"I DO THE THING WHICH MY OWN NATURE DRIVES ME TO DO": FIRST EDITION OF OUT OF MY LATER YEARS, PRESENTATION COPY INSCRIBED AND SIGNED BY ALBERT EINSTEIN IN THE YEAR OF PUBLICATION

EINSTEIN, Albert. Out of My Later Years. New York: Philosophical Library, (1950). Octavo, original red cloth. Housed in a custom clamshell box. $13,500.

First edition of Einstein's second collection of social science-related articles, addresses, speeches, letters and papers covering the period before, during and after World War II, presentation copy inscribed and signed by him on the front free endpaper in the year of publication: "Frau J— Grossburger, ein dankburer Auerkeunung inhrer Leistung [a thank you note for your performance], A. Einstein. 1950."

Commenting on the potential conflict of science and politics, Albert Einstein once turned to an assistant and sighed, "Yes, time has to be divided this way between politics and our equations" (DSB). In this continuation of his first collection of essays, The World As I See It (1934), Einstein offers further thoughts crossing that divide, mirroring his political, social, philosophical and scientific concerns. Drawn from articles, speeches, letters and various papers, all written from 1934 to 1950, with many published here for the first time, the book includes selections on science, ethics, public affairs, issues in Jewish history, the dilemma of modern war and tributes to figures such as Marie Curie, Isaac Newton and Mahatma Gandhi. This work was issued in a number of different cloths and dust jackets, and there continues to be bibliographic uncertainty about some points. Without scarce original dust jacket.

Faint dampstain to text block, scarcely perceptible through open text. Expert restoration to original cloth. A very good copy, quite desirable signed by Einstein.