The Travel Diaries of Albert Einstein: The Far East, Palestine, and Spain, 1922–1923 by Albert Einstein (PDF)

Description

Albert Einstein’s travel diary to the Far East and Middle EastIn the fall of 1922, Albert Einstein, along with his then-wife, Elsa Einstein, embarked on a five-and-a-half-month voyage to the Far East and Middle East, regions that the renowned physicist had never visited before. Einstein’s lengthy itinerary consisted of stops in Hong Kong and Singapore, two brief stays in China, a six-week whirlwind lecture tour of Japan, a twelve-day tour of Palestine, and a three-week visit to Spain. This handsome edition makes available the complete journal that Einstein kept on this momentous journey.The telegraphic-style diary entries record Einstein’s musings on science, philosophy, art, and politics, as well as his immediate impressions and broader thoughts on such events as his inaugural lecture at the future site of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, a garden party hosted by the Japanese Empress, an audience with the King of Spain, and meetings with other prominent colleagues and statesmen. Entries also contain passages that reveal Einstein’s stereotyping of members of various nations and raise questions about his attitudes on race. This beautiful edition features stunning facsimiles of the diary’s pages, accompanied by an English translation, an extensive historical introduction, numerous illustrations, and annotations. Supplementary materials include letters, postcards, speeches, and articles, a map of the voyage, a chronology, a bibliography, and an index.Einstein would go on to keep a journal for all succeeding trips abroad, and this first volume of his travel diaries offers an initial, intimate glimpse into a brilliant mind encountering the great, wide world.

User’s Reviews

Editorial Reviews: Review “The Travel Diaries is a substantially revised version of the 2012 translation that comes with an illuminating introduction and astonishingly comprehensive end-notes by Ze’ev Rosenkranz. . . . Anyone interested in Einstein’s complex, sometimes self-contradictory, character will be enjoyably provoked by reading his piquant Travel Diaries.”—Andrew Robinson, Science”In this travel journal, clearly written for his eyes only, we see [Einstein] at his most human, capable of making boorish, unthinking and even racist remarks. Indeed, it shows that Einstein was first and foremost a brilliant scientist and that though he undoubtedly had an unequalled insight into the laws of physics, his understanding of human nature and of other cultures was far from profound. It seems that even a genius is, in the end, only human.”—P. D. Smith, Times Literary Supplement”An eye-opening collection of travel diaries from the legendary scientist and thinker.” ― Kirkus Reviews”The handwritten diary shows Einstein in an unfamiliar light, as a tourist―in the real, earthbound sense, not (as in his famous thought experiment) riding a light beam through space-time. Never intended for publication, it records his thoughts and impressions as they occurred, unmediated and unfiltered by considerations of how they would affect his image.”—Jerry Adler, Smithsonian”Few know of Einstein’s writings on travel. . . . That shortcoming may now be remedied with the publication of a fascinating narrative of his first main travels outside of Europe.”—Michael Curtis, New English Review”[Rosenkranz] has prepared a luxuriously enriched edition with a thoughtful introduction and extensive notes for the wider audience.”—David Bodanis, Literary Review Review “By the fall of 1922, Albert Einstein was among the most famous people in the world, a scientific celebrity who was about to win the Nobel Prize. This fascinating diary shows his human side as he travels to Japan, China, Singapore, Palestine, and Spain. The diligent and wise Einstein Papers editor Ze’ev Rosenkranz provides an annotated version that puts each entry into context and creates a treasure for scholars and Einstein fans.”―Walter Isaacson, Tulane University and author of Einstein: His Life and Universe”This is the very first book that offers concentrated and comprehensive discussions about Einstein’s 1922–1923 trip to East Asia, Palestine, and Spain. None of Einstein’s biographies so far have provided a clear, substantial discussion concerning Einstein’s visit to East Asia. Meticulously documented, this invaluable book fills an important gap in our understanding of Einstein’s life.”―Danian Hu, author of China and Albert Einstein”This diary is a faithful reflection of Einstein’s quirky and pungent style, and should draw a broad readership.”―Robert Schulmann, coeditor of Einstein on Politics”This wonderful, thought-provoking book provides a translation of an original and accessible Einstein work that covers a remarkable period in his life, after he had become world famous, received the Nobel Prize, and found himself uncomfortably at the center of the turbulent politics of his time. This volume wears its impressive scholarship lightly and will be a tremendous resource for anyone interested in Einstein.”―Daniel Kennefick, coauthor of An Einstein Encyclopedia From the Back Cover “By the fall of 1922, Albert Einstein was among the most famous people in the world, a scientific celebrity who was about to win the Nobel Prize. This fascinating diary shows his human side as he travels to Japan, China, Singapore, Palestine, and Spain. The diligent and wise Einstein Papers editor Ze’ev Rosenkranz provides an annotated version that puts each entry into context and creates a treasure for scholars and Einstein fans.”–Walter Isaacson, Tulane University and author of Einstein: His Life and Universe “This is the very first book that offers concentrated and comprehensive discussions about Einstein’s 1922-1923 trip to East Asia, Palestine, and Spain. None of Einstein’s biographies so far have provided a clear, substantial discussion concerning Einstein’s visit to East Asia. Meticulously documented, this invaluable book fills an important gap in our understanding of Einstein’s life.”–Danian Hu, author of China and Albert Einstein “This diary is a faithful reflection of Einstein’s quirky and pungent style, and should draw a broad readership.”–Robert Schulmann, coeditor of Einstein on Politics “This wonderful, thought-provoking book provides a translation of an original and accessible Einstein work that covers a remarkable period in his life, after he had become world famous, received the Nobel Prize, and found himself uncomfortably at the center of the turbulent politics of his time. This volume wears its impressive scholarship lightly and will be a tremendous resource for anyone interested in Einstein.”–Daniel Kennefick, coauthor of An Einstein Encyclopedia About the Author Ze’ev Rosenkranz is senior editor and assistant director of the Einstein Papers Project at the California Institute of Technology. Previously, he was the Bern Dibner Curator of the Albert Einstein Archives at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He is the author of Einstein Before Israel (Princeton) and The Einstein Scrapbook. Read more

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐this is 1st superficial comment on book printing..binding and appearance as well as very troublesome rear outer jkt ISDN white sticky sticker you cannot remove without leaving sticky adhesive behind or tairing black hard coverpaper. its ashame vendor thoughtlessly placed it there for those who love their hardcover books. im of the mind to return it and demand a book without this sticker. its been placed by the seller i imagine. the book is not a high quality printing or materials. (think only brick & mortar store nows cheap section where $8 books are on racks as you enter its door). Its made to look in foto as though its nice..black slightly textured and gold colored title which is nicest thing of its design. inside photos of actual diary pages are presented beside next page of printed text interpreting his words. a total of 264 pgs ÷2= 132 diary pgs interpreted in English by author. beginning pg. 265-275, trip dates arrival/departures to various international ports. Abbrevs on pg 277-278. Notes section in sm type refers to the diary in event further detail/clarifications needed takes up extensive part of book in end pgs. 279-357. Thats 78 pgs of notes referring back with detail. Princeton University Press is printer and obviously at $20 its priced right. However id liked to have seen better quality put into mfg of book and paid full $30+ for it. Still a nice addition to your collection if you dont mind the unremovable 1×2″ ISDN white sticker slapped on back cover.

⭐First the good: Einstein was a curious and observant traveler, taking in the sights instead of just basking in all the attention he was getting. And he had interesting insights into colonial governance at the time. The bad: He didn’t seem to be having a good time, complaining about being overfed, about his wife’s aches and pains, and the godawful crowds. The one place he truly enjoyed was Japan. And the inevitable: he was a product of his times, the 1920’s. Fretting about what would happen if the world were overrun by Chinese, admiration for what he characterized as the colonization project of Palestine, assumptions about the effects of hot weather on civilizational development.This publication is a translation from the original German. The original is included, too, but in the form of images of Einstein’s handwriting. I wish the German had been transcribed into type so that it would be easier to read.

⭐This book I ordered is still to come, but recent newspaper reports prompted me to comment before actually reading it. To my knowledge, Westerners’ views of the early 20th century and the 19th century on the Chinese were less positive than their ideas about the Japanese. I think this may be fair, speaking from my own perspective of an ethnic Chinese. When I look at the b&w photos of the time, the Chinese people I see in many cases do not give me a very inspiring look, whereas the Japanese seem to look more self-confident. Einstein’s negative remarks on the Chinese were in fact shared by some notable clear-minded Chinese of his time. The modern writer Yu Dafu (1896-1945), who had studied in Japan, once likened Chinese society to that of some kind of rodents (“tuboshu” is the term he used), while contrasting the Chinese with the Japanese. With his background of military training in Japan, Chiang Kai-shek launched the nation-wide New Life Movement in 1934, with over 90 items of expectations grouped under two principles – discipline and cleanliness – that he urged the Chinese populace of all walks of life to achieve. But unfortunately, perhaps partly because of the coming of the Sino-Japanese War, the movement did not yield any noticeable result. On this now forgotten movement there is a recent scholarly book (2013) in Japanese – with a Chinese translation (2017) by the same author – which provides good analysis. I just returned from a trip in May this year to Nanjing (a.k.a. Nanking). There I saw quite a few posters or slogans calling on the Chinese to keep on modernising (or “civilising”) themselves. I sense some kind of similarity between this present-day Chinese phenomenon and the New Life Movement of Chiang. Naturally, constructive criticism (including self-criticism) may contribute to a potential for self-improvement. Just to say a little more. I think Einstein’s remark on the Chinese female in China of his time may annoy a lot of Chinese female, as well as male, of today.Addendum: This book came yesterday, June 26. Interestingly, his comment “I noticed how little difference there is between [Chinese] men and women …” (pp. 129-131) appears in the entry for November 10 1922, when he was having a short tour of probably Kowloon side across the harbour from Hong Kong island with his wife Elsa. It may be noted that while Einstein spent some six weeks in Japan giving lectures – touring north up to Sendai and Matsushima and south down to Shimonoseki and Fukuoka – he spent less than two weeks in Hong Kong and Shanghai, en route to Japan and back. Westerners’ views on China and her people have had a heaven-and-earth difference between the times of Marco Polo and Albert Einstein. Same East Asians, but to Einstein the Japanese were very positively different from the Chinese. Having read through the East Asian part of his diary, I feel Einstein probably finds the Japanese share his appreciative attitudes towards nature. And Japanese scenery has not changed much since: same deer in Nara (December 18 1922).

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⭐Alot of unessasary info but it is a replication of his actual journals so can’t complain. Beautiful book. I am now on a mission to find journals from other great minds. The gems you do find from sifting through the majority of irrelevant info are well worth it.

⭐Brilliant man-Brilliant book

⭐I had ordered this book yesterday.Although i have not read it yet,I think it will be fun to learn more about this greatest scientist through his diary

⭐The author Ze’ev Rosenkranz is very unfair to Einstein in order to promote himself. very disappointing introduction

⭐I will not buy a book by an Author who is trying to make a name for himself by denigrating a great man.

⭐L’edizione è molto bella, purtroppo presenta un segno da cutter o altro sulla copertina!Non è la prima volta che si verifica questo problema, durante l’imballo o lo smistamento deve verificarsi qualche inconveniente, non penso durante il trasporto, l’imballo era l’originale Amazon.

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