How Things Work: The Physics of Everyday Life

by Louis A. Bloomfield

This book is an unconventional introduction to physics and science that starts with whole objects and looks inside them to see what makes them work. It's written for students who seek a connection between science and the world in which they live. How Things Work brings science to the reader rather than the reverse. Like the course in which it developed, this book has always been for nonscientists and is written with their interests in mind. Nonetheless, it has attracted students from the sciences, engineering, architecture, and other technical fields who wish to put scientific concepts into context.

This book is written in English and organized in a case-study fashion. It conveys an understanding and appreciation for physics by finding physics concepts and principles within the familiar objects of everyday experience. Because its structure is defined by real-life examples, this book necessarily discusses concepts as they're needed and then revisits them later on when they reappear in other objects.

Lou Bloomfield is a highly dedicated teacher and one of the most popular professors at University of Virginia, and was the recipient of the 1998 State of Virginia Outstanding Faculty Award. Lou has given talks all over the country on teaching physics through everyday objects. He has extreme attention to detail and knowledge of technical physics. He is very tech savvy and has been able to provide many of the photos and illustrations for the text himself.

Genres: Science, Physics, Nonfiction, Reference, Engineering, Textbooks, Mathematics

576 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[Suaad Alsaggaf · Rating 5 out of 5]

الجميل في كتاب كيف تعمل الأشياء أنه يثير تساؤلات سبق
وأن مرّ بعضها بذهني في مرحلة ما، الأجمل أنه يجيب عليها!

أولاً: الكتاب كمحتوى
يشمل الكتاب 16 فصل، كل فصل تحت فرع من فروع الفيزياء يعرض المعلومات بشكل تطبيقي على استخدامين أو أكثر من الحياة اليومية بصورة مفصلة ومدعمة بالرسومات والصور.
أكثر ما أعجبني جزئية (أسئلة للتفكير) الموجودة بداية كل فصل
والتي تستثير تفكيري وتشوقني لقراءة محتواه
للوصول إلى أجوبة هذه الأسئلة.


ثانيًا: الكتاب لطالب/ـة فيزياء
صنفت الكتاب لدي ضمن المراجع حيث أنه لا يتطلب قراءة تسلسلية
وهذا ما قمت به: قراءة الفصل الذي يتناسب مع موادي خاصة تلك المواد التي يضيع فيها المعنى الفيزيائي
أحيانا وسط تعقيدات الرياضيات!


أخيرًا: الكتاب ككتاب مترجم
أعترف بأنني قبل قراءة الكتاب كنت قد فقدت الأمل تقريبا في أن أحصل على معلومات علمية
رصينة واضحة باللغة العربية
ذلك أني أؤمن دائما بأن النصوص المترجمة ميتة مالم ينفث فيها
المترجم من روحه وهذا نادرا ما أجده في المقالات العلمية بعكس الأدبية
لكن هذا الكتاب أعاد الأمل!, لغته سلسة, خالية من الركاكة ويظهر جليا جهد المترجمة فيه
(والتي أفتخر بأني إحدى طالباتها).


سلبيات:
إن كان ثمة سلبيات أو لعلها ملاحظات فقط فربما في حجم الكتاب، الطباعة وجودة الورق ممتازة
لكن تفككت أوراقه من المنتصف رغم اهتمامي به.
النقطة الأخرى: مجدول في نهاية الكتاب المطلحات بترجمتها الانجليزية وتعريفها
لكن تمنيت لو ووضعت الترجمة الانجليزية بجوار كل مصطلح سيكون أسهل في الربط
للناطقين بالعربية والدارسين بالانجليزية كحالتي!

لا شك سأعود للكتاب مرات ومرات..
..

[Nihad ALhamed · Rating 4 out of 5]

شيق جدا وممتع

[Nathan Newcomer · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing style was alright and the examples were fine, but my main beef comes from the explaining of the various formulas in play, rather the lack thereof. The book would essentially show a complex formula and then never explain it. I have a decent understanding of mathematical principles, but this book made the formulas incredibly hard to work out.

To put this into perspective, for the majority of the chapters, I would read the homework and attempt to solve the problems using the formulas and principles from the book. I would often fail. I then would google the formulas, find a blog or site talking about them, return to the homework, and then be able to solve them no problem.

If an amateur blog can explain these formulas and principles for free, then why can't professional authors when you're paying them to do so?

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hated physics in high school, but I have found I enjoy learning about physics when it is in the context of practical things, things I actually use and experience in everyday life. Science is not my strong point and I had a hard time understanding a lot of what he said, but I still felt like it helped me to understand physics and the things around me a little bit better.

[Ishan Panthi · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best Physics book ever.
This is a must read for anyone wanting to enter the field of Physics as a beginner because you get a lot of real life examples for almost all physics phenomena.
A great book by a great lecturer.

[Aseel]

الحين اقدر اقرا الكتاب ذا من البرنامج

[Thomas Underhill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Louis Bloomfield deserves more credit for the incredible work he does in helping others learn

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple, interesting, and accurate. Everything it needs to be.

[Adel Garmat · Rating 5 out of 5]

good

[Mahmoud.agharbia · Rating 5 out of 5]

ؤ

[Ranish Bera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome read for the curious mind

[Saad · Rating 4 out of 5]

goood

[Zakaria Zorqany]

good book