THE TRAVEL DIARIES OF ALBERT EINSTEIN

Annotated diary of Einstein’s tour of Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil in spring 1925.

The diary he kept during those three months contains no valuable scientific information, but Einstein buffs may want to add it to their bookshelves. One of a few travel diaries written during the interwar years, it was not meant for publication, and there are few deep insights. Shared with his family, the actual diary consists of a 43-page chatty, opinionated account of his experiences. The remainder of this book contains a variety of photos, illustrations, and supplemental material assembled by Einstein scholar Rosenkranz. Already a worldwide celebrity in 1925, Einstein expected to be fawned over and did not look forward to it. Local Jewish communities (who had originated the invitation) were delighted to have him; local Germans, aware that he opposed his nation’s participation in World War I, mostly boycotted his appearances. Citizens, journalists, government officials, and academics of the three nations lionized him, and he did his duty. Believing in German and European superiority, Einstein held a low opinion of all New World cultures, including the U.S., which he had visited a few years earlier. Despite regularly encountering exceptions, he “repeatedly generalizes and stereotypes the local national groups.” Argentinians, he writes, are “superficial and soulless,” and Brazil’s tropical climate has suppressed its peoples’ intellectual development. Tiny Uruguay comes off better. As a primary historical document, the diary has value to scholars, but even educated general readers will struggle with choppy, telegraphic, often ungrammatical prose and cryptic references. Thankfully, the publisher includes added features that will appeal to readers who may prefer to skim the page-by-page facsimile of the diary followed by an English translation in favor of the lengthy annotation by Rosenkranz, who delivers a far more accessible account of the trip, the historical backgrounds of the three nations, the identities of Einstein’s innumerable references, and assessments of his racist comments.

For scholars and die-hard Einsteinians.