Einstein, Albert, 1879-1955

Albert Einstein (1879–1955) was one of the most influential theoretical physicists of the twentieth century. This page lists two of his works, Relativity: The Special and General Theory and Sidelights on Relativity, both concerned with the theory of relativity. The first sets out the basic principles of special and general relativity in a systematic way, while the second supplements the ideas and background of relativity in the form of essays and lectures. His writing is addressed to general readers and uses as little mathematics as possible, drawing on everyday examples and thought experiments to make abstract concepts clear; the prose is plain yet rigorous. These two works brought relativity beyond the boundaries of specialist study into the public view and had a profound influence on the spread of modern physical ideas. Public information is limited, so details of his life are omitted here.