-Los Dados de Dios.
-El Uranio y la Reina de los Belgas.

-Notas.

-Bibliografía Básica.

OUR REVIEW

Jeremy Bernstein, a professor of Physics at the Stevens Institute of Technology, as well as an associate professor at the Rockefeller University of New York, is an experienced science writer with several articles and books, two of which (La Décima Dimensión and Perfiles Cuánticos) have already been published in this collection (Serie McGraw-Hill de Divulgación Científica). The original edition of the present work, published in 1979, nominated for the National Book Award, would likewise be awarded the Brandeis Creative Arts Medallion this same year. There was a second updated edition in 1991, where the author expresses the difficulties he had to face in order to publish his work, due to the complicated negotiations to use the necessary material for the book.

In the present Spanish edition, the author introduces us to Einstein's biography from the prism of his intellectual work, rather than his private life according to a conventional chronological order. The result is a concise introduction to the life and works of this brilliant character, able to awake the sufficient curiosity so as to have the readers become interested in exploring the issue in further depth if they so wish, or at the very least to get them have a general idea about the life and works of one of the scientists who have shaped best our current era. Through numerous fragments taken from letters and essays by Einstein and others, the author shapes an outline of the scientist that helps us understand both his ideas and the circumstances surrounding Einstein and his experiences. Furthermore, Bernstein includes many anecdotes that make this a very pleasant read, as we can see Einstein the man, besides his aspect as a scientist.

Using a simple language, without any complicated technical terms, since this work is aimed at the general readership, the interested readers can get a clear picture of one of the most exciting personalities who have shaped the Physics of our century, likewise getting to understand in an adequate way the theories that Einstein developed about relativity, gravitation, and quantum theory. This little work is, therefore, the best approach ever to such an interesting issue to be found in the market. In a few words, this is a very good acquisition for the non-specialized readers wishing to get to know somewhat better about Albert Einstein, his thoughts and his work.