Einstein's Dreams by Alan Lightman (English) Paperback Book

Description: Einstein's Dreams by Alan Lightman An imaginary re-creation of Einsteins discovery of the nature of time, this novel takes readers through the young patent clerks many dreams depicting compelling conceptions of time. New signed, boxed edition. FORMAT Paperback LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Publisher Description NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A modern classic explores the connections between science and art, the process of creativity, and ultimately the fragility of human existence."A magical, metaphysical realm ... Captivating, enchanting, delightful." —The New York TimesEinsteins 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 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, Einsteins 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. Back Cover A modern classic, Einsteins Dreams is a fictional collage of stories dreamed by Albert Einstein in 1905, when he worked in a patent office in Switzerland. 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 is a place, visited by lovers and parents clinging to their children, where time stands still. In yet another, time is a nightingale, sometimes trapped by a bell jar. Now translated into thirty languages, Einsteins Dreams has inspired playwrights, dancers, musicians, and painters all over the world. In its poetic vignettes, it explores the connections between science and art, the process of creativity, and ultimately the fragility of human existence. Author Biography ALAN LIGHTMAN is the author of seven novels, including the international best seller Einsteins Dreams and The Diagnosis, a finalist for the National Book Award. He has taught at Harvard and at MIT, where he was the first person to receive a dual faculty appointment in science and the humanities. He is the host of the public television series Searching: Our Quest for Meaning in the Age of Science. He is a professor of the practice of the humanities at MIT. Review "A magical, metaphysical realm ... Captivating, enchanting, delightful." —The New York Times "Endlessly fascinating. A beguiling inquiry into the not-at-all theoretical, utterly time-tangled, tragic and sublime nature of human life." —The Boston Globe "Lightman is an artist who paints with the notion of time." —Los Angeles Times Review Quote "A magical, metaphysical realm...Captivating, enchanting, delightful." -The New York Times "Endlessly fascinating. A beguiling inquiry into the not-at-all theoretical, utterly time-tangled, tragic and sublime nature of human life." --The Boston Globe "Lightman is an artist who paints with the notion of time." --Los Angeles Times Excerpt from Book 14 April 1905 Suppose time is a circle, bending back on itself. The world repeats itself, precisely, endlessly. For the most part, people do not know they will live their lives over. Traders do not know that they will make the same bargain again and again. Politicians do not know that they will shout from the same lectern an infinite number of times in the cycles of time. Parents treasure the first laugh from their child as if they will not hear it again. Lovers making love the first time undress shyly, show surprise at the supple thigh, the fragile nipple. How would they know that each secret glimpse, each touch, will be repeated again and again and again, exactly as before? On Marktgasse, it is the same. How could the shopkeepers know that each handmade sweater, each embroidered handkerchief, each chocolate candy, each intricate compass and watch will return to their stalls? At dusk, the shopkeepers go home to their families or drink beer in the taverns, calling happily to friends down the vaulted alleys, caressing each moment as an emerald on temporary consignment. How could they know that nothing is temporary, that all will happen again? No more than an ant crawling round the rim of a crystal chandelier knows that it will return to where it began. In the hospital on Gerberngasse, a woman says goodbye to her husband. He lies in bed and stares at her emptily. In the last two months, his cancer has spread from his throat to his liver, his pancreas, his brain. His two young children sit on one chair in the corner of the room, frightened to look at their father, his sunken cheeks, the withered skin of an old man. The wife comes to the bed and kisses her husband softly on the forehead, whispers goodbye, and quickly leaves with the children. She is certain that this was the last kiss. How could she know that time will begin again, that she will be born again, will study at the gymnasium again, will show her paintings at the gallery in Z Details ISBN140007780X Author Alan Lightman Short Title EINSTEINS DREAMS Pages 144 Language English ISBN-10 140007780X ISBN-13 9781400077809 Media Book Format Paperback Illustrations Yes Year 2004 Residence MA, US Birth 1948 Imprint Random House Inc Place of Publication New York Country of Publication United States Affiliation MASS INSTITUTE OF TECH DOI 10.1604/9781400077809 AU Release Date 2004-11-09 NZ Release Date 2004-11-09 US Release Date 2004-11-09 UK Release Date 2004-11-09 Publisher Random House USA Inc Series Vintage Contemporaries Publication Date 2004-11-09 DEWEY 813.54 Audience General We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. With fast shipping, low prices, friendly service and well over a million items - you're bound to find what you want, at a price you'll love! TheNile_Item_ID:2622216;

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