The Instant Physicist: An Illustrated Guide [Hardcover]

Richard A. Muller (Author), Joey Manfre (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 6, 2010 | ISBN-10: 0393078264 | ISBN-13: 978-0393078268

Wine is radioactive? Organic foods have more poison in them than those grown with pesticides? Best-selling author Richard A. Muller enlightens us.

Richard A. Muller demonstrated in his recent bestseller, Physics for Future Presidents, that he has a unique talent for delivering the “aha” moment—making difficult topics accessible. In The Instant Physicist he shows his ability to entertain, too, by presenting the best of the scientific curiosities he has assembled over his distinguished career. Assisted by award-winning cartoonist Joey Manfre, who has created an original color cartoon for each “physics bite,” Muller will have readers chuckling while they’re absorbing more science than they ever thought possible. From the surprising (chocolate has more energy in it than TNT) to the scary (even kids can make a bomb), this book contains a revelation on every page. Once finished with this page-turner, readers will be the stars of their next cocktail party.

The book consists of a color cartoon on each right-hand page and explanatory text on the left. Color cartoons throughout

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Muller distills information from his Physics for Future Presidents (2008) and his university physics course into a lively little book. It’s simply laid out: on left-hand pages, there are brief examinations of interesting or little-known facts; on right-hand pages, there are Joey Manfre’s humorous illustrations based on those facts. For example, a discussion of the importance of the greenhouse effect—it keeps the planet from freezing over—is accompanied by a cartoon of a man in a parka saying Happy? to a frozen-solid protester, whose sign reads, End the greenhouse effect. Readers will learn a lot from the book: you can outrun a tsunami; plutonium is 1,000 times less toxic than Botox; antimatter isn’t science fiction; organically grown foods have more carcinogens than foods sprayed with artificial pesticides. Oh, and Muller reveals the truth behind the world-famous 1947 crash of those mysterious flying disks in Roswell, New Mexico (it’s not what you might think). Very entertaining and very informative—a winning combination. --David Pitt

About the Author

Richard A. Muller is a professor of physics at the University of California, Berkeley. He is the best-selling author of Physics for Future Presidents and The Instant Physicist. He and his wife live in Berkeley, California.

Joey Manfre is an award-winning illustrator/cartoonist. He lives in Berkeley, California.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company (December 6, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393078264
• ISBN-13: 978-0393078268
• Product Dimensions: 6.2 x 0.6 x 8.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #259,338 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Richard A. Muller is professor of physics at the University of California, Berkeley. He is a past winner of the MacArthur Fellowship. His book "Physics for Future Presidents" is based on his renowned course for non-science students. His book "The Instant Physicist" uses humor and paradox, but has true content lurking behind the wonderful art of Joey Manfre. He and his daughter Elizabeth founded the "Berkeley Earth" project to evaluate the science and evidence for global warming.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An Amusing and Informative Book of Physics Trivia December 18, 2010

By Dr. Bojan Tunguz HALL OF FAMETOP 50 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

Being a Physicist isn't easy. It takes many years of very demanding education and oftentimes additional specialization before you can start to feel like you've "made it" as a Physicists. However, by that point very few people, including the members of your own family, really know what is it that you really do. At various social gatherings mentioning that you do physics for a living is sure to be a conversation stopper. (At one point I resorted to claiming that I was a cons traction worker. People tend to be very nice to construction workers.) Unfortunately, most everyday situations don't seem to require deep knowledge of physics either, so there is a good reason why physicians handily outnumber physicists.

However, knowing a bit about physics can actually be very useful in certain circumstances. This fun and informative book provides the reader with an opportunity to learn a few interesting facts about the physics of ordinary and not so ordinary objects and situations. You'll learn that only the living beings are radioactive, that you can indeed outrun a tsunami, that battery-only powered vehicles are likely to be prohibitively expensive for the foreseeable future, and that spy satellites can only clearly view their targets for eighty seconds every twenty-four hours. The book is also very well illustrated, and the illustrations help visualizing sometimes obscure points. This is an eclectic, amusing and informative collection of physics trivia that may not turn you into an equivalent of an MIT trained physicist (you will probably have to stay in a Holiday Inn Express for that), but it could provide you with interesting conversation starters. And that is more than many professional physicists could ever hope to achieve.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars "This is an absolutely painless way to learn." December 22, 2010

By E. Bukowsky HALL OF FAMETOP 50 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

Richard Muller is a professor of physics at Berkeley, and his students love him. His book, "The Instant Physicist," is based on a popular course he teaches, dubbed "Physics for Future Presidents." A sense of fun permeates this slim volume, which consists of anecdotes about the physical world and amusing sketches by the illustrator, Joey Manfre.

The author enjoys debunking myths and answering unusual questions: What really happened in Roswell, New Mexico, in 1947? What city in the United States has a high level of radioactivity, yet a low rate of cancer? How do physicians use antimatter to diagnose disease? Why are phony diamonds ("cubic zirconia") prettier than real diamonds? Why did Thomas Edison electrocute a circus elephant? Does Pluto deserve its demotion from the ninth planet to a dwarf planet? Why are some organic foods more carcinogenic than non-organic foods?

It is easy to see why Muller's course was voted "Best Class" on the Berkeley campus two years running. The professor's prodigious knowledge, good humor, and whimsy bring his subject matter to life; the colorful and imaginative drawings complement the informative text. Since we live in an extremely complex world, any work of non-fiction that encourages readers to think critically about such topics as radioactivity, global warming, and energy efficiency can only be a plus.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Instant Physicist December 14, 2010

By Glenn

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Great Book. If you want to learn about science in a practical way, this is a great book. It's fun to read and educational. And the cartoon pictures are great, too. It's easy to read and interesting. Every page is another topic to advance your understanding of the world. Cool Topics! Fun Book!