REVIEWED BY KYLE SMITH
BIOGRAPHY
When Charlie Chaplin took Albert Einstein to the City Lights premiere, the crowds roared. "They cheer me because they all understand me," said Chaplin. "They cheer you because no one [does]." Isaacson understands Einstein and explains his discoveries while sharing riveting personal detail. Einstein never met his first child, obtained a divorce by offering his first wife prize money from the Nobel he predicted he'd win, and once told his mistress that the missus wouldn't mind if they all lived together. One intriguing chapter, "Einstein's God," explores his faith. A beach book this isn't; a triumph it is.
