Book Review: Einstein's Dreams

This fascinating work of fiction tells the story of Albert Einstein as a young scientist and the dreams he has while trying to posit the theory of relativity.  Each chapter explores a dream, truly capturing the phantasmagoric nature of our dormant minds.  During a few interlude sections, Einstein speaks with his friend Michele Besso about the troubling thoughts he's haunted by while sleeping.  Alan Lightman does a wonderful job fictionalizing these events.  As a reader, I felt it was entirely plausible that Einstein could dream the way described.

Each chapter's dream explores a different conception of time.  While some dreams are entirely nonsense, as is the nature with many dreams, some were truly profound ways to look at the universe and time.  Ultimately, it is the human perception of time that is the most elusive to describe.  However, Alan Lightman has helped give an understanding of a man who so many idolize, but so few actually knew.  I recommend this novel not only to fans of science and Albert Einstein, but also to people who want to discover a new way to look at the world around them.

Bookophile Rating: Excellent (For groundbreaking insight to the inner workings of one of history's most famous and revered minds).