How did one elegant theory incite a scientific revolution?

Physicists have been exploring, debating, and questioning the general theory of relativity ever since Albert Einstein first presented it in 1915. Their work has uncovered a number of the universe s more surprising secrets, and many believe further wonders remain hidden within the theory s tangle of equations, waiting to be exposed. In this sweeping narrative of science and culture, astrophysicist Pedro Ferreira brings general relativity to life through the story of the brilliant physicists, mathematicians, and astronomers who have taken up its challenge. For these scientists, the theory has been both a treasure trove and an enigma, fueling a century of intellectual struggle and triumph.

Einstein s theory, which explains the relationships among gravity, space, and time, is possibly the most perfect intellectual achievement of modern physics, yet studying it has always been a controversial endeavor. Relativists were the target of persecution in Hitler s Germany, hounded in Stalin s Russia, and disdained in 1950s America. Even today, doctorate students are warned that specializing in general relativity will make them unemployable.

Despite these pitfalls, general relativity has flourished, delivering key insights into our understanding of the origin of time and the evolution of all the stars and galaxies in the cosmos. Its adherents have revealed what lies at the farthest reaches of the universe, shed light on the smallest scales of existence, and explained how the fabric of reality emerges. Dark matter, dark energy, black holes, and string theory are all progeny of Einstein s theory.

We are in the midst of a momentous transformation in modern physics. As scientists look farther and more clearly into space than ever before, "The Perfect Theory" reveals the greater relevance of general relativity, showing us where it started, where it has led, and where it can still take us."

Hamilton Stark is a New Hampshire pipe fitter and the sole inhabitant of the house from which he evicted his own mother. He is the villain of five marriages and the father of a daughter so obsessed that she has been writing a book about him for years. Hamilton Stark is a boor, a misanthrope, a handsome man: funny, passionately honest, and a good dancer.

The narrator, a middle-aged writer, decides to write about Stark as a hero whose anger and solitude represent passion and wisdom. At the same time that he tells Hamilton Stark s story, he describes the process of writing the novel and the complicated connections between truth and fiction.

As Stark slips in and out of focus, maddeningly elusive and fascinatingly complex, this beguiling novel becomes at once a compelling meditation on identity and a thoroughly engaging story of life on the cold edge of New England.

In "Making Sense of the Bible," Adam Hamilton invites us into an honest conversation about the Bible. The book begins with foundational questions such as: How and when was the Bible written? Who decided which books made it into the scriptures and why? How literally must we read it? Is the Bible ever wrong?

From there, Hamilton considers the real questions people frequently ask that continue to divide Christians and denominations alike, including: Were Adam and Eve real people? Why is God so violent in the Old Testament? Why would Paul command women to keep silent in the church ? Is Jesus the only way to salvation? How does God view homosexual people? Is the Book of Revelation a guide to the End Times?

In approachable and inviting language, Hamilton addresses these often misunderstood biblical themes, leading readers to a deeper appreciation of the Bible so that we might hear God speak through it and find its words to be life-changing and life-giving. "