When I have a student who wants to learn a little relativity from a commercially published book, I usually suggest one of two books: Taylor and Wheeler's Spacetime Physics (for the mathematically adept) or Takeuchi (for others).
Here are my opinions on the pluses and minuses of Takeuchi:
Pro:
The physics is not obscured by equations that will be impenetrable to gen ed students.
The presentation is for the most part modern and geometical. This is a welcome antidote to outdated presentations that read as though they'd been written in 1935.
The problems seem good on casual inspection.
Con:
The presentation of the distinction between SR and GR is out of date. Takeuchi presents this using Einstein's original formulation in terms of inertial versus noninertial frames of reference, whereas modern physicists think of it as a distinction between flat spacetime and curved spacetime.
p. 92 - "This conservation of spacetime area maintains the symmetry between the tree- and car-frames, since each is moving at the exact same speed when observed from the other frame, and ensures that the correspondence between the points on the two diagrams is one-to-one." This is totally wrong. A one-to-one function from a plane to a plane need not conserve area. There are valid elementary arguments for conservation of area in the x-t plane, but this is not such an argument.
The second half of the book is not as lucid as the first. Takeuchi develops the "mass-momentum vector" in Newtonian mechanics; this seems like an awkward way to approach the topic, and is more abstract than pictures of world-lines. His target audience has never been exposed to 3-vectors. When he discusses the energy-momentum vector in SR, he drifts toward a higher level of math.
The other book to consider for this audience would be Mermin's It's About Time, which strikes me as more rigorous and less inviting.
Enjoy fast, FREE delivery, exclusive deals and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime
Try Prime
and start saving today with Fast, FREE Delivery
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Join or create book clubs
Choose books together
Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required. Learn more
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Flip to back Flip to front
Follow the Authors
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.
Frequently bought together
$38.99
Get it as soon as Thursday, Jul 27
In Stock.
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Choose items to buy together.
Customers who viewed this item also viewed
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 28, 2020
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 16, 2015
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 23, 2018
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 31, 2015
Top reviews from other countries
Alejandro
Los diagramas están en escala de grises
Reviewed in Mexico 🇲🇽 on June 23, 2022M. A. Tedesco
Reprint Edition, Black and White illustrations
Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on January 2, 2022
M. A. Tedesco
Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on January 2, 2022
Images in this review
Eugenio Degroote
Sencillez y claridad para un tema complejo
Reviewed in Spain 🇪🇸 on October 14, 2022
