Subtle Is the Lord
by Abraham Pais · first published 1982
88% recommend13% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Focuses on Einstein's science rather than his personal life, making it a strong pick for readers who want the physics explained; suited to readers with some physics background and well regarded as the best of its kind.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
A biography of Albert Einstein, told through various scientific and technical correspondences, including those with Michele Besso. Pais discusses the world of physics before Einstein, during Einstein's time and the impact on the scientific world after his death.
Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Mentions per year
What Hacker News says
Related books
2010–2023Never at rest
Richard S. Westfall
Recommended by 8 · mentioned by 108 recommend · 10 mention8 recommend · 108 recommend
2011–2026The strangest man
Graham Farmelo
Recommended by 14 · mentioned by 1814 recommend · 18 mention14 recommend · 1814 recommend
2010–2025Benjamin Franklin
Walter Isaacson, Boyd Gaines, Nelson Runger
Recommended by 16 · mentioned by 2516 recommend · 25 mention16 recommend · 2516 recommend
2007–2024The Man Who Loved Only Numbers
Paul Hoffman
Recommended by 35 · mentioned by 5235 recommend · 52 mention35 recommend · 5235 recommend
2008–2025Einstein
Walter Isaacson
Recommended by 24 · mentioned by 5224 recommend · 52 mention24 recommend · 5224 recommend
2011–2026Steve Jobs
Walter Isaacson
Recommended by 64 · mentioned by 19464 recommend · 194 mention64 recommend · 19464 recommend
…is this 2 book series.Recommended. - From Falling Bodies to Radio Waves [1] - From X-rays to Quarks [2] Then, you have Abraham Pais, all his books are highly recommended, I will include 2 here [3] Subtle is the lord (Best Einstein Scientific Biography) [4] Inward Bound (Superb Scientific history of XX century physics) Jagdish Mehra wrote a gargantuan history of Quantum Mechanics in six volumes. He studied and /or…
on “Who Did the Math for General Relativity First, Einstein or Hilbert?” ↗You can read about it in Abraham Pais' scientific biography of Einstein, _Subtle is the Lord_.
on “The Nobel Prize in Physics 2020” ↗His Einstein biography was great, but very heavy on his personal life and professional interactions, while weak on the science. "Subtle Is the Lord: The Science and the Life of Albert Einstein" by Abraham Pais is much better on his science.
on “The Jobs book” ↗…Sacks' early life "The strangest man: The hidden life of Paul Dirac", by Graham Farmelo "The man who loved only numbers: the story of Paul Erdos and the search for mathematical truth" by Paul Hoffman "Subtle is the lord: the science and the life of Albert Einstein" by Abraham Pais "Thesiger", by Michael Asher, providing you think of Wilfred Thesiger as a scientist and not just an explorer
on “Ask HN: what are your favorite biographies/autobiographies of a scientist?” ↗Yeah, Isaacson revered as a great biographer, is like Jobs being lauded a great engineer. Anyway, here are some recommendations, hopefully you can pick one or two you still dont have: Einstein -> Subtle is the lord, Abraham Pais (Already mentioned) Newton -> Never at rest, Richard Westfall (Already mentioned) Galileo -> Galileo, John Heilbron Oppenheimer -> Inside the centre (Ray Monk), more technical: "Robert…
on “10,000 Hours with Claude Shannon (2017)” ↗If you are a physicist, Abraham Pais' "Subtle is the Lord" about Einstein's accomplishments in physics is an absolutely unique and amazing book. However, I didn't ask if you are a physicist for no reason. It talks mainly about the science and not about Einstein's…
on “Von Neumann, Einstein, Morgenstern, Morse and Lefschetz (1952)” ↗Just finished 'Subtle is the Lord - The Science and Life of Albert Einstein' by Abraham Pais. Easily the best biography of Einstein. Currently reading: 'Inhibitor Phase' by Alastair Reynolds (60% read), 'Wayward' by Hannah Mathewson…
on “Ask HN: Which book are you reading, since when?” ↗…like this one or ,a little less charitably, Walter Isaacson's Einstein go for it. But if you want fantastic tour de forces like Westfall's "Never at Rest", Joseph Frank's series on Dostoevsky, Pais' "Subtle is the lord",Stach's books on Kafka you need an experienced world-class expert in the subject in a multi-year (sometimes, multi-decade) effort.
on “10,000 Hours with Claude Shannon (2017)” ↗…authors and underestimate their civilization. (Saying this although he's a hero of mine.) I guess Einstein was no von Neumann, but gosh what a beautiful mind -- even with so much I didn't understand in "Subtle is the Lord...", it's worth a read.
on “The Unparalleled Genius of John von Neumann” ↗If you want a scientific biography, "Subtle is the Lord" by Abraham Pais, but you need a degree in physics to understand many chapters (unfortunately for me a degree in engineering was not enough). Abraham Pais wrote also "Einstein Lived Here" a non-scientific…
on “What Life Means to Einstein (1929) [pdf]” ↗