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Bodanis begins by devoting chapters to each of the equation's letters and symbols, introducing the science and scientists forming the backdrop to Einstein's discovery - from Ole Roemer's revelation that the speed of light could be measured to Michael Faraday's pioneering work on energy fields. Having demystified the equation, Bodanis explains its science and brings it to life historically, making clear the astonishing array of discoveries and consequences it made possible. It would prove to be a beacon throughout...
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Bodanis begins by devoting chapters to each of the equation's letters and symbols, introducing the science and scientists forming the backdrop to Einstein's discovery - from Ole Roemer's revelation that the speed of light could be measured to Michael Faraday's pioneering work on energy fields. Having demystified the equation, Bodanis explains its science and brings it to life historically, making clear the astonishing array of discoveries and consequences it made possible. It would prove to be a beacon throughout the twentieth century, important to Ernest Rutherford, who discovered the structure of the atom, Enrico Fermi, who probed the nucleus, and Lise Meitner, who finally understood how atoms could be split wide open. And it has come to inform our daily lives, governing everything from the atomic bomb to a television's cathode-ray tube to the carbon dating of prehistoric paintings.
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Editorial Reviews

From Barnes & Noble
Our Review
In his introduction, author David Bodanis relates the story of the genesis of this book. He was reading an interview with Cameron Diaz where the interviewer asked if there was anything else the actress wanted to know, and she said, "What does E=mc2 really mean?" Dubbed in the subtitle "The World's Most Famous Equation," E=mc2 falls into the larger category of things people feel they should comprehend. As Bodanis points out, it seems like Albert Einstein's little formula should be understandable -- after all, it only consists of five symbols! The first part of the book takes each of those five symbols in turn and explains its history. E stands for energy; = for equals; m for mass; c for the speed of light; and the superscript 2 for squared. There was a time before any of these symbols existed; even the = sign had a sputtering start. It is only in the past couple of hundred years that humanity has come to understand that energy is something to be measured and that it has the ability to change. These properties were discovered and refined by people like Michael Faraday, who in the 19th century made the connection between electricity and magnetism. Likewise, Antoine Laurent Lavoisier -- whom Bodanis characterizes as "an accountant with a soul that could soar" -- was instrumental in observing the conservation of mass. These discoveries laid the foundation for Einstein's astonishing insight that energy and mass can actually convert into each other. The speed of light (186,000 miles per second) multiplied by itself is a pretty hefty number, so it doesn't take very much mass to convert into a vast amount of energy. Bodanis continues with a concise chronology of how that knowledge was turned into history's most infamous weapon, the atomic bomb, recounting such exploits as the World War II raid to disable Germany's heavy-water plant. That same equation has been with us always, though. Long before the Manhattan Project, E=mc2 made the stars shine -- including our own star, the sun.

E=mc2 accomplishes exactly what it sets out to do. By the end, readers know what the equation is and what it does, without having to swim through a lot of other theories and equations.

--Laura Wood, Science & Nature Editor

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly
Most people know this celebrated equation has something to do with Einstein's theory of relativity, but most nonscientists don't know what it means. This very approachable yet somewhat limited work of popular science explains, and adorns with anecdote and biography, the equation and its place in history. Oxford lecturer Bodanis (The Secret Family) shows what happened to Einstein on the way to the discovery, what other scientists did to bring it about and how the equation created the atom bomb. Part Two tackles separately the components of the equation (E, =, m, c and "squared"), which means that it covers 18th- and 19th-century physics. "`E' Is for Energy" opens with Michael Faraday, whose unusual religious beliefs helped him discover that electricity and magnetism were the same force. "`m' Is for Mass" brings in French chemist Lavoisier, who established the law of conservation of matter. Bodanis then turns to Einstein's life and work. The middle third of the book covers the exploration of the atom and the making of the atom bomb; the cast of characters here includes Marie Curie, Lise Meitner and Enrico Fermi. A concluding section considers how E=mc2 powers the sun, and how our sun and all others will eventually run out of gas. Capsule biographies here include one of the engaging English astronomer Cecilia Payne, who wouldn't let institutional sexism stop her from finding the hydrogen in the sun. Bodanis's writing is accessible to the point of chattiness: he seeks, and deserves, many readers who know no physics. They'll learn a handful--more important, they'll enjoy it, and pick up a load of biographical and cultural curios along the way. 20 photos and drawings not seen by PW. (Oct.) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.
Library Journal
As in his earlier books (The Secret Family; The Secret House), science writer and Oxford lecturer Bodanis truly has a gift for bringing his subject matter to life. Here he profiles the most famous equation in science history: E=mc. Each letter and symbol of Einstein's Theory of Special Relativity is explained separately, with historical information about the development of each component. Bodanis provides interesting biographical tidbits about the scientists who influenced Einstein's discovery (Ole Roemer, Michael Faraday) and put his theory to use (Ernest Rutherford, Enrico Fermi, and Lise Meitner). Then he discusses the relationship between these elements (the = in this equation) and the birth of the Nuclear Age. Bodanis includes annotated notes and suggested readings, which in themselves make good reading. Surely one of the best books of the year, this is highly recommended for all libraries.--James Olson, Northeastern Illinois Univ. Lib., Chicago Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.
The equation did not emerge fully grown from Einstein's head one day in 1905, says mathematician-turned-social scientist Bodanis. He takes it apart, explaining each element, and in the process introduces key figures who previously discovered the realms of energy and mass and how they operated. Among them are Voltaire's lover Emilie du Ch<^a>telet, and Michael Faraday. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Kirkus Reviews
A readable history and explanation of the only physics equation that has taken on a life of its own in popular culture.
From the Publisher
“Bodanis’s account is exhilarating….This book filled me, once again, with delight at what numbers, together with a free-ranging intellect, can achieve. E=mc² is to be treasured because, in its small compass, it reveals so much of what makes science tick….a few more books like this and perhaps our policy makers will remember what science is about” —The Globe and Mail
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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780641575327
  • Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
  • Publication date: 10/28/2001
  • Pages: 352
  • Product dimensions: 4.94 (w) x 8.24 (h) x 0.90 (d)

Meet the Author

David Bodanis is the author of six books, including the bestselling The Secret House. He teaches mathematical physics at Oxford and lives in London.
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Read an Excerpt

Chapter One

Bern Patent Office, 1905


    13 April 1901

    Professor Wilhelm Ostwald

    University of Leipzig

    Leipzig, Germany

    Esteemed Herr Professor!

Please forgive a father who is so bold as to turn to you, esteemed Herr Professor, in the interest of his son.
I shall start by telling you that my son Albert is 22 years old, that ... he feels profoundly unhappy with his present lack of position, and his idea that he has gone off the tracks with his career & is now out of touch gets more and more entrenched each day. In addition, he is oppressed by the thought that he is a burden on us, people of modest means....
I have taken the liberty of turning [to you] with the humble request to ... write him, if possible, a few words of encouragement, so that he might recover his joy in living and working.
If, in addition, you could secure him an Assistant's position for now or the next autumn, my gratitude would know no bounds....
I am also taking the liberty of mentioning that my son does not know anything about my unusual step.

I remain, highly esteemed Herr Professor, your devoted

    Hermann Einstein

No answer from Professor Ostwald was ever received.

The world of 1905seems distant to us now, but there were many similarities to life today. European newspapers complained that there were too many American tourists, while Americans were complaining that there were too many immigrants. The older generation everywhere complained that the young were disrespectful, while politicians in Europe and America worried about the disturbing turbulence in Russia. There were newfangled "aerobics" classes; there was a trend-setting vegetarian society, and calls for sexual freedom (which were rebuffed by traditionalists standing for family values), and much else.

    The year 1905 was also when Einstein wrote a series of papers that changed our view of the universe forever. On the surface, he seemed to have been leading a pleasant, quiet life until then. He had often been interested in physics puzzles as a child, and was now a recent university graduate, easygoing enough to have many friends. He had married a bright fellow student, Mileva, and was earning enough money from a civil service job in the patent office to spend his evenings and Sundays in pub visits, or long walks—above all, he had a great deal of time to think.

    Although his father's letter hadn't succeeded, a friend of Einstein's from the university, Marcel Grossman, had pulled the right strings to get Einstein the patent job in 1902. Grossman's help was necessary not so much because Einstein's final university grades were unusually low—through cramming with the ever-useful Grossman's notes, Einstein had just managed to reach a 4.91 average out of a possible 6, which was almost average—but because one professor, furious at Einstein for telling jokes and cutting classes, had spitefully written unacceptable references. Teachers over the years had been irritated by his lack of obedience, most notably Einstein's high school Greek grammar teacher, Joseph Degenhart, the one who has achieved immortality in the history books through insisting that "nothing would ever become of you." Later, when told it would be best if he left the school, Degenhart had explained, "Your presence in the class destroys the respect of the students."

    Outwardly Einstein appeared confident, and would joke with his friends about the way everyone in authority seemed to enjoy putting him down. The year before, in 1904, he had applied for a promotion from patent clerk third class to patent clerk second class. His supervisor, Dr. Haller, had rejected him, writing in an assessment that although Einstein had "displayed some quite good achievements," he would still have to wait "until he has become fully familiar with mechanical engineering."

    In reality, though, the lack of success was becoming serious. Einstein and his wife had given away their first child, a daughter born before they were married, and were now trying to raise the second on a patent clerk's salary. Einstein was twenty-six. He couldn't even afford the money for part-time help to let his wife go back to her studies. Was he really as wise as his adoring younger sister, Maja, had told him?

    He managed to get a few physics articles published, but they weren't especially impressive. He was always aiming for grand linkages—his very first paper, published back in 1901, had tried to show that the forces controlling the way liquid rises up in a drinking straw were similar, fundamentally, to Newton's laws of gravitation. But he could not quite manage to get these great linkages to work, and he got almost no response from other physicists. He wrote to his sister, wondering if he'd ever make it.

    Even the hours he had to keep at the patent office worked against him. By the time he got off for the day, the one science library in Bern was usually closed. How would he have a chance if he couldn't even stay up to date with the latest findings? When he did have a few free moments during the day, he would scribble on sheets he kept in one drawer of his desk—which he jokingly called his department of theoretical physics. But Haller kept a strict eye on him, and the drawer stayed closed most of the time. Einstein was slipping behind, measurably, compared to the friends he'd made at the university. He talked with his wife about quitting Bern and trying to find a job teaching high school. But even that wasn't any guarantee: he had tried it before, only four years earlier, but never managed to get a permanent post.

    And then, on what Einstein later remembered as a beautiful day in the spring of 1905, he met his best friend, Michele Besso ("I like him a great deal," Einstein wrote, "because of his sharp mind and his simplicity"), for one of their long strolls on the outskirts of the city. Often they just gossiped about life at the patent office, and music, but today Einstein was uneasy. In the past few months a great deal of what he'd been thinking about had started coming together, but there was still something Einstein felt he was very near to understanding but couldn't quite see. That night Einstein still couldn't quite grasp it, but the next day he suddenly woke up, feeling "the greatest excitement."

    It took just five or six weeks to write up a first draft of the article, filling thirty-some pages. It was the start of his theory of relativity. He sent the article to Annalen der Physik to be published, but a few weeks later, he realized that he had left something out. A three-page supplement was soon delivered to the same physics journal. He admitted to another friend that he was a little unsure how accurate the supplement was: "The idea is amusing and enticing, but whether the Lord is laughing at it and has played a trick on me—that I cannot know." But in the text itself he began, confidently: "The results of an electrodynamic investigation recently published by me in this journal lead to a very interesting conclusion, which will be derived here." And then, four paragraphs from the end of this supplement, he wrote it out.

    E=mc² had arrived in the world.

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Table of Contents

Preface vii
Part 1 Birth
1 Bern Patent Office, 1905 3
Part 2 Ancestors of E=mc[superscript 2]
2 E Is for Energy 11
3 = 23
4 m Is for mass 27
5 c Is for celeritas 37
6 [characters not reproducible] 55
Part 3 The Early Years
7 Einstein and the Equation 73
8 Into the Atom 93
9 Quiet in the Midday Snow 100
Part 4 Adulthood
10 Germany's Turn 117
11 Norway 134
12 America's Turn 143
13 8:16 A.M.--Over Japan 163
Part 5 Till the End of Time
14 The Fires of the Sun 173
15 Creating the Earth 184
16 A Brahmin Lifts His Eyes Unto the Sky 195
Epilogue: What Else Einstein Did 204
Appendix Follow-Up of Other Key Participants 221
Notes 237
Guide to Further Reading 301
Acknowledgments 319
Index 325
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Interviews & Essays

Exclusive Author Essay
The idea for this book dates back to when I was a schoolchild in Chicago. On a field trip, one of my classmates asked our teacher what Einstein had invented. None of the teachers knew, and that was puzzling: We all had heard that Einstein was one of the greatest minds in history. Yet what was it he had invented?

Years passed, and I studied math and physics at the University of Chicago and ultimately ended up teaching at Oxford. Yet I realized that many of my friends now were in the same position my school friends and I had been in those years before: They knew Einstein and relativity and E=mc2 were important...but they didn't know why. I realized I could write a book that would help resolve that, if I simply explained E=mc2 in terms of the people who had played a central role in that equation. Their hopes and ambitions and passions would be a "vehicle" through which I could give readers a powerful, clear explanation of Einstein's science.

To understand what the "m" is doing in the equation, I look at the life of Antoine Lavoisier, the wealthy Parisian whose life ended on the guillotine during the French Revolution; to explain the "e" in the equation, I look at Michael Faraday, a boy from the slums of London at the beginning of the 1800s who rose up to a top position at the Royal Institution (even though the mentor who brought him there ultimately turned against young Faraday at his very moment of triumph).

But the equation also applies in ordinary life, and I show E=mc2 operating in ordinary medical equipment, and even in the red-glowing exit signs in our movie theaters. Its sway stretches out into space, and in one of my favorite chapters I recount the story of Cecilia Payne, the young British woman who first understood that the sun was made out of hydrogen and that this "mass" is "pumped" through the equation to come out as the glowing "energy" that lights up our planet, and our solar system...and glows out through the galaxy, serving as a beacon to Einstein's great insight and all the individuals who were part of his great work.

--David Bodanis

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  • Anonymous

    Posted April 1, 2005

    Craking 'the life of E = mc©÷'

    First of all, I greatly enjoyed reading this book. Unlike typical science books that only talk about either the math of the equation or the biography of the scientist, E=mc2: A Biography of the World¡¯s Most Famous Equation explains each letter and symbol of the equation with historical information about the development of each component. This book isn¡¯t about pure math/science. It¡¯s about the historical background that enabled Einstein to write the equation. Mr. Bodanis was compelled to recount this story as he wanted to write a book that promised to explain it what it is supposed to explain and that was enough to make readers interested. E=mc2 is ¡°the world¡¯s most famous equation,¡± and yet majority of the population don¡¯t even know what it is about other than some people being able to say ¡°it is about the great law of relativity!¡± And he wanted the content of the book to be able to fulfill the curiosity, as he said on the interview, ¡°I really would get across what it meant.¡± This book focuses on ¡°a biography of the world¡¯s most famous equation,¡± not that of the scientist. It treats E=mc2 as some sort of a living thing; the book is divided into 5 larger parts: Birth, Ancestors of E=mc2, the Early Years, Adulthood, and Till the End of Time (of the equation). For example, as the ¡°ancestors¡± of the E=mc2, Faraday, Lavoisier, and Maxwell appear in the story each representing a letter, E, m, and c. There are even two more chapters that teach the origins of ¡°=¡± and ¡°^2¡± and why they are added onto the equation. You should read this book, if given a chance, because it promises to expand your knowledge of the Law of Relativity considerably. And it WILL. Thanks to Mr. Bodanis, I took a good step from having merely any knowledge on this topic to having able of explaining what E=mc2 really represents to people around me. Even people like me, who don¡¯t really enjoy reading a lot, don¡¯t speak/read English that fluently, and even have to rush through the book due to the impending due date, will become a fan of this book; it is NEVER boring, and written in simple, easy, straightforward language. Lastly, to remind some of you, this book isn¡¯t for mathematical purposes. If you are planning to obtain mathematical perspective of Einstein¡¯s work, this isn¡¯t the right book to pick. But if you would like to learn the basic background, how Einstein was as a student or how his theory influenced the world we are living in, go for it. You¡¯ll feel smarter after reading this book.

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