Albert Einstein didn't learn like other children. His parents feared for his future as he struggled in school and dodged service in the German military. Little did they know their quiet, curious son would one day become one of the world's most famous scientists, having changed humankind's understanding of the universe forever. While spending his days working at a Swiss patent office and without access to a laboratory, Einstein published a series of revolutionary papers redefining light, matter, time, space, and energy-all in a matter of months. His theory of relativity yielded groundbreaking predictions about the nature of the universe that scientists are still confirming a century later. After he became a well-known scientific figure, Einstein used his platform to denounce anti-Semitism and was an outspoken ally to black people in his adopted country, the United States. Learn how Einstein's life and theories launched the study of quantum mechanics, inspired the world, and made his name synonymous with genius. Book jacket.