Book Reviews of Driving Mr. Albert : A Trip Across America with Einstein's Brain

Driving a Buick Skylark across the country with an addled octogenarian and an organ may not seem like the ripest material for a story, even if the organ is Albert Einstein's brain. In the hands of a stylish writer like Paterniti, however, the journey becomes a transcendent and hilarious exploration of heady themes like obsession, love and science. In 1955, the octogenarian, a pathologist named Thomas Harvey, removed Einstein's brain during an autopsy and, claiming he wished to study it further, took it home. In the years that followed, he sliced and shipped the brain around the world, but never relinquished most of the organ. Nor, to the criticism of colleagues, did he release his long-promised study. Forty-two years later, Harvey was finally ready to return the brain to Evelyn Einstein, Albert's granddaughter. He enlisted Paterniti, a freelance writer living in Maine, for the task. What ensues is a rare road story that gives equal weight to journey and destination. An expansion of an article published in Harper's magazine, this road-tale bears the classic elements of a spiritual questDthe brain a classic example of a character stand-in. But Paterniti so seamlessly weaves his stream-of-consciousness musings about everything from the theory of relativity to his own sputtering relationship with Harvey that the book becomes much more. Readers will hear echoes from American cultural historyDthe wanderlust of the Beats, the literary texture of Hemingway and the pastel-tinted surrealism of the Simpsons. It's impossible to put this book down. Paterniti has written a work at once entertaining, psychologically rich and emotionally sophisticated a feat as rare as, well, Einstein himself.

This is a crazy, but interesting true story of an author who meets up with the doctor who cuts Einstein's brain out at autopsy, and keeps it. This author coordinates meeting him, driving across the country with him to bring the brain to Einstein's daughter and to meet her. An uncharacteristically good book!

Entertaining quirky travelogue about traveling across country with Einstein's brain. Interesting people are met along the way including the writer, William S. Burroughs. The book also provides insights into Einstein himself that were very interesting for someone like me who knew very little of the great man.

Fascinating history of Einstein, coupled with humor and compassion. Love it!

Lots of entertaining lines, a little dry. There are some historic gems in here, too. I enjoyed it. :)

A very entertaining read, in which I effortlessly learned the most interesting facts about the famous Albert Einstein. National Bestseller.

I was excited to read this book as the premise was interesting. A guy drives Einstein's pathologist across the country to deliver Einstein's brain to his daughter. Started off great, with interesting facts about Einstein and an interesting story about how the author met Thomas Harvey. But then it kind of fizzled and the stories and people they meet on their drive just are not enough to make the story exciting and keep me interested. It's really more about Michael Paterniti's journey to find himself and what he wants out of life.

Interesting book about the guy who did Einstein's autoposy and kept his brain. Book detailed parts of Einstein's life as well, personal and professional.

Albert Einstein's brain floats in a Tupperware bowl in a gray duffel bag in the trunk of a Buick Skylark barreling across America.