Biography

Since the death of Albert Einstein in 1955 there have been many books and articles written about the man and a number of attempts to "explain" relativity. In this new major work Abraham Pais, himself an eminent physicist who worked alongside Einstein in the post-war years, traces the development of Einstein's entire oeuvre. This is the first book which deal comprehensively and in depth with Einstein's science, both the successes and the failures. -- Description from publisher.

Chronicles the life of pop artist Andy Warhol, describing his childhood in Pittsburgh, the development of the Factory, and his rise to fame

Describes the background in which Anne Frank's life and diary were set as she hid in an attic in Nazi-occupied Holland for two years

He found Rome made of clay and left it made of marble. As Rome's first emperor, Augustus transformed the unruly Republic into the greatest empire the world had ever seen. His consolidation and expansion of Roman power two thousand years ago laid the foundations for all of Western history to follow. Yet despite Augustus's accomplishments, very few biographers have concentrated on the man himself, instead choosing to chronicle the age in which he lived.

Steinberg demonstrates that Bismarck's rise and survival depended on his relationship to King William I. Serving as prime minister at the pleasure of William I, Devoid of any principle beyond the exercise of power, defining politics as struggle in domestic and international contexts, he singlehandedly "brought about a complete transformation in the European international order." As Steinberg relates, he fostered enmity in order to resolve conflict. The results were a restless Reich, an antagonistic Europe, and eventually a world war. B&w photos. (Apr.)

In the midst of the go-go eighties and nineties, a group of overachieving, anarchistic MIT students joined a decades-old underground blackjack club dedicated to counting cards and beating the system at major casinos around the world. While their classmates were working long hours in labs and libraries, the blackjack team traveled weekly to Las Vegas and other glamorous gambling locales, with hundreds of thousands of dollars duct-taped to their bodies.

Profiles the life and career of South African political activist Katie Makanya. Describes how she pursued a bachelor's education as a teenager by living in England and performing for Queen Victoria in a choir. When Makanya returned to South Africa, she spent the next forty years working in Durban for a white missionary doctor and organizing political organizations. Features Makanya's words as told to the missionary doctor's daughter

Provides a portrait of Catherine the Great as mother, lover, and ruler during her long reign (1762-96)

Charles Darwin and his wife, Emma, were deeply in love and very supportive of each other, but their opinions often clashed. Emma was extremely religious, and Charles questioned God's very existence