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But such proof: Ordinary folk could shrug them off with the absurd assurance thet only a dozen men could under- stand Einstein. Those days are over. On July 16,.194: it Alamo- gordo, New Mexico, a small packet of matter was annihilated and a tremendous eruption of energy was created from it. The old familiar untverse died that day. Now every one everywhere must revise his concepts and put “common sense” in Its proper, very limited, place. And that is the purpose of Mr. Barnett’s very able little book. There have been many books on Dr. Einstein himself, but -this is not one of them. There have been many “explanations” of his thought, or at least of the kind of evidence and thinking’ which Jed to his conclusions. By stretched analogies and inadequate me- chanical models, if not by over- dimpiified mathematlos. inany writers haye tried to popularize hls ideas, Mr. Barnett avoids all _| His entire effort is on rebuilding ‘the reader’s conception of the im!~ verse, He puts no strain on one’s knowledge of experimental tech- niques or of mathematics. It is not an easy task to teach » worm that the earth is round or a fish that the air ls navigable. Mr. Bar- nett's job is easier because human beings have intelligence and imag- ination. Most men could never create what Einstein did nor even follow his detailed reasoning. But they can achieve the new vision ind accept the new concepts, pro- vided only that they have the fortitude to outgrow the "“self- evident” concepts of thelr youth. ‘The new coriceptions already ¢o tar beyond the mere relativity of "ice and time and the equiva- ce of matter and energy. For ti i time curves back on ilself