The Curious History of Relativity: How Einstein's Theory of Gravity Was Lost and Found Again

Description

Einstein's theory was accepted as the true theory in 1915, but soon took a back seat to quantum mechanics. Not until the existence of black holes by Stephen Hawking in the 1960s, was the theory revived. This book tells the story of both events and the techniques employed by Einstein and relativists to construct, develop, and understand his theory.

Jean Eisenstaedt is Senior Researcher at France's National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) attached to the Paris Observatory. The widely praised French edition of "The Curious History of Relativity" was published as "Einstein et la relativite generale". Eisenstaedt's most recent book is "Avant Einstein. Relativite, lumiere, gravitation" (Before Einstein: Relativity, Light, Gravitation).

"This book is a treasure from a world expert. It offers a deeper understanding of Einstein's theory and, above all, it is an inspiring account of his unique scientific style."--Simon Mitton, Times Higher Education Supplement "In this English translation, Eisenstaedt ... reviews how Einstein developed the theory that would supplant Newton's principles of gravity. The author reviews the period from the 1920s to the 1950s, during which Einstein confronted his critics. Finally, Eisenstaedt ponders what will become of general relativity as today's physicists search for a unifying theory of the quantum and gravitational domains."--Science News Praise for the original, French edition: "With its limpid prose, this book reads like a novel... It is a treasure for all those who seek to understand Einstein's theory."--Ciel & Espace "What makes his book stand out among the legion of other titles on Einstein and relativity is the historical context into which Eisenstaedt places his scientific discussion."--Library Journal Praise for the original, French edition: "Eisenstaedt's book ... takes us into the universe of an exceptional theory, and offers an irresistible chance to delve into the mind of one of the most brilliant scientists of the twentieth century."--Bulletin critique du livre en francais Praise for the original, French edition: "Virtually free of mathematical formulas, this book offers accessible reading ... to all amateur scientists who are by definition curious spirits... A big 'thank you' to Jean Eisenstaedt for this excellent work!"--L'Astronomie Praise for the original, French edition: "An accessible and precisely written book for all non-mathematicians who wish to comprehend the complexities raised by the theory of relativity."--Alderan "A faithful history of Einstein's astonishing theory of gravitation based on curvature of the four-dimensional space-time in which we live, created when no observed datum pointed in that direction... For professionals in other fields, energetic readers, and college-level students."--Choice "This book gives a lucid account of the struggle to find the right concepts to understand how the speed of light can be independent of the motion of its source."--D. Lynden-Bell, The Observatory Magazine