Einstein's Dreams (Vintage Contemporaries)

From 1903 to 1909, Albert Einstein worked as a technical assistant in the patent office in Bern, Switzerland. In 'Einstein's Dreams', Alan Lightman transports the reader back to this setting. It is late June, 1905. We are introduced to Einstein, who is about to send the manuscript of his new theory of time to the German journal of physics. The author then presents thirty short chapters - each a sort of thought experiment - in the form of a fictional dream journal exploring the theme of time. These episodes are punctuated by three 'interludes' featuring imagined conversations between Einstein and his real-life friend and colleague, Michele Besso. In each chapter, the reader is invited to imagine a world where time works in a particular way, and to consider the consequences. In one world, time is a perfect circle that repeats itself endlessly. In a different scenario, time stands still. Then time is a quality, not a quantity. We are even shown a place where time does not exist at all, and there are only images. Sometimes these visions of an alternative reality are described as abstract philosophical musings - in a world where people live forever, we suppose that there are those who will seek to cram as much as possible into their infinite existence (the 'Nows'), whilst others will procrastinate endlessly (the 'Laters'). In other worlds, the author presents vignettes - a couple whose love affair ends because time stops for an instant and changes their view of each other; or a mother and daughter planning a trip to Lucerne because they know that the world will end soon. Such a technical description of the book belies the beauty of the writing, however; to fully appreciate this, you will just have to read it yourself! You can either sit down and devour the book in one sitting, as I did when I first discovered the paperback edition in the late 90s. Since then, I have found it a great book for dipping into, as most of the chapters are self-contained. I'm delighted to have found this Kindle edition, which even retains the illustrations from the original paperback edition. Readers in search of a 'story' in the traditional sense may be disappointed, as there is no driving plot line here. Modern readers might almost describe it as a collection of flash fiction, with each short tale examining the same theme from a different angle. Hardcore scientists may prefer a more literal exposition of Einstein's achievements. What I believe all readers will find here, though, is a beautiful exploration of the nature of scientific discovery, the power of the human mind and the complexity of human existence. This review refers to the Kindle edition of 'Einstein's Dreams' downloaded on 5 September 2012.

This is a dreamy book, in fact. It contains many dreamlike worlds, each appearing, existing for a little while, then disappearing like a ship in a misty Turner painting. It is also a thought provoking examination of the nature of time, its relationship with movement and entropy, and its effects on human lives and emotions. So why have I deducted one star? Because it is more like poetry than a novel. It is beautiful and it is clever, but it doesn't really have a story as such. Reading it was like spending an afternoon daydreaming. Nevertheless, Einstein's Dreams has been awarded a place on my "read again" shelf, a rare honour. I may edit this review at a later date, when I have read it again, if I find more in it.

This is not a theoretical book packed with equations, in fact it's a fascinating novel that imagines the dreams that Einstein may have had during 1905 whilst he worked to develop his general theory of relativity. It is a short book, written in 30 or so brief chapters, each of which views time through perspectives of different worlds and how these affect the lives of people within these worlds. There are worlds where time exists only in the present, with no future or past, worlds where time stands still, or is perceived differently by each individual. Worlds where time is never ending and lives go on for ever. Though woven together loosely around a period in Einstein's life, the chapters each stretch our perception of what time is and our reaction to it, and in doing so our understanding of change, and the paradoxes that emerge. For example when our lives are infinitely long, there is time to do everything, to live every life we can imagine. For some this means there is no incentive to do anything, there will always be tomorrow. For others it is the invitation to fill every moment with new experience. This is an easily read book, but one that will provoke your thinking and may leave a lasting impression. It teaches about time, but also about how our thinking can become locked in one mode and become blind to the many ways to see and understand a situation. I suspect that it is a book that I will return to, both to resample the ideas that it presents, and the lesson it carries of how complex ideas can be very effectively conveyed through thought provoking stories.

Its ok but really repetitive to read. I loved Sum by David Eagleman so bought this to enjoy more in a similar vein. However I am disappointed and have given up halfway through

My daughter loved this book immediately. It's on what almost seems like pre-aged paper, not in the format I was expecting (not a clean, pristine hardback but a volume which invites being read over a cup of tea) but - it somehow fits its subject. She was enchanted by it. She's a Doctor of Neuroscience and loves philosophising and can't wait to read this. Then I'm borrowing it!

I read this in one sitting, it will take a permanent place on my bookshelf and I will read it again. Nicely written, easy to read and understand, it's not a science book. Each chapter is a short story of three pages or so which can be read on its own. They are set in the same town but each with a different outcome based on how time could (or does, depending on your point of view) work differently, it's captivating and thought provoking.

"Einstein's Dreams" is certainly not a conventional "story", but rather a sequence of different scenarios, exploring ideas and concepts about the nature of time - although this does not do it justice at all. I found it to be highly imaginative, thought-provoking and very well written. Overall it was an extremely enjoyable read, and I have the feeling it will repay repeated readings in the future.

Einstein lui-même a dit que ses rêves l'inspiraient pour sa réflexion scientifique ; ici, le physicien Alan Lightman imagine une série de rêves qu'Einstein aurait pu faire sur le thème du temps pendant qu'il réfléchissait à la relativité générale. Dans chacun de ces rêves, Einstein expérimente un jeu de lois du temps et imagine les implications sur la vie de tous les jours. Faire parler les équations des sciences-physiques dans un langage courant est un exercice difficile qu'Alan Lightman réussit avec brio, mais le procédé s'essoufle vite car les variations crédibles ne sont pas si nombreuses, et passé la moitié du livre cela tourne un peu à l'exercice de style.

Excellent read. The author takes us through a journey of imaginary snapshots of life in time.very interesting book. A must read

I get such a kick reading the 1 or 2 star reviews because they simply don't get it; they're looking for a book of answers to scientific or philosophical questions. THIS IS NOT A BOOK OF ANSWERS; IT IS A BOOK OF IDEAS. I teach a high school humanities class with this book. We read a chapter (journal entry, really) or two, briefly research and discuss the theories/ideas of time presented within those few pages, and then write a response in a variety of forms such as a flash fiction piece, a brief personal essay, a journal entry, etc. Once the book has been completely read and the students have in turn written their own "Dreams" book, they print them, bind them, and create leather-bound books out of them (which we also craft ourselves). It is a book of ideas intended to prompt thought. What would like be like where time really like this? IS time really like this? Do I live my life this way, whereas I could or should live it another way? If one could understand the nature of Time, could one understand the nature of God? Do not expect to find any answers in this book. It is a fictional piece of poetic prose. Rather, expect to be prompted to think. They're not deep, mind-blowing, philosophical questions, they're practical questions with applicable answers.

After talking about this book for years I finally decided to look for a copy and gift it to my friend. It is a well imagined look at how Einstein thought about everyday life and the world at large. The book is comprised of several short stories which explore how Einstein thought about time. One story he used was about 2 women meeting for lunch. They lived in opposite directions from the restaurant. Each had to determine how long their commute would be. This left one thinking the lunch was at 11:45 AM while the other thought it was at 12:15 PM. It was amusing but something that I have experienced. My favorite story was about Einstein's concern that people living in valleys may age at rates differently than those who live high in the mountains. There are all sorts of dilemmas that the author thinks must Einstein must have worried about and it is interesting to read how the author thinks Einstein resolved them. It's a quick read because each question has its own short chapter. It's small in size so it's great for travel.

Since the book is not actually what Einstein was thinking at the time, I found that this piece was a bit too fictional for my taste. Don't get me wrong, it may be a good book for someone who loves philosophy and science fiction at the same time. My grandpa will love it.