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| Einstein's Mistakes: The Human Failings of Genius | 
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Avg. Customer Rating:   (based on 8 reviews)
Sales Rank: 96604
Category: Book
Author: Hans C. Ohanian
Publisher: W. W. Norton
Studio: W. W. Norton
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton
Label: W. W. Norton
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 256
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.6
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.5
ISBN: 0393062937
Dewey Decimal Number: 530.09
EAN: 9780393062939
ASIN: 0393062937
Publication Date: September 8, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Fresh insights into aspects of Einstein we don't usually consider: his mistakes and the role they played in the discovery of his theories.
Although Einstein was the greatest genius of the 20th century, many of his ground-breaking discoveries were blighted by mistakes, ranging from serious misconceptions in physics to blatant errors in mathematics. For instance, Einstein's first theoretical proof of the famous formula E = mc was incomplete and only approximately valid; he struggled with this problem for many years, but he never found a complete proof (better mathematicians did). In this provocative forensic biography, Hans Ohanian dissects this and other mistakes and places them in the context of Einstein's turbulent life and times. Einstein was often navigating in a fog of irrational and mystical inspirations, but his profound intuition about physics permitted him to reach his goal despite?and sometimes because of-the mistakes he made along the way. Einstein's uncanny ability to use his mistakes subconsciously as stepping-stones toward his revolutionary theories was one hallmark of his genius. 25 illustrations.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 3 more reviews...
 An excellent writer with a silly title but a good book December 25, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
From Kenneth Ellman
ke@kennethellman.com
The title of this book is unfortunate as it does not reflect the value and ability of the author.
This book is not about "Einstein's Mistakes", but is actually a generalized discussion in English (very limited mathematics is used) of the writing and discoveries of Albert Einstein and other scientists. Most important is that this author has discussed Einstein with comparisons and integration of many other Physicists and Mathematicians. So this book is really an overview in a mix of somewhat plain and technical English of the areas of Physics worked on by Albert Einstein and other scientists.
The book has this uncanny ability to annoy the reader, particularly with gossipy digressions. But everytime you feel like putting it aside it then pulls you back into the exploration of these ideas by this author in a way that overcomes whatever discomfort the book otherwise contains. Basically in balance it is an excellent work and portrayal of the world of Physics as it relates to Albert Einstein and other Physicists, particularly for those who seek exposure with little mathematical expression..
I do not understand why this author thinks it is in any way important to discuss the family or romantic activities of Einstein. But he clearly does. That takes away from the value of this work and is really a silly distraction.
Yes, of course the book discusses the errors Einstein made is his papers. Certainly there were at times mathematical mistakes and failures to adequately assert and portray the proofs and expressions necessary for a rigorous explanation of the ideas Einstein conveyed. Whether the errors were simply oversights or the examples of insufficient mathematical ability or simply evidence of other concerns and priorities of Einstein is not truly known. Nor do I think it matters. I do believe what Einstein wrote is what he intended and his views and manner of approach may have been different than many others.
The book is valuable, but three main reasons for my endorsement are as follows:
1. It is a cataloging of asserted errors made by Albert Einstein. Whether you believe a particular issue is only alleged error (because Einstein intended the expression to be as is) or proven error (because the assertion is admittedly wrong or the proofs show it to be wrong) really does not matter.
In the reading, following and understanding of this books review of those particular incongruous writings of Einstein this author is also reviewing and teaching and explaining the Physics that underlies the fundamental concepts of science that should be understood. After all you cannot appreciate the assertions of error unless you at least attempt to know and learn the subject being discussed. So in a sense this book is a review of the papers and works of Einstein with an accent on his alleged and manifest errors, and done in such a way that it is accessible to any avid reader with an interest in Science. That is a valuable contribution. You do not have to agree with all the conclusions of this book but in order to participate in the argument you do have to learn and know something of the subject. I love books I can give to people who do not have much of a science background to stimulate their mind. Keep in mind that as this book points out on page 71 that the works of Isaac Newton also had errors some characterized as "nothing short of deliberate fraud".
2. It is a discussion to a limited extent on the work of other great scientists whose accomplishments interacted with those of Einstein either contemporaneously or historically and the impact of their work. This is useful. In that sense it provides a view of the history of science in this area.
3. It causes an exposure of the manner in which this particular human mind (Einstein), conceptualized his thoughts of Physics. While this has been discussed in other books, that does not mean it is not directly interrelated to the assertions of Einstein's Errors. What comes through clearly in this book is that the approach of Einstein to his subject was not the approach used by other Scientists of his day. No, he was quite different. The discussion and exposure of the "Errors" of Einstein actually adds to an understanding of how this human mind conceptualized his ideas.
That is valuable.
You do not have to agree with all the conclusions of this book in order that it be a useful and stimulating addition to discussion of ideas. It is not a Physics textbook nor simply a history book.
In its valuable parts it is a look in plain English of the concepts of Physics, the actors who tread its paths and how the human mind has strove and struggled with these concepts and ideas. I do not agree with all in this book, particularly the assessment of Einstein's work on General Relativity. But that does not take away from its value.
This book is well written. Removing the nonsense personality commentary would have made it shorter and clearer.
Kenneth Ellman ke@kennethellman.com
P.S.--To Donald B. Gennery From Kenneth Ellman
In reference to "stipulation that light travels at the same speed in opposite directions" I in part agree with you that the
making of a "stipulation" in and of itself may be a proper manner to approach this question. Certainly I do not find that the
making of the "stipulation" is in any way an improper manner to reach the conclusion. If it is improper I do not understand why.
HOWEVER you should be aware that at the web site of Physics Today, April 2006 scitation.aip.org/journals/doc/PHTOAD-ft/vol_59/iss_4/10_1.shtml
it appears this question was briefly discussed by both Steven Weinberg and the author Hans Ohanian.
What would be your response to this?
Thank you very much.
Kenneth Ellman
ke@kennethellman.com
 A distorted view of Einstein's work November 5, 2008
2 out of 7 found this review helpful
First, I confess that I haven't read most of the book. However, I
have read enough of it to decide that I don't want to waste any more
of my time by reading the rest of it.
Einstein, being human, undoubtedly made mistakes. However, in the
portions of the book that I have read, most of the alleged mistakes
actually are cases where Einstein merely made the sort of
approximations that physicists often make in order to simplify a
problem, or the author Ohanian misunderstood what Einstein said, or
the mistake in physics was made by Ohanian, not Einstein.
For brevity, I will discuss only one example, chosen because Ohanian
mentions it first and emphasizes it in several places as supposedly
driving Donald Crowhurst into madness. Ohanian objects to the
stipulation that light travels (in a vacuum) at the same speed in
opposite directions. However, it is necessary to stipulate something
about the equivalence of opposite directions (for the speed of signals
or the effect of motion on clocks) in order to define simultaneity.
Otherwise, the statement that two events at different locations are
simultaneous would be meaningless, and the one-way speed of light
would be undefined. (The round-trip speed of light is well defined.
Ohanian ignores the distinction here.) Ohanian claims that
simultaneity can be determined unambiguously by transporting clocks,
but he ignores the fact that one of the results of relativity is that
any measurement of time is affected by motion.
In the above case, Einstein was proposing a method of defining
simultaneity. He then showed that it did not produce a definition of
absolute simultaneity, but one that depended on the relative motion of
observers, if the speed of light is the same for all observers. This
relativity of simultaneity is an important part of special relativity.
It's amazing that Ohanian ignores it.
Something for everyone November 2, 2008
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
I was worried that I'd need to brush up on my long-forgotten college math and physics to understand this book, but the book is itself a bit of a brush-up course. And what's especially remarkable is that it's understandable, at different levels, by people with almost any scientific background, or none at all. People who understand tensor calculus (or who know what it is!) would, I'm sure, get more out of the book than I did, but with only a layman's concept of relativity, I was able to follow a good many of the points he makes about Einstein's mistakes (such as his failure to consider tidal effects in the Equivalence Principle).
Except for E=mc squared (and Newton's F=ma), there's hardly an equation in sight. And a lot of the book is totally non-technical: many of Einstein's mistakes involved women, rather than math or physics, and this aspect of his life is not slighted. The book examines the "Einstein phenomenon" and how Einstein managed his well-deserved reputation as the scientist of the century. And (unless it's a hat) the author has the most marvelous haircut I've ever seen on a physicist!
 Interesting material hampered by attack-dog presentation October 30, 2008
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
The text presents a mix of light biography, theory explanation, and analysis of errors in a blend appropriate to support the major thesis--that Einstein made mistakes. The text is well written, generally balanced in structure, and enjoyable. Early chapters develop Einstein's career in the greater field of physics, first presenting the advances of Galileo, Newton, Lorentz, and others. Einstein is then presented as a young man working as a patent clerk and desiring a university posting--a posting beyond his grasp due to mediocre grades, poor personal hygiene, and challenged interpersonal skills. The book then follows his entire career. The included biography however is spotty and highlights anecdotes, but does not attempt to explain the man in notable detail--though the text is not intended as a comprehensive biography. Throughout, Einstein is presented as self-promoting, prone to foibles, a lousy mathematician, excessively proud, human--and also intelligent in the arena of physics. The author clearly does not hold Einstein in the same fabled light favored by conventional wisdom, for example presenting Einstein's initial forays into general relatively as "a performance worthy of Elmer Fudd" (p. 196) and suggesting that many of Einstein's theoretical advances were either proposed earlier by others, co-discovered but not co-attributed, or were invalid in detail while only accidentally correct in the general case. These various issues form the bulk of what the text terms Einstein's mistakes, noting "Einstein made so many mistakes in his scientific work that it is hard to keep track of them" (p. 327). The text does not claim to discover any mistakes--they are all attributed to other sources in the two-dozen pages of endnotes. The text argues that Einstein's reputation remains untarnished not for lack of faults but because of professional courtesy: "...he did not label Einstein's mistake as such. This restraint has also been observed by later writers..." (p. 96).
The text presents most material in a roughly chronological order, considering theories and papers in the order they were published. It is apparent from the material included that Einstein's interests were wide and that he had a fundamental grasp on the significant questions of physics during his lifetime. However, Einstein is presented as, at best, a bumbling mathematician. Most of the chronicled mistakes are mathematical errors. Much of science typically works in a stepwise fashion, with theories being offered and then either modified or withdrawn. Einstein was no exception to this and many of his published theories were later modified, either by himself or others. These early theoretical excursions, when not substantively correct on the first presentation, are considered serious mistakes. When Einstein did not know of significant contemporaneous developments, his ignorance is also termed a mistake. Some of Einstein's personal foibles and some of his career moves are considered mistakes.
In all, Einstein's collected papers are said to comprise "about 180 original items. Of these, about 50 contain mistakes...It's a bad scorecard" (p. 327). While the close examination of Einstein's productivity makes fascinating reading, the text's unfortunate tone borders on gloating and is not consistently objective; Einstein's mistakes "were perfectly mundane, careless, and sometimes stupid lapses in logic and mathematics" (p. 332). And in fact, the tone of the title itself captures entirely the tone of the text. The text's greatest disappointment, however, lies in the conclusion "[w]hat lessons can we extract from Einstein's mistakes? Not many" (p. 332). Surely this is wrong--studying the failings of genius, after all, helps us understand our own average failings in an entirely different light. And even if the conclusion is after all correct, that nothing can be learned by examining Einstein's mistakes, then why write the book in the first place?
A biography of Einstein by way of analyzing his failures and mistakes October 13, 2008
3 out of 5 found this review helpful
When asked by his student how he'd respond to evidence against his famous theory of relativity, Einstein maintained his belief in it against all possible empirical evidence - seemingly. His sense of humor may have outsmarted him but it also reflected his singular mind and stubborn purpose - and his reliance on intuition and inspiration over all. EINSTEIN'S MISTAKES comes from a physicist who offers a biography of Einstein by way of analyzing his failures and mistakes: as such it provides an involving survey which considers the history of physics and Einstein's mistakes as well as those of other leading scientists over the decades. An involving, moving survey.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
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