Letters for the Ages Great Scientists

Book excerpt: A collection of the most fascinating letters by the world's greatest scientists. 'Most people say that it is the intellect which makes a great scientist. They are wrong: it is character' – Albert Einstein Scientists are not often remembered for their character, but rather for the enduring impact of their ideas, inventions, and discoveries. Letters for the Ages: The Great Scientists delves beyond the known historical facts and narratives to uncover the personal writings of some of history's greatest thinkers and innovators, drawing together over 100 private and intimate letters from across almost 500 years of scientific history. This collection illuminates the individuals behind humanity's greatest ideas and inventions – from the vaccine to the telephone, the engine to the X-ray – and those responsible for broadening our understanding of our world and the universe beyond. Each letter provides us with an opportunity for exploration and empathy – each a new chance to understand the desires to create, discover and improve held at the core of our humanity. Immerse yourself in the words of some of history's greatest scientific minds, including Albert Einstein, Charles Darwin, Marie Curie, Francis Crick, Rosalind Franklin, Galileo Galilei, Alan Turing and Stephen Hawking amongst many others.