First published in 1922 and based on lectures delivered in May 1921,
Albert Einstein's The Meaning of Relativity offered an overview and
explanation of the then new and controversial theory of relativity. The
work would go on to become a monumental classic, printed in numerous
editions and translations worldwide. Now, The Formative Years of
Relativity introduces Einstein's masterpiece to new audiences. This
beautiful volume contains Einstein's insightful text, accompanied by
important historical materials and commentary looking at the origins and
development of general relativity. Hanoch Gutfreund and Jürgen Renn
provide fresh, original perspectives, placing Einstein's achievements
into a broader context for all readers.
In this book, Gutfreund and Renn tell the rich story behind the early
reception, spread, and consequences of Einstein's ideas during the
formative years of general relativity in the late 1910s and 1920s. They
show that relativity's meaning changed radically throughout the nascent
years of its development, and they describe in detail the transformation
of Einstein's work from the esoteric pursuit of one individual
communicating with a handful of colleagues into the preoccupation of a
growing community of physicists, astronomers, mathematicians, and
philosophers.
This handsome edition quotes extensively from Einstein's correspondence
and reproduces historical documents such as newspaper articles and
letters. Inserts are featured in the main text giving concise
explanations of basic concepts, and short biographical notes and
photographs of some of Einstein's contemporaries are included. The
first-ever English translations of two of Einstein's popular Princeton
lectures are featured at the book's end.
