The Soul of Genius tells three stories—those of Curie, Einstein and the Solvay Conference—and makes connections that sometimes feel forced..

The narrative teaches readers a great deal about the scientific research of Einstein and Curie; however, it also probes the tangled romantic lives of both scientists: we see the widowed Curie’s affair with a married French scientist, an affair exposing Curie to public scandal and eliciting from Einstein a spirited defense. A compelling portrait of two geniuses, remarkable for their conceptual daring and emotional complexity..

Orens’s approach to the lives and work of the attendees, through the story of this conference, is unusual and well conceived. His account revisits what is certainly one of the most exciting, turbulent periods in the history of science and better acquaints us with people who played significant roles in this drama.

[Orens] spends dozens of pages on relatively peripheral matters.

Orens presents portraits of Einstein and Curie that will not replace a focused individual life but it’s a good read.

Orens, a former executive at Solvay Chemical, over-promises and under-delivers in his debut, a look at the first Solvay Conference.