Customer Reviews

The Cults of Relativity: Finding Einstein, Twain and a Universe Beyond E=mc2

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was taught physics in Germany, and have spent decades in the chemical industry. Everyone with a talent for physics and math will love this book. Its author discovered Dark Energy decades before other experts, and he guides you through a maze of paradoxes that explains why Relativity and Dark Energy were so confounding to previous generations. Both novices and experts will enjoy it. It's a teaching of physics that leapfrogs the knowledge of complacent experts. Every aspiring scientist should read it.

Dennis Kristof

The Cults of Relativity - Finding Einstein, Twain and a Universe Beyond E = mc2, presents us with a whole new view of our universe and challenges everything we have learned in the past. For anyone wishing to have the Theory of Relativity explained with a down-to-earth, honest approach - this could be the book for you. As a warm-up for appreciating Relativity, the first chapter of Cults will show you why Mark Twain and Albert Einstein mistrusted statistics. You will leave this chapter understanding the Twain and Einstein mindset, and why statistics cause havoc with government policies and medicine. Under the guidance of Albert Einstein and with the help of Mark Twain, Cults goes on to explain parallel universes, the warping of time, and many other aspects of Relativity. Finally, Cults jumps deep into the new discovery of dark energy, and explains why dark energy is so confounding for so many scientists.
direct quote from this captivating book seems to sum it up: "A novice might grasp what experts believe is unattainable."

E equals MC squared, an equation many know, but few understand. "The Cults of Relativity: Finding Einstein, Twain, and a Universe Beyond E=MC2" looks to explain the highly complex and mathematically confusing equation in something many more people can understand - words. Using acclaimed physicist and acclaimed author Albert Einstein and Mark Twain to explain the theory and why it seems to matter so much to the world, it's an intriguing look, easily understood by people who aren't physicists. "The Cults of Relativity" is a top pick for anyone who wants to get why the numbers are the way they are.

The Cults of Relativity by Drake Larson is an exploration and contradiction of many of the hallmarks of long accepted, irrefutible truths of physics and thermodynamics. Basing his book on the principles Einstein put forth and the wise sayings of Mark Twain, Larson refutes and expands Laws of science such as the Theory of Relativity and the Laws of Thermodynamics by playing with bizarre ideas of his questioning mind. He uses simple, everyday examples like cue balls in pool and playing BlackJack to demonstrate and explain in laymen's terms many mathematical equations he has developed to prove that 100 years of advancement in science means many Laws need to be expanded and re-thought. He intersperses the worlds of statistics and relativity and transforms tabooed paradoxes into amazing solutions in areas as yet uncharted. Is there energy exceeding the speed of light within a Black Hole? He explores this and other forbidden questions, to the point of being called a crackpot, but perhaps he will win a Nobel Prize someday when his discoveries are finally declared the new Laws. Weren't Galileo, Newton, and even Einstein considered irreverent, evil quacks in their day? This is a book for scientists and advanced math students, but not for general audience, even though it is written with a playful tone.

This is an unusually good summer book for college students majoring in the sciences. Its casual Mark Twain flair links medical statistics to relativity is an interesting way. I concur with a previous reviewer that this book gives the best explanation for basic relativity that I have ever encountered. It's a novice's dream come true, providing an introduction into relativity that's easy, clear and doesn't require any technical expertise in physics. The humor and colored graphics are marvelous and emphasize the contradictions that relativity resolves. The prelude about Mark Twain's lies, dammed lies, and medical statistics highlights the eloquence of Einstein's genius.

Relativity's last chapter centers around the new discovery of a simple paradox. What role does this paradox play in the Big Bang, and does this paradox explain some of the confounding discreetness in quantum mechanics? I really enjoy wondering about its implications, and how this simple paradox might change the way we look at astro and micro physics.

Drake's perspective of both our universe and our educational system is well worth reading. I believe this book will become one of the classics for the sciences, and holding on to your copy of a first edition might be a smart move!

I'd recommend it to anyone who likes both humor & bare knuckled science.
The style is Mark Twain satire, and the theme is how politicians, doctors and physicists, first fool themselves and then proceed to fool the masses. Some people may find it too techie but for me, it's five star all the way. May favorite part was how the experts of Einstein's physics have gotten themselves stuck in a time warp!

Everyone should read the first chapter in this book! It explains how statistics work (and don't), and since they are used (and misused) in our society for government policy decisions and medical decisions, hopefully enough voters read the first chapter of this book and demand a better guide line for adding up data in statistics.

The rest of the book will appeal to those interested in theoretical math and physics. Unlike the math and physics textbooks and lectures I've been exposed to, this book goes beyond reporting theories that have been developed and not only encourages everyday readers to follow the logic on how these theories were developed but also to keep open minded for possible alternate theories, and to feel free to ponder and develop theories as well.

The title really fits the theme that subtle cults are all around us. It's a great perspective for understanding why hidden biases exist in colleges. The authors start out by describing the remarkable similarities between Mark Twain and Albert Einstein. The beginning also details how unusual paradoxes create havoc in medicine, and shows why both Twain and Einstein had such a deep mistrust for statistics. Then it describes relativity, and how similar paradoxes have probably lulled physicists into a false sense of security for decades. Ph.D. candidates in math, physics or biotech should seriously consider taking a hard look at its appendices. This is a great read for anyone interested in hidden cults and the many mysteries in science that surround us. (5 star)

Craig S.

Wow! The best explanation of Relativity I have ever seen. The authors use several different colors to explain parallel universes, which makes understanding relativity a breeze. Definitely a 5 star for the science minded reader. There is no better insight into Einstein's thinking.