Einstein's Enigma or Black Holes in My Bubble Bath (Hardcover)

by C.V. Vishveshwara (Author) "I love my bathtub..." (more)
Key Phrases: ten metric functions, infinite redshift surface, innermost stable orbit, Milky Way, Tycho Brahe, Isaac Newton (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
From pre-publication reviews: "Beautifully written and thoroughly entertaining, Vishveshwara's "Einstein's Enigma" provides an authoritative but distinctly original approach to an explanation of basics and subtleties of Einstein's general relativity and of the astrophysics of black holes. I warmly recommend it to beginner and expert alike." Prof. Roger Penrose, Author of Shadows of the Mind and The Road to Reality "The main dish in this feast is a clear and sound presentation of the science underlying black holes from a distinguished scientist who has been contributing to their study since before they were named. Furthermore this science is presented in a sauce of philosophy, history, literature, gastronomy and imagination from an entertaining personality who needs several alter egos to show all the different ways he can think about his subject. Among the cartoons and drawings are the few lines of optional mathematics which are included for those who like that approach." Prof. Charles W. Misner, Co-author of Gravitation by Misner, Thorne and Wheeler "The unusual format and whimsical style of "Einstein's Enigma" should not obscure the fact that this is a serious book,which aims to get across the essentials of the theory of general relativity and some related topics to a readership which is not assumed to be fluent in advanced mathematics.I believe the author, who has a long experience in presenting this kind of material to non-specialist audiences, has succeeded in the task he has set himself; the book will amply repay sustained and diligent reading by even a totally unmathematical reader." Prof. Anthony J. Leggett, Nobel Laureate in Physics, 2003 From the reviews: "The only thing this intoxicating is Salman Rushdie's Haroun and the Sea of Stories." Dr. Richard Isaacson, former Program Director for Gravitational Physics, Physics Division, National Science Foundation, USA. "...an innovative way of trying to explain some of the most complicated concepts in physics to beginners and it contains one of the best accounts I've ever read of the (almost Damscene) conversion of a newcomer to the pleasure of a night's observing.  As Nietzsche said: 'What would be the joy of a star but for those who behold it?'" David Reid, BBC Sky at Night, April 2007 "Vishveshwara’s is among the more successful presentations of a most sophisticated, important, and beautiful theory of 20th-century physics--Einstein’s general relativity and its most fascinating corollary, the existence of black holes. … A book to inform, enrich, and entertain every science-educated reader. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through professionals." (V. V. Raman, CHOICE, Vol. 44 (11), July, 2007) "The author is a major specialist in the field of relatvity, astrophysics and gravitation, and is currently working in Bangalore, India. ... According to me, this book deserves a very large audience: it is very different from all the popular science books written on the subject and as such will be appreciated even by the non-physicists. The physicists will probably learn new things, while the specialists in astrophysics and gravitation will certainly enjoy this new and fresh insight in their field." (Fabrice Louche, Physicalia Magazine, Vol. 29 (4), 2007) "The author blends fiction, fantasy, physics and philosophy to tell the story of gravitation theory...and the astrophysics of black holes. He not only succeeds at doing this; he entertains readers with delightful digressions and illustrates key concepts with wonderful cartoons, some purportedly scribbled on paper napkins..." (Michelle Press, Scientific American, January 2008)

Product Description
Einstein's Enigma or Black Holes in My Bubble Bath is a humourous and informal rendition of the story of gravitation theory from the early historic origins to the latest developments in astrophysics, focusing on Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity and black-hole physics. Through engaging conversations and napkin-scribbled diagrams come tumbling the rudiments of relativity, spacetime and much of modern physics, narrated with high didactic and literary talent, and each embedded in casual lessons given by a worldly astrophysicist to his friend. Join the intellectual fun and exalt in the frothy ideas while vicariously taking relaxing baths in this magical bathtub.Prof. C.V. Vishveshwara is a renowned theoretical physicist, who participated in the golden age of black-hole physics, making pioneering contributions. Also an enthusiastic teacher and planetarium director, he has written several popular-level articles, scripts for planetarium shows and produced documentary movies on science. Advance Praise for "Einstein's Enigma or Black Holes in My Bubble Bath"  "Beautifully written and thoroughly entertaining, Vishveshwara's "Einstein's Enigma" provides an authoritative but distinctly original approach to an explanation of basics and subtleties of Einstein's general relativity and of the astrophysics of black holes. I warmly recommend it to beginner and expert alike." Prof. Roger Penrose, author of  Shadows of the Mind and The Road to Reality "The main dish in this feast is a clear and sound presentation of the science underlying black holes from a distinguished scientist who has been contributing to their study since before they were named. Furthermore this science is presented in a sauce of philosophy, history, literature, gastronomy and imagination from an entertaining personality who needs several alter egos to show all the different ways he can think about his subject. Among the cartoons and drawings are the few lines of optional mathematics which are included for those who like that approach." Prof. Charles W. Misner, co-author of Gravitation by Misner, Thorne and Wheeler "The unusual format and whimsical style of "Einstein's Enigma" should not obscure the fact that this is a serious book, which aims to get across the essentials of the theory of general relativity and some related topics to a readership which is not assumed to be fluent in advanced mathematics.I believe the author, who has a long experience in presenting this kind of material to non-specialist audiences, has succeeded in the task he has set himself; the book will amply repay sustained and diligent reading by even a totally unmathematical reader." Prof. Anthony J. Leggett, Nobel Laureate in Physics, 2003

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 360 pages
• Publisher: Springer; 1 edition (November 14, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 3540331999
• ISBN-13: 978-3540331995
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #580,939 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Of Einstein's physics and Italian cuisine , April 29, 2007

By	F. Casella - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

What do Einstein, Black Holes, and Bath Tubs have to do with each other? The relationship between Einstein and black holes is no mystery even to someone, like myself, who is not a specialist in astrophysics. But the bath tubs? The title intrigued me, so I bought the book and read it.
This book is about relativity and black holes, as the title implies. But it is unlike any other book on the subject I have come across so far.

To begin with, in lieu of the lecture-style format common to this kind of books, the author uses two fictional personas, his alter egos George and Alfie, to present the fundamentals of relativity and black hole physics. George, an astrophysicist, and Alfie, a FLOP according to the author, love to discuss physics while eating and drinking at an Italian restaurant. The narrative style of the book is that of a dialogue, in homage to Galileo, perhaps. The casual environment of the restaurant, where most of the dialogues take place, sets the tone for the entire book.
This is a book intended for the non-specialist, interested public. The use of mathematics is kept to a minimum, and many concepts are illustrated with simple and intuitive cartoons-style diagram scribbled on the napkins in the restaurant (where else?, you may ask).

The book follows 2 parallel narrative tracks: the first track is personified by George and his explanations of the physics of relativity and black holes. The second track is introduced and represented by Alfie.
Alfie has an extraordinary memory, and remembers an incredible amount of data and information about anything he reads. Alfie is interested in the human side of science, and represents the wide range of interests and knowledge of Prof. Vishveshwara outside the realm of physics. It is through Alfie's eyes, and dreams, that the reader encounters great physicists of the past, Kepler, Galileo, Einstein, and even such characters as Sherlock Holmes and Alice in Wonderland.
Alfie may be a FLOP, as the book says, but he has magic, and his magic permeates the entire book making it a delightful read, more like fiction than science. And if you are wondering what a FLOP is, I strongly recommend you read the book to find out.