Genius: A Photobiography of Albert Einstein by Marfe Ferguson Delano. National Geographic, 2005. 64pp. ISBN 0-7922-9544-7.

SB&F review:

A very interesting selection of photographs of Albert Einstein with his family and in his European and American environments provides the main attraction of this book. The didactical level of some explanatory parentheticals (e.g., the definition of "patents" on page 23), suggests that the book is aimed at middle school students, but high school and adult readers will find the photos compelling reason to overlook the minor textual distractions. Einstein's quotations, reprinted in a satisfying typeface, add a personalized charm to the book. The quotation on page 32, in which Einstein ponders how he came to develop the theory of relativity, is especially well placed and appealing. In fact, the text provides a brief, but accurate and simple, explanation of his theories of both special and general relativity. Notwithstanding these positive points, some negatives stand out. First, the front- and back-cover illustrations are incorrectly labeled. On the acknowledgments page, the text indicates "Front Cover: Albert Einstein in 1941," but in fact, the photograph does not appear. Similarly, the back cover mistakenly purports to show the famous photograph of Einstein sticking out his tongue. Instead, photographs of star clusters grace both covers.
A note of confusion is introduced when the text indicates that Einstein's father encouraged him to study electrical engineering "so he could join the family business." But earlier the text indicated that Einstein's father was a featherbed salesman, and even after the family emigrated to Italy, no mention is made of any electrical engineering business. Other points of relatively minor confusion arise in the text's chronology of Einstein's visits to America and other countries of Europe, where, for example, in one place the text indicates that Einstein and his wife set sail for America in 1921 and later it indicates that Einstein and his wife moved to the United States in 1933, never to return to Europe.
Despite these minor flaws, the book is a lovely tribute to this great scientist. The afterword chronicles the importance of Einstein's work for modern science, and a list of resources provides further reading for interested students and adults. Genius is a sensitive tribute to a true genius of our times!

About the author:

Marfe Ferguson Delano is the author of 12 books for National Geographic including Inventing the Future: A Photobiography of Thomas Edison, which was the recipient of the James Madison Book Award Honor and was named an ALA Notable Book, a Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People (NCSS/CBC), and an Outstanding Science Trade Book for Children (NSTA). A graduate of Duke University, Delano lives in Alexandria, Virginia, with her husband and two children. She has wanted to write about Albert Einstein ever since she learned that her husband was born in Princeton Hospital on the very same day that Einstein died there.

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