E = mc2: A Biography of the World's Most Famous Equation (Hardcover)

by David Bodanis (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
E=mc2. Just about everyone has at least heard of Albert Einstein's formulation of 1905, which came into the world as something of an afterthought. But far fewer can explain his insightful linkage of energy to mass. David Bodanis offers an easily grasped gloss on the equation. Mass, he writes, "is simply the ultimate type of condensed or concentrated energy," whereas energy "is what billows out as an alternate form of mass under the right circumstances."

Just what those circumstances are occupies much of Bodanis's book, which pays homage to Einstein and, just as important, to predecessors such as Maxwell, Faraday, and Lavoisier, who are not as well known as Einstein today. Balancing writerly energy and scholarly weight, Bodanis offers a primer in modern physics and cosmology, explaining that the universe today is an expression of mass that will, in some vastly distant future, one day slide back to the energy side of the equation, replacing the "dominion of matter" with "a great stillness"--a vision that is at once lovely and profoundly frightening.

Without sliding into easy psychobiography, Bodanis explores other circumstances as well; namely, Einstein's background and character, which combined with a sterling intelligence to afford him an idiosyncratic view of the way things work--a view that would change the world. --Gregory McNamee

From Publishers Weekly
Most people know this celebrated equation has something to do with Einstein's theory of relativity, but most nonscientists don't know what it means. This very approachable yet somewhat limited work of popular science explains, and adorns with anecdote and biography, the equation and its place in history. Oxford lecturer Bodanis (The Secret Family) shows what happened to Einstein on the way to the discovery, what other scientists did to bring it about and how the equation created the atom bomb. Part Two tackles separately the components of the equation (E, =, m, c and "squared"), which means that it covers 18th- and 19th-century physics. "'E' Is for Energy" opens with Michael Faraday, whose unusual religious beliefs helped him discover that electricity and magnetism were the same force. "'m' Is for Mass" brings in French chemist Lavoisier, who established the law of conservation of matter. Bodanis then turns to Einstein's life and work. The middle third of the book covers the exploration of the atom and the making of the atom bomb; the cast of characters here includes Marie Curie, Lise Meitner and Enrico Fermi. A concluding section considers how E=mc2 powers the sun, and how our sun and all others will eventually run out of gas. Capsule biographies here include one of the engaging English astronomer Cecilia Payne, who wouldn't let institutional sexism stop her from finding the hydrogen in the sun. Bodanis's writing is accessible to the point of chattiness: he seeks, and deserves, many readers who know no physics. They'll learn a handfulAmore important, they'll enjoy it, and pick up a load of biographical and cultural curios along the way. 20 photos and drawings not seen by PW. (Oct.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Walker & Company (September 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802713521
• ISBN-13: 978-0802713520
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (120 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #641,829 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

71 of 78 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars out of this world, November 13, 2000

By	bill katovsky (san francisco, california USA) - See all my reviews

i have been a long time fan of bodanis's entertaining way of exposing (i.e. the human body or the garden) the mundane in novel ways; this time around, he exposes the abstract in a marvelously mundane way. i finally understand the basics of e=mc2. i thank him so much. this book is a gem of a biography of the equation that we know but don't know. physics and the scientists behind the formulation come to life in exciting, vivid, anecdotal ways. i simply didn't want this book to end. now, can we ever really say that about other books on physics and science? i haven't taken a calculus class in 25 years, but i was able to follow the reasoning and narrative flow with great ease. the hard stuff is thoughtfully stuck in the back in an appendix that is almost one half the length of the main section. bodanis has cracked this subject matter with perfect skill. and yes, i felt energized reading this book. hence, einstein's equation lives in yet another dimension!

42 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Basics, May 21, 2001

By	Timothy Haugh (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Bodanis rightly points out that the special theory of relativity is unjustly considered to be impossible to understand. With that as his starting point, in this "biography of the world's most famous equation" Bodanis takes us through the background of each element of the equation (E,=,m,c and ^2) and leads us through their union by Einstein in 1905. Then he takes us through some of the implications this equation has had for the twentieth century, including the development of the atomic bomb and the discovery of black holes.

All in all, Bodanis does a fine job with his book. His presentation is easy enough to follow so that nearly anyone should be able to get the basics here. Additionally, the story, as he tells it, is motivated historically which is something that I really like. We meet a number of the important figures in scientific history (including the important women, two of whom get a lot of time in this volume--Emile du Chatelet and Lise Meitner) and learn about their contributions to the development of the theory.

The main weakness of this volume is that it is also too simplistic. It serves as a great introduction for the scientifically challenged but there is very little depth here. (To someone who has read Richard Rhodes' brilliant "The Making of the Atomic Bomb" this lack of depth in certain areas will stand out.) Also, Bodanis' judgement of certain figures--Heisenberg and Hahn, in particular--is rather harsh. I may even agree with his assessment but people's lives, especially in times of war, are more complicated that can be summed up in a few negative lines.

Still, Bodanis has done a fine job here. I would encourage anyone with an interest in science to take a look at this book, especially those who think that something like relativity theory is beyond their basic understanding. This book will show them that they can learn this stuff. And when you're ready to handle more, Bodanis has given us extensive notes and a bibliography from which to move on to something higher.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for those with an interest, but little background, February 23, 2005

By	M. Strong (Milwaukee, WI USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This review is from: E=mc2: A Biography of the World's Most Famous Equation (Paperback)

A lot of my favorite books address a subject that I am aware of but unfamiliar with. When one of these books is done well, it ends up being a great reading experience where the pages keep turning and you come to understand an important topic of which you previously had no real comprehension.

E=mc2 is just such a book. Bodanis approaches the topic with the layperson in mind and tells a really interesting story about the history of each character (including the equal sign) in the equation and finishes with a truely gripping, instant by instant description of the first milliseconds of the first atomic bomb detonating over Hiroshima.

You finish the book with new understanding and with a new respect for the power held in this simple equation. Highly recommended for anyone who is interested in understanding the meaning behind the equation they've heard a thousand times.