Relativity: The Special and General Theory (Dover Books on Physics) - Softcover

Einstein, Albert

Softcover

ISBN 10: 048641714X ISBN 13: 9780486417141

Publisher: Dover Publications, 2010

Synopsis

From the age of Galileo until the early years of the 20th century, scientists grappled with seemingly insurmountable paradoxes inherent in the theories of classical physics. With the publication of Albert Einstein's "special" and "general" theories of relativity, however, traditional approaches to solving the riddles of space and time crumbled. In their place stood a radically new view of the physical world, providing answers to many of the unsolved mysteries of pre-Einsteinian physics.
Acclaimed as the pinnacle of scientific philosophy, the theories of relativity tend to be regarded as the exclusive domain of highly trained scientific minds. The great physicist himself disclaimed this exclusionary view, and in this book, he explains both theories in their simplest and most intelligible form for the layman not versed in the mathematical foundations of theoretical physics.
In addition to the theories themselves, this book contains a final part presenting fascinating considerations on the universe as a whole. Appendices cover the simple derivation of the Lorentz transformation, Minkowski's four-dimensional space, and the experimental confirmation of the general theory of relativity. Students, teachers, and other scientifically minded readers will appreciate this inexpensive and accessible interpretation of one of the world's greatest intellectual accomplishments.

About this title

Review:

How better to learn the Special Theory of Relativity and the General Theory of Relativity than directly from their creator, Albert Einstein himself? In Relativity: The Special and the General Theory, Einstein describes the theories that made him famous, illuminating his case with numerous examples and a smattering of math (nothing more complex than high-school algebra). Einstein's book is not casual reading, but for those who appreciate his work without diving into the arcana of theoretical physics, Relativity will prove a stimulating read.

From the Back Cover:

"The additions to the original text give considerable insight and are a valuable addition, particularly for anyone approaching the subject for the first time."
—Choice

"It’s as though you are sitting in his classroom, watching [Einstein] alternate between gesticulating and chalking equations onto the blackboard."
—The Washington Post Book World

About this edition

• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 048641714X
• ISBN 13: 9780486417141
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 192