Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Ideas And Opinions

Top positive review

A wonderful little compilation of Einstein's thinking

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 2, 2020

The Modern Library hardcovers are nice stylish little volumes on the shelf, and they hold up well over several readings so well worth getting one over the paperback edition. I bought this for a scientist colleague of mine at work as a gift for his help during this difficult period, but couldn't resist scrolling through and giving this a read in the days before I could hand it over. While of course you're familiar with Einstein's scientific work, it's truly fascinating to read his thoughts here on a whole host of other topics - Germany in the 1930s, disarmament, education, philosophy. Agree with his ideas and opinions or not, they're interesting little insights into both the man and the subject he's addressing. A must read for those interested in Einstein (or if you've just finished the Walter Isaacson biography and want to go a little deeper)!

5 people found this helpful

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4America

Stick to science

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 4, 2005

I've always had an interest in learning more about Einstein. What I found surprised me. Especially, the difference from his first letters about the new America to his socialist stance much later. This book should help people realize that sometimes we make too much of people. While he certainly contributed to science be thankful that he never got his shot at social engineering. This is the kind of guy Ayn Rand would despise. After all what did Einstein actually do? Did he start a company? Did he employee people? I'd argue that the person who invented velcro did more for this world than Einstein. Sure there is a need for scientists and we should appreciate their contributions but we should also be careful not to accept the whole of them without closer scrutiny.

15 people found this helpful

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From the United States

The Huntington Book Depository

A wonderful little compilation of Einstein's thinking

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 2, 2020

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5 people found this helpful

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AndrewS

Great Read

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 22, 2014

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I prefer non-fiction books to fiction and it was eye-opening to read the opinions from one of the greatest minds of the last century on topics that were not related to his area of expertise (theoretical physics, AKA the original Sheldon Cooper). I recommend everyone put this book on their reading bucket list.

This is one of those books that took a while to read because every sentence was read multiple times and then pondered over for a few seconds/minutes until moving to the next idea. Einstein had an amazing ability to cut past the BS and apply plain logic to whatever issue he was addressing. He was a genius in all aspects of life and more people should try to achieve the intellectual freedom he had. His writings have definitely re-opened that inquisitive, knowledge-yearning part of my brain that has been dormant for a few years.

Some of the sentence structure was hard to read, I found myself reading and re-reading the passages in the first 30 pages until I my brain got used to Einstein's writing rhythm. Its either a language barrier, since English was not Einstein's first language (I think), or his grammar and sentence structure is so perfect that his writing looks weird to a 21st century reader. The YOLO generation might experience a brain bleed from Einsten's esoteric writing.

16 people found this helpful

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Shauna Westrack

:) !!!!!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 28, 2022

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Phenomenal read.

One person found this helpful

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John Martin

Educators, Politicians, Scientists - You Need To Read This!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 12, 2016

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I bought this book mainly to get a grasp on Einstein's feelings about education. The greatest mind of the modern age, pulling from personal experience as both a teacher and a student, lays down some very good ideas about what education should be about. I was also entertained by Einstein's global perspective, although I believe that the formation of a Utopian society is wishful thinking since there would still need to be a government of flawed human beings that were capable of corruption. Overall it is a great collection of letters and speeches by one of my favorite teachers, with the added bonus of his point of view on many things that plague our generation to this day. It is a very easy book to read and almost impossible to put down. The contents are infinitely better than the pseudo-intellectual bull-stuff that lay between the ears of many educators, scientists, and politicians of these perilous. I recommend this book to teachers, parents, scientists, politicians, and layman. Everyone can enjoy the simplicity of Einstein's arguments and thoughts.

36 people found this helpful

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Charles Bullington

Superb Insight from a Thoughtful, Humane, and Passionate Genius

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 19, 2021

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There is much more to Einstein than what the public generally knows/perceives. Einstein's writings provides a close, personal, and touching insight to a celebrated genius and, even, celebrity. These writings provide a fascinating insight to the man and his philosophy and beliefs.

4 people found this helpful

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Aleks

Odd fellow..

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 5, 2017

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By that I don't mean it in a bad way. His way of looking at life is definitely peculiar. But very interesting. Some of his writings I wasn't particularly interested in but it made for an interesting read when it comes to the rest of the book.

I really liked his answer to the question "what is the meaning of life?"

"To know an answer to this question means to be religious.... The man who regards his own life and that of his fellow creatures as meaningless is not merely unhappy but hardly fit for life."

Way to go buddy. I like you.

22 people found this helpful

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Kelly C Kinnebrew

A g o-to for constant "bits of Einstein"

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 16, 2019

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In spite of the absence of the pronoun alluding to the existence of more than half the earth's population -- women -- this is a deeply engaging philosophical text on all arenas of the great thinker's interest. Letters, essays, and notes on a panoply of important domains will add to your critical thinking, and in digestible snippets.

4 people found this helpful

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4America

Stick to science

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 4, 2005

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15 people found this helpful

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S. C. L. NG

My IQ is too low to understand the book

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 4, 2020

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Didn't understand a word in it, so i guess its a real good book for clever people.

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Booksforme

Interesting But Deep

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 7, 2014

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I bought this for my father who has shown interest in Einstein's theories. He says he has been enjoying the read because the collection of essays are rather short so he can take a break between the heavy words. He also says the philosophy section, without having a philosophy background, is very challenging even as it is enjoyable to read.

5 people found this helpful

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