Simply Einstein: Relativity Demystified [Hardcover]

Richard Wolfson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 18, 2003 | ISBN-10: 0393051544 | ISBN-13: 978-0393051544 | Edition: 1st

Using clear language and a conversational style, this book explores the ideas at the heart of Einstein's theory. Wolfson shows how these ideas led to such seeming absurdities as time travel, curved space, black holes, and new meanings for the idea of past and future. He illustrates how the principles underlying the theory of relativity gave us a new perspective on space and time, opened the door to questions about their nature. He leads his readers on an intellectual journey that explores how gravity works and discusses whether the universe is finite or infinite, and whether it might expand forever or eventually collapse forever in a "big crunch". These topics, at the forefront of physics, are all rooted in Einstein's sweeping profound and vision.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Wolfson, a physics professor at Middlebury College, takes the fear out of Einstein's relativity theory in this brisk piece of pop science. The author uses a tennis game on Venus and a cup of hot tea to elucidate the basics of relativity, i.e., that the laws of physics are the same regardless of one's state of motion. Wolfson's economy and his handiness with hip, offbeat examples make this slim book a mind-bendingly satisfying read. The author's tutorial on the history of physics reminds readers that all the big names up to the late 19th century-Copernicus, Galileo, Newton, Maxwell, etc.-were concerned with the question of motion, whether of celestial bodies, falling apples or waves of light. He then shows why it required a genius like Einstein to arrive at such a simple idea as relativity. The most well-known and seemingly counterintuitive consequence of Einstein's thought, which Wolfson renders perfectly sensible, is the notion that space and time are not absolute but instead relative to one's frame of reference. The author then addresses the problem of gravity in Einstein's theory, which led the German scientist to develop his general theory of relativity. For readers, this means warped and rippling spacetime, black holes, and expanding and parallel universes. Wolfson's economical and vivid tutorial should open doors for lay readers encountering Einstein's principles for the first time. His popular style, with a minimum of math, should make this a must-have book for Einstein buffs as well. 48 illus.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Many people think that Einstein's theory of relativity is over their heads, but Wolfson (physics, Middlebury Coll.) has proved them wrong. In a clear style, he spreads before his readers the historical and conceptual background of the theory, emphasizing its simplicity at every opportunity. He also offers beautifully clear explanations of such classic puzzles as the Twin Paradox. Perhaps it is this devotion to making Einstein accessible to the masses that leads to repetitive passages. Still, this is a strong overview for the lay reader with a grasp of high school math and a willingness to learn the mind-bending subject matter. More advanced readers may want to take advantage of the "Further Readings" section. Recommended for public and academic libraries and school libraries with collections for gifted students. [See also David Bodanis's E=mc : A Biography of the World's Most Famous Equation.-Ed.]
--Marcia R. Franklin, St. Paul, MN
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company; 1st edition (November 18, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393051544
• ISBN-13: 978-0393051544
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #885,688 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect for the Interested Layman, December 15, 2004

By 

Bookworm Plus "Bill C." (Redondo Beach, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Simply Einstein: Relativity Demystified (Paperback)

Simply Einstein is the best layman's (people such as me) guide to relativity that I have come across in my attempts to gain some understanding of the subject. I have been a science fiction fan since the early Star Trek days and assumed inter-stellar travel's certainty sometime in the near future. I was quite disappointed when a college friend became the bearer of bad news and told me that faster than light travel is impossible. Nearly as disappointing, as I learned more through the years, is the enormous difficulty of getting anywhere near the speed of light. Since then I have been instantly attracted to any article that discusses ways of getting around relativity. Needless to say Einstein's theories have held a fascination for me despite my educational background lacking even a high school physics course and no math past second year algebra. I have enjoyed numerous PBS specials, which touched on the subject as well as books such as The Idiots Guide to Understanding Einstein and E=MC2. Both are excellent and deserve high reviews. My attempts to understand relativity has been an occasional intellectual exercise for me in the same way that others enjoy puzzles, but the success of my efforts has been limited and elusive as touching a cloud.

I purchased Simply Einstein at an Einstein exhibit that has been touring the country. Don't miss it if it comes to your area! Many of the exhibits seemed to be inspired by this book. The author in over approximately 300 pages builds the case for relativity with the aid of a series of analogies and diagrams. He also periodically sums up the main points needed to understand in a clear and concise manner and repeats himself many times to make it sink in and remind the reader. This eliminates the problem of many similar books in which the critical points are stated once or are in a forest difficult to see because of the trees. Understanding the material in Simply Einstein is not a breeze, but if the reader is willing to put in the time and carefully study the examples, a higher level of understanding will be the reward. I am a long way from true understanding, but the level of mystery has been significantly reduced. The success of this book to me is demonstrated by my having reread it twice since buying it a couple of months ago. Perhaps the most satisfying part is at the end when the author remarks that due to the limitations of the human mind, relativity is something he cannot fully understand and doubts Einstein did either.

21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You don't have to be an Einstein to understand Einstein, March 1, 2005

By 

Daniel Jolley "darkgenius" (Shelby, North Carolina USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Simply Einstein: Relativity Demystified (Paperback)

As this book makes clear, everything is not relative - but I would say that Richard Wolfson's attempt to describe Einstein's theories and their implications is relatively successful. He takes you toward Einsteinian thought one step at a time. First, he gives you a grounding in Newtonian physics, then walks you through Einstein's special theory of relativity, using a number of examples designed to simplify your conceptualization of ideas that tend to go against common sense thinking, and then he attempts to summarize Einstein's general theory of relativity - which, by its nature, is more difficult to expound upon using models and logical examples. Finally, he touches upon some of the implications of the general theory of relativity, giving the reader a quick trek through the notions of black holes, the future of the universe, and other largely astrophysical theories and concepts.

Simply Einstein is written for a layman audience, but it is by no means an easy read. I really believe you have to have at least some affinity with mathematics and logic in order to really grasp what Wolfson is saying. Of course, those with no such affinity will - I feel safe to say - never even think about reading a book such as this. Wolfson works very hard to provide numerous examples of the theories and concepts of Einsteinian thought, but you can't just breeze through these things and expect to have everything click into place automatically; oftentimes, you have to stop, review, and ponder what you have just read in order to truly get a handle on things. Wolfson's examples are, it seems to me, two-edged swords of a kind. If you know absolutely nothing about relativity, they are quite good and certainly helpful. If, however, you already have some familiarity with the space-time paradoxes of Einsteinian thought (the twin paradox, for example, or the space and time "distortions" of near-light speed travel), a few of Wolfson's examples muck up the water, at least temporarily - you basically have to forget what relativity theory you already know and start again from scratch in order to fully grasp what the author is attempting to show with each example.

Wolfson does do a great job demonstrating the significant differences between Newtonian physics and Einsteinian physics (as well as clearing up popular misconceptions about both subjects), and his information on gravity is enlightening and informative. By the time he gets around to stating that gravity is not a force per se, he has built the foundation upon which he can prove why this is the case. Going further, this allows him to offer an excellent explanation of the curvature of space-time owing to the presence of matter or energy throughout the universe.

If you just want to read about black holes and other fascinating aspects of the universe, this isn't the book for you. That kind of discussion is rather protracted here and comes only after a lot of theory has been introduced and described in some detail. Of course, to truly understand the strangest and most fascinating aspects of our universe, you really do need to have a decent grasp on the general theory of relativity, and this book makes for an excellent introduction to that very subject.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth reading twice, October 18, 2003

By 

SPM "scott_maykrantz" (Eugene, Oregon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Simply Einstein: Relativity Demystified (Hardcover)

This is the best book I've read on Relativity. I think I understood all of it. The author emphasizes that the terminology you use can confuse people --- clocks don't really run slow, for example, it's just that your frame of reference is different so it seems that way.

The author does a good job explaining that gravity is a curve in spacetime. The book is full of helpful diagrams. I'm glad I found this one. Understanding Relativity is not easy, and even the smartest scientists have trouble explaining it. Wolfson got it right.