The real-life story behind Marie Benedict's The Other Einstein--a
fascinating profile of mathematician Mileva Einstein-Maric and her
contributions to her husband's scientific discoveries.
Albert Einstein's first wife, Mileva Einstein-Maric, was forgotten for
decades. When a trove of correspondence between them beginning in their
student days was discovered in 1986, her story began to be told. Some of
the tellers of the "Mileva Story" made startling claims: that she was a
brilliant mathematician who surpassed her husband, and that she made
uncredited contributions to his most celebrated papers in 1905,
including his paper on special relativity. This book, based on extensive
historical research, uncovers the real "Mileva Story."
Mileva was one of the few women of her era to pursue higher education in
science; she and Einstein were students together at the Zurich
Polytechnic. Mileva's ambitions for a science career, however, suffered
a series of setbacks--failed diploma examinations, a disagreement with
her doctoral dissertation adviser, an out-of-wedlock pregnancy by
Einstein. She and Einstein married in 1903 and had two sons, but the
marriage failed.
So was Mileva her husband's uncredited coauthor, unpaid assistant, or
his essential helpmeet? It's tempting to believe that she was her
husband's secret collaborator, but the authors of Einstein's Wife look
at the actual evidence, and a chapter by Ruth Lewin Sime offers
important historical context. The story they tell is that of a brave and
determined young woman who struggled against a variety of obstacles at a
time when science was not very welcoming to women.
Given the barriers women in science still face, [Mileva's] story
remains relevant."
--Washington Post
