By the autho r of the acclaimed bestseller Benjamin Franklin , this is the first full biography of Albert Einstein since all of his papers have become available. How did his mind wo r k? What made him a genius? Isaacson's biography shows how his scientific imagination sprang fr om the rebellious nature of his personality. His fascinating sto r y is a testament to the connection between creativity a nd freedom. ba sed on newly released personal letters of Einstein, this book explo r es how an imaginative, impertinent patent clerk -- a struggling father in a difficult marriage who couldn't get a teaching job o r a docto r ate -- became the mind reader of the creato r of the cosmos, the locksmith of the mysteries of the atom a nd the universe. His success came fr om questioning conventional wisdom a nd marveling at mysteries that struck others as mundane. This led him to embrace a mo r ality a nd politics ba sed on respect fo r free minds, free spirits, a nd free individuals. These traits are just as vital fo r this new century of globalization, in which our success will depend on our creativity, as they were fo r the beginning of the last century, when Einstein helped usher in the modern age.