Lewis Carroll Epstein explains deep ideas in physics in an easy-to-understand way. Thinking Physics is a perfect beginner’s guide to an amazingly wide range of physics-related questions. The book targets topics that science teachers and students spend time wondering about, like wing lift. Epstein elucidates the familiar but misunderstood — such as how tides work — along with more obscure but fascinating phenomena like the “Bernoulli sub” and the “artificial aurora” created by hydrogen bombs. Broken into many short sections and peppered with Epstein’s own playful hand-drawn illustrations, the book does not simply give the right answer: It also goes into the answers that seem right but are wrong and shows why they are wrong — a rarity in science books. Thinking Physics is a rigorously correct, lighthearted, and cleverly designed Q and A book for physicists of all ages.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
By Brian Jo
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Every so often I pick up a book that I wish I read 10 years ago. Feynman's Lectures on Physics and Van Hess's Thermodynamics are among these, as well as Polya's How To Solve It for those more mathematically inclined. These would have certainly saved me from much confusion during my college engineering curriculum, for they focus on teaching the material to the reader, as opposed to masking it in the equations of a textbook. Some lucky folks have the ability to glance at equations and immediately grasp their meaning; for the other 99.99% of us, an intuitive explanation replete with real-world analogies helps to bring the meaning to life.
With a presentation both unique and entertaining, Lewis Carroll Epstein's Thinking Physics has certainly claimed a rightful seat at the roundtable of wonderful didactic books. Every page poses a question that challenges the reader on his view of the physical world, and nearly every answer tears down the fallacies of his intuition. Socrates would have been proud of the format, with each new question expanding on concepts developed in earlier answers. One of the 1-star reviews mentioned a lack of organization. This criticism completely misses the point. It is NOT a textbook, so "obviously" it will lack some of the rigorous development of concepts and precise organization that you would expect in a physics text. It IS a popular physics book with lots of cartoony pictures that a kid in elementary school could both enjoy and understand. At the same time, the insights will help build anyone's physics intuition, regardless of age. I read this book when I was 30. I have since started going through problems in Kleppner and Kolenkow and some other more advanced texts, and I really think this book helped.
With a presentation both unique and entertaining, Lewis Carroll Epstein's Thinking Physics has certainly claimed a rightful seat at the roundtable of wonderful didactic books. Every page poses a question that challenges the reader on his view of the physical world, and nearly every answer tears down the fallacies of his intuition. Socrates would have been proud of the format, with each new question expanding on concepts developed in earlier answers. One of the 1-star reviews mentioned a lack of organization. This criticism completely misses the point. It is NOT a textbook, so "obviously" it will lack some of the rigorous development of concepts and precise organization that you would expect in a physics text. It IS a popular physics book with lots of cartoony pictures that a kid in elementary school could both enjoy and understand. At the same time, the insights will help build anyone's physics intuition, regardless of age. I read this book when I was 30. I have since started going through problems in Kleppner and Kolenkow and some other more advanced texts, and I really think this book helped.
8 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Epstein presents a bunch of physics problems, and solves them all -- almost without any math -- with clear, insightful, elegant solutions. A brilliant book useful from grade 10 to grad school.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By Frank Jung
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This book by Epstein is one of my better investments for secondary school (or undergraduate/graduate) physics books. Although I do not use it as a text, I have taken advantage of the problems posed within as warm-up questions to engage the students on the topics at hand(in addition to the hands-on demonstrations.) My students can really get fired up by some of the classical problems and the illustrations that accompany every questions within. The answer keys are highly intelligible as well as entertaining.
However, do not underestimate the questions as merely for the beginning students of physics: they are far from that realm. Some of the questions are challenging enough even for the professional physicists, and in fact even for Newton himself.
If you are intrigue, go buy it.
However, do not underestimate the questions as merely for the beginning students of physics: they are far from that realm. Some of the questions are challenging enough even for the professional physicists, and in fact even for Newton himself.
If you are intrigue, go buy it.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
from a physics student
i believe this book captures the essence of what entices a physicist. it presents common everyday phenomena and forces you to actually think about. a very enrichening read!
Published 15 days ago by Juicypounder
5.0 out of 5 stars
Please Please Please publish this title in a Kindle edition too!
I love this book. I bought this book in 2002 and it has been wonderful, useful, entertaining and worth every penny. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Meredith
5.0 out of 5 stars
Co-written by Paul G. Hewitt, but he doesn't get any credit!
Thinking Physics is an excellent book, but it is really a shame that no mention of Paul G. Hewitt is mentioned in the book. Read more
Published 4 months ago by J Wetherhold
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome Book
Great book for anyone who loves Physics!!! You don't need any kind of Mathematical background to go through this book
Published 4 months ago by Rahil Valani
5.0 out of 5 stars
best book on earth
I read this book twice...or maybe 3 times. It is the greatest book I have ever read and the best book on explaining physics. Read more
Published 7 months ago by queenidog
4.0 out of 5 stars
A breath of practicle fresh air
I find the book addresses a problem some of my stronger math students have: because they have trouble understanding the phenomenon, and therefore use formuli blindly, they fail to... Read more
Published on February 16, 2011 by Jonathan
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful Physics
I have just received this book and wow!! very good provocative questions (many with lengthy answers) that challenge your basic physics understanding. Read more
Published on December 19, 2010 by Washington B. Filho
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great book for anyone...physicist or not!
I first got hooked on the problems in this book during my undergraduate study. The author does an excellent job of slowly building your analytical skills as you progress through... Read more
Published on March 3, 2010 by J. Galeazzi
5.0 out of 5 stars
Intriquing bite sized practical introduction to Physics
What a great way to introduce Physics to curious minds that may recoil at the sight of a ponderous text book or quiver at the thought of standardized tests! Read more
Published on September 12, 2009 by M. Daly
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very inspiring and amusing
I read this book when I was in middle school and found it both inspiring and amusing.
I highly recommend this book for both kids and grown up non-physicists. Read more
I highly recommend this book for both kids and grown up non-physicists. Read more
Published on June 26, 2009 by Mamad
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