A modern classic, Einstein’s Dreams is a fictional collage of stories dreamed by Albert Einstein in 1905, about time, relativity and physics. As the defiant but sensitive young genius is creating his theory of relativity, a new conception of time, he imagines many possible worlds. In one, time is circular, so that people are fated to repeat triumphs and failures over and over. In another, there … another, there is a place where time stands still, visited by lovers and parents clinging to their children. In another, time is a nightingale, sometimes trapped by a bell jar.
Now translated into thirty languages, Einstein’s Dreams has inspired playwrights, dancers, musicians, and painters all over the world. In poetic vignettes, it explores the connections between science and art, the process of creativity, and ultimately the fragility of human existence.
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This is a remarkably short book, written in spare prose, but every story / vignette offers an abundance of food for thought. I kept having to put it down just to mull over all the ramifications of each episode. A brilliant tour-de-force by Alan Lightman.
Thought provoking. Revolutionary ideas.
Mind- blowing and surreal.
This book pushed my thinking. It isn’t a book I would necessarily have picked up and was gifted to me, but I am so glad I read it. The message is important. Really enjoyed it.
great take on time.
Makes you think.
Excellent book. Makes you think about time in a real way
Once again, I believed the critics and was disappointed. The premise is good, but unfortunately, I found this to be really boring. Couldn’t even finish it, which is rare for compulsive me.
Thought provoking and fascinating.
A friend gave me a copy of this modest sized book in the mid 1990s. I was immediately drawn into the author’s speculations about the different ways that time could unroll. Instead of time moving ever forward with an analog pulse what, Alan Lightman posits, if time unfurls with ever so slight digital glitches allowing for details of an intimate …
This little quick read is a fictional collection of Albert Einstein’s Dreams. (Hence – the title). It is set in 1905 – in Switzerland (Bern) where Albert Einstein lived. In these stories, Einstein envisions many possible worlds related to time and space. One story – people never die. Everyone lives forever, and the dream shows how this could …
Einstein dreams of one world after another, on his way to the theory of relativity. Fascinating …
Honestly, here’s what I think. I thought this book was thoughtful and intelligent. I recommended it to my husband, who also read it. It was intellectually stimulating. I’m glad I read it because I’ve heard of it so I appreciate Bookbub putting it out. And that’s the good stuff. I also thought it was a little boring. There was no real story. And I …
New ways to think about time. Mind expanding.
This is a fictional account of what Einstein might have been dreaming when he was constructing his major theory in 1905. The meditations on the nature of Time are thought-provoking and often funny. What if time repeats itself and every action you take will be repeated endlessly? Would that bother you? Or if your town had one kind of time and the …
This book was amazing! It takes the reader through a series of different ways to look at the element of time. It forces you, in a very engrossing way, to “think outside the box.” Loved it!
Gives the reader pause to reflect on the subject of time.
Thought provoking
This book can barely be described other than wildly creative. It requires a reader to let go of what we think we know about time. I read it first about 25 years ago and re-read it when I need inspiration. Small but absolutely one of my top 10 books.
To be honest this book led me to purchase a different book of his: “The Accidental Universe.” Has a gift for writing with the eye a scientist and the speech of your next door neighbor. This author is a “Keeper.” BTW, many of your books posted introduce me to interesting subjects and authors . . . . but not always the book you post. *;o)