It sounds like a light-hearted road trip. But as Michael Paterniti crosses
America with the aged Thomas Harvey, the pathologist who purloined Einstein’s
brain over forty years ago, a sadder story emerges. Stored in cookie jars,
displayed on various kitchen tables, with shavings occasionally meted out as
souvenirs to fans, the great man’s brain has been turned into a sort of
religious relic and alter ego for Harvey. You’ll find the sorry tale of
Einstein’s travels in the after-life in Driving Mr Albert: A trip across
America with Einstein’s brain is published by The Dial Press,
$18.95, ISBN 0316648582.
To continue reading, today with our introductory offers
Advertisement
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Space
The best sci-fi novel in 2026 so far – plus 6 other great reads
Culture
Life
The 17 best popular science books of 2026 so far
Culture
Life
Our verdict on The Selfish Gene: An unpopular piece of popular science
Culture
Comment
Carl Sagan's The Demon-Haunted World is still supremely relevant today
Culture
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles
1
Woman with Alzheimer's starts conversing again after taking psilocybin
2
You should turn off fans when it's too hot – but how hot is too hot?
3
Screwworm could be the first species targeted by an 'extinction drive'
4
Possible signs of ancient life on Mars are rich in complex carbon
5
Faecal transplant makes the brains of old mice act young again
6
What’s the secret to living well beyond the average life expectancy?
7
How some people's brains make an extraordinary recovery from stroke
8
How menopause radically changes the brain – and what happens after
9
All known Homo naledi skeletons seem to be female
10
Unapproved gene therapy for boosting longevity is set to go on sale
