11 Enlightening Albert Einstein Books

This comprehensive box set delivers a fascinating look into the many facets of Einstein’s mind, from his scientific understanding of the universe to his reflections on the everyday world. In The Theory of Relativity and Other Essays, Einstein traces the thought process behind his signature discoveries, guiding us through the research that led to his breakthroughs. Essays in Humanism collects essays penned between the turbulent years of 1931 and 1950 and finds Einstein reflecting on everything from militarism and atomic war to world poverty and the global economy. 

The World As I See It captures Einstein’s humanitarian side, collecting his observations about philosophy, religion, and contemporary affairs. The Albert Einstein Collection serves as a marvelous introduction to one of history’s most revered intellects. 

Delve still further into Einstein’s thought with the second volume of The Albert Einstein Collection. From personal letters to essays on the nature of science, this collection gives readers the opportunity to understand the inner workings one of history’s most famous minds. In Essays in Science, which features 16 essays written at the height of Einstein’s career, the physicist discusses his views on his own work, scientific knowledge at large, and the achievements of other scientific minds like Johannes Kepler, Isaac Newton, and Niels Bohr. 

Letters to Solvine, a collection of personal letters written to Einstein’s friend and translator Maurice Solvine, provides a glimpse not only into the life of Einstein the scientist, but that of Einstein the man. Finally, Letters on Wave Mechanics reveals Einstein’s correspondence with three of the 20th century’s greatest scientists: H.A. Lorentz, Max Planck, and Erwin Schrödinger.

This illuminating collection, which includes a number of essays also found in The Albert Einstein Collection, is arranged by subject matter, from the reflective "Convictions and Beliefs" to the politically-minded "Public Affairs" and the discipline-focused section "Science". Together, Out of My Later Years provides a clear and handy survey of Einstein’s point of view, revealing a brilliant thinker fully engaged with science, philosophy, and worldwide humanitarian issues. 

In this celebrated biography, best-selling author David Bodanis sets out in search of the man behind the genius, discovering a world-renowned scientist who nevertheless found himself ostracized by the scientific community in his later years. Named a Science Book of the Year by the Sunday Times, Einstein’s Greatest Mistake delivers a crisp and engaging read on "what we owe Einstein today—and how much more he might have achieved if not for his all-too-human flaws" (Bookreporter).

This standalone book from one of the the above box sets reveals Einstein’s ever-evolving views on politics and culture. Collecting 67 works written before 1935, works that range in scale from speeches and letters to thoroughly reasoned essays, The World As I See It serves as a spirited portrayal of Einstein as a citizen of the world wrestling with an ever-changing social and political landscape.

Walter Isaacson is no stranger to the life and times of revolutionary thinkers, having penned masterful biographies of Benjamin Franklin, Steve Jobs, and Leonardo da Vinci. In this New York Times bestselling biography, Isaacson trains his lens on Einstein. Drawn from a previously sealed cache of Einstein’s personal letters, Einstein presents an in-depth chronicle of its subject: his scientific breakthroughs, his troubled personal relationships, his escape from Nazi Germany and emigration to America, and his final years in Princeton, New Jersey. Throughout, Isaacson argues that the key to Einstein’s achievements sprang from his curiosity and willingness to question—traits that he views as essential in our modern age.

Here’s a delightful children’s book for the little genius in your life. Author Jennifer Berne invites readers of all ages on a wondrous journey through Einstein’s universe. Elegantly written by Berne and beautifully illustrated by Vladimir Radunsky, On a Beam of Light celebrates difference, champions creativity, and encourages its reader to keep learning and laughing throughout life. The book also serves as an impressive introduction for young readers to Einstein’s life story and scientific achievements.

Prominent physicist and historian Abraham Pais was a colleague of Einstein’s. Here, Pais fuses his scientific expertise with vivid first-hand memories of the years he shared with Einstein to produce an illuminating scientific biography. Rich with personal history and in-depth assessments of Einstein’s theories and ideas, Subtle is the Lord delivers "a coherent account of almost everything of scientific significance that Einstein did...Unique and indispensable" (Science).

This unique biography by biochemist and Der Spiegel journalist Jürgen Neffe was a bestseller when it was first published in Germany in 2005. Eschewing chronology and citing newly discovered letters and journal entries, Neffe structures his Einstein biography by topic. Chapters explore Einstein's childhood, his distressed relationship with his children, his rise in the scientific community, and how the political climate of the era impacted his work. The result is a revealing portrait-in-essays of the famed scientist that captures his triumphs as well as his flaws.

Einstein wrote passionately about the turbulent times in which he lived, voicing his opinion on topics that ranged from pacifism and militarism to nationalistic fear mongering and racial equality in America. Here, eminent Einstein scholars David Rowe and Robert Schulmann collect and contextualize Einstein's most powerful political writings. Bristling with energy, Einstein on Politics offers a revealing look at Einstein the activist and political thinker, tracing his views from WWI through the rising tide of European fascism and WWII and into the nuclear arms race of the Cold War.

E=mc2. It’s the breakthrough equation that changed our understanding of space and time—but, uh, what exactly does it mean? David Bodanis takes up the lofty challenge of crafting a “biography” of Einstein’s revolutionary 1905 formula. With wit and clarity, the author transforms a scientific concept into a riveting scholarly narrative, charting the discoveries of the past that led to Einstein’s breakthrough and revealing how Einstein’s equation impacts our daily lives—from carbon dating to the atomic bomb.