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Author: Elizabeth MacLeod
Publisher: Kids Can Press
Product: Book (32 pages)
Ages: 8 and up
Cost: $16.95 |
Have you ever wondered what the “c”
stands for in E=mc2? E stands for energy. M for mass. And
C? Speed of light? Come on, Einstein, what’s the connection?
It stands for celeritas, which is Latin for speed. Author Elizabeth
MacLeod includes all sorts of fun trivia in this biography of Albert
Einstein, physicist extraordinaire.
This book spends less time on Einstein’s childhood
(compared with What’s the Matter with Albert) but gives more
detail about his work, activism, and life as an adult. Photos of Einstein
and some of his famous quotes are peppered throughout the book. No
doubt about it—he was a pretty neat guy. Okay, that’s
a bit of an understatement. But if you don’t come away totally
impressed by his scientific discoveries, take this: while working
in Switzerland’s patent office, Einstein approved the patent
for the mold used to make the Toblerone chocolate bar. Genius! |
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Reviewer:
Reuben Wasser
Age: 9
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I liked the big picture of Albert
Einstein on the cover of the book, it made me want to know more
about him. The topic was interesting. The book was all about his
life and what he did.
I enjoyed reading about Einstein. For example,
he didn’t drive a car. (He thought it was too complicated!)
It was fun to read the book because it had little cartoons and little
quotes to read, and I liked reading what Einstein actually said.
The part I liked the least was the E=mc2
explanation—I didn’t really get what “mass”
was and what the equation was.
I did learn things from the book. I learned
that Einstein left Germany because the Nazis didn’t like Jewish
people, and Einstein never went back. Also, he persuaded the president
of the United States to make an atomic bomb. After the bomb fell
on Hiroshima and he heard how many people died, Einstein called
it the biggest mistake of his life.
The one thing I would change was how E=mc2
was explained. The author should tell you what mass is and how the
equation is used. Overall the book was very good, it had lots of
stuff I didn’t know. To describe the book with just one word,
I’d say “interesting”. I give it a score of 8
out of 10.
(Originally published in the July/Aug
2003 issue of YES Mag.) |
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