
"Albert Einstein and Max Born were giants of physics and great friends. Their letters span forty years and two world wars. In them they argue about quantum theory, agree about Beethoven's heavenly violin and piano duets (which they played together when they met) and chat about their families. Equally important, the men commiserate over the tragic plight of European Jewry and discuss what part they should play in the tumultuous politics of the time." "First published by Macmillan in 1971, The Born-Einstein Letters is fascinating historically. As the world celebrates the centenary of relativity theory, it is also highly topical: scientists continue to struggle with quantum physics, their role in wartime and the public's misunderstanding."--BOOK JACKET.
“Einstein expressed over and over again the thought that one should not couple the quest for knowledge with a bread-and-butter profession, but that research should be done as a private spare-time occupation. He himself wrote the first of his great treatises while earning his living as an employee of the Swiss Patent Office in Bern. He believed that only in this way could one preserve one's independence. What he did not consider, however, was the organizational rigidity of almost all professions, and the importance which individual members of a profession attach to their work. No professional pride could develop without it. To be able successfully to practice science as a hobby, one has to be an Einstein.”
