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Physics for the Rest of Us: Ten Basic Ideas of 20th Century Physics
There is practically no area of contemporary life that has not been transformed by the breathtaking insights and everyday applications of twentieth-century physics—from the technologies many of us take for granted to our deepest beliefs about the universe itself. Physics for the Rest of Us brings to life for the curious nonphysicist reader ten key ideas of modern physics and explores their far-reaching influence on our lives and thought.
Roger S. Jones explains major concepts—such as Einstein’s special and general theories of relativity, quantum theory, and the structure of the atomic nucleus—and traces the profound ways in which these ideas have affected our spiritual, psychological, ethical, and aesthetic worldviews. With lively intelligence, he also addresses such profound questions as: What light does science shed on the meaning of human existence? Are scientific theories independent of the men and women who conceive them? Are religion and science related or, ultimately, in conflict?
Physics for the Rest of Us turns a century of exciting scientific discoveries into an exciting voyage of human discovery and possibility.
Praise for Physics for the Rest of Us:
“Straightforward and highly engaging.” —The Book Report
From Physics for the Rest of Us:
“The theory of relativity has not only unlocked the secret of atomic energy but has also released us from the bonds of rigid space and absolute time. The study of the heavens has given us not only the space program but a new story of cosmic creationas well. And while quantum theory has endowed us with microchips and superconductivity, it has also saddled us with a strange and insubstantial view of the very stuff we are made of. The worldview we all share and take for granted today would have been inconceivable and incomprehensible to [Abraham] Lincoln or even to a nineteenth-century physicist.”—from the Introduction
318 pages, Hardcover
First published June 30, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 14, 2023
“The rest of us”, nothing. In the first four pages the author has used, describing the evolution of theory about light, “refraction” and “diffraction” to make key points yet he fails to define or describe what they mean. I’m a 66 year old attorney and lifelong bookworm yet I have only a vague idea of what “refraction” means, and no clue of what “diffraction” means. This is a joke—no, it’s either or both of poor writing and misrepresentation of what is contained in the book. Moreover, the author is bouncing between centuries of thought rather than just giving a chronological description of how the theories evolved and built upon each other. I’m tossing it in the trash. Don’t fall victim to the title’s claim that it’s “for the rest of us” it’s a ploy to get your money.
February 23, 2013
This book took me a week to read but it felt like a year. Thus, have I illustrated Einstein's theory of relativity. If this is physics "for the rest of us," is there a book for the rest of the rest of us? Physics is a dense and complicated subject, and there were times the author explained and integrated the ideas and theories well, and times when he delved into particles and other minutiae (see what I did there? a pun!) without relating it to the other theories as a whole. As far as the science goes, though, I did gain a considerable amount of knowledge.
That being said, what brought my rating down was the author's agenda to rail against what he called "scientific idolatry," and our blind acceptance of science as the ultimate truth. He seems to be reacting against a specific group that apparently worships at the altar of objective and unfailing SCIENCE, while lamenting the loss of our ancestor's belief in the unification of the cosmos and human life in a graceful, swirling ballet of polio and outdoor toilets. Bizarrely, he returns repeatedly to the way astrology and alchemy exemplified this perfect synthesis of science and superstition. He almost champions organized religion for fighting the encroachment of science, because organized religion never hurt anyone, right?
While it's true that science can be taken to heinous and existentially depressing extremes, any form of progress is not without its drawbacks. It's okay to be ambivalent about the prevalence of technology, but the author takes ambivalence to the level of a personal grudge. The strangest part of the reading experience was that I agreed with many of his arguments, but the defensive tone of the awkwardly placed "philosophical" chapters irked me. He even goes so far as to point out the aesthetic and artistic value of physics, but his rages against hypothetical "idolators" are best left to the fearmongers on certain TV stations.
That being said, what brought my rating down was the author's agenda to rail against what he called "scientific idolatry," and our blind acceptance of science as the ultimate truth. He seems to be reacting against a specific group that apparently worships at the altar of objective and unfailing SCIENCE, while lamenting the loss of our ancestor's belief in the unification of the cosmos and human life in a graceful, swirling ballet of polio and outdoor toilets. Bizarrely, he returns repeatedly to the way astrology and alchemy exemplified this perfect synthesis of science and superstition. He almost champions organized religion for fighting the encroachment of science, because organized religion never hurt anyone, right?
While it's true that science can be taken to heinous and existentially depressing extremes, any form of progress is not without its drawbacks. It's okay to be ambivalent about the prevalence of technology, but the author takes ambivalence to the level of a personal grudge. The strangest part of the reading experience was that I agreed with many of his arguments, but the defensive tone of the awkwardly placed "philosophical" chapters irked me. He even goes so far as to point out the aesthetic and artistic value of physics, but his rages against hypothetical "idolators" are best left to the fearmongers on certain TV stations.
March 8, 2012
The book was a little schizophrenic for me. Included in it is the best lay description of relativity I have ever read. It was both accessible and comprehensive without getting into the abstract reasoning or mathematical justifications. The analysis of quantum theory was excellent as was the distinctions drawn between QED and QCD. I also enjoyed the overall handling of the Bohr/Einstein disagreements and discussions as well as the handling of the developing Grand Unification Theories. These alone made the book well worth the read.
On the negative side I finished without a clear understanding of what the “Ten Basic Ideas of 20th Century Physics” were. Since this is the subtitle of the book it was a little disconcerting that to my observation it is missing as a theme of the book.
To a lesser degree I was somewhat put off by the philosophical discussion of Physics in particular and science in general in the role of humanities and religion. I don’t personally see science and religion in conflict. It is only when science tries to use faith as a reason for something occurring or that religion tries to justify faith through science that they are treading on each other’s territories. I may have missed the larger point he was trying to make, but I don’t have a problem with the separation. My primary worry in science is that specialization has gone so far that speculation becomes a smaller portion of future development. It takes a longer period of training and learning to get to a point where beliefs can be reasonably challenged.
On the negative side I finished without a clear understanding of what the “Ten Basic Ideas of 20th Century Physics” were. Since this is the subtitle of the book it was a little disconcerting that to my observation it is missing as a theme of the book.
To a lesser degree I was somewhat put off by the philosophical discussion of Physics in particular and science in general in the role of humanities and religion. I don’t personally see science and religion in conflict. It is only when science tries to use faith as a reason for something occurring or that religion tries to justify faith through science that they are treading on each other’s territories. I may have missed the larger point he was trying to make, but I don’t have a problem with the separation. My primary worry in science is that specialization has gone so far that speculation becomes a smaller portion of future development. It takes a longer period of training and learning to get to a point where beliefs can be reasonably challenged.
August 10, 2013
Quite disappointed in this bargain section buy. I have been becoming more and more interested in astronomy so I decided to start reading up on some physics knowledge that I unfortunately did not receive in high school. Sadly, this book was not the place to start for a physics noob.
To start off, the book is titled Physics For the Rest of Us: Ten Basic Ideas of both Century Physics. The publisher I am surprised did not crush the author for not following the basic premise of elementary writing in that you must answer the mail that is written in your title. Nowhere in this work are 10 ideas mentioned or at least collectively organized. Instead what we get is a basic intro chapter followed by a couple of good physics based chapters then randomly thrown is a chapter on Religion vs Science, which I can understand as the Big Bang Theory and Creationism are of great debate today however this was not the proper spot for this chapter. Then some more random physics filled in with a poor sense of humor conveyed by the author to make things light, and finally rounding out the book with heaps of philosophy, opinions, and frankly much discussion that I could do without or would at least have appreciated to have it consolidated down into one chapter.
Very poor effort, so my journey must continue in order to get my physics feet wet.
To start off, the book is titled Physics For the Rest of Us: Ten Basic Ideas of both Century Physics. The publisher I am surprised did not crush the author for not following the basic premise of elementary writing in that you must answer the mail that is written in your title. Nowhere in this work are 10 ideas mentioned or at least collectively organized. Instead what we get is a basic intro chapter followed by a couple of good physics based chapters then randomly thrown is a chapter on Religion vs Science, which I can understand as the Big Bang Theory and Creationism are of great debate today however this was not the proper spot for this chapter. Then some more random physics filled in with a poor sense of humor conveyed by the author to make things light, and finally rounding out the book with heaps of philosophy, opinions, and frankly much discussion that I could do without or would at least have appreciated to have it consolidated down into one chapter.
Very poor effort, so my journey must continue in order to get my physics feet wet.
March 8, 2013
Not exactly what I thought it would be. I expected a summary of physics principles for the layman. It is actually an explanation of non-Newtonian physics theories formulated during the 20th century. So basically it is a presentation of Einstein's theory of relativity, Heisenberg's theory of uncertainty, and an explanation of various quantum theories. This would be okay except that they are presented as truths with only thin caveats about them being unproven theories.
The organization needs a little work. About 3/5 into the book are a couple of chapters about the moral responsibilities of physicists (and scientists in general) that would be better as an ending.
Not a bad book, but I wouldn't recommend it unless you have no notion of the above mentioned theories and want to know a little about them. There are probably some "physic for dummies" kinds of books that are better, though.
The organization needs a little work. About 3/5 into the book are a couple of chapters about the moral responsibilities of physicists (and scientists in general) that would be better as an ending.
Not a bad book, but I wouldn't recommend it unless you have no notion of the above mentioned theories and want to know a little about them. There are probably some "physic for dummies" kinds of books that are better, though.
January 7, 2017
Oh....My....God.That was intense.
Ok, from the perspective of providing a concise yet thorough explanation of the leading theories in physics throughout history....Great job. wow.
There is the subtle misleading part where the entire book is a personal treatise in how scientists have gotten too big for their britches and completely ignore the humanities in general as inconsequential.
It's not that I disagree, the argument was solid and obviously well intentioned, it just isn't what you expect from the cover, title or description of the book.
Ok, from the perspective of providing a concise yet thorough explanation of the leading theories in physics throughout history....Great job. wow.
There is the subtle misleading part where the entire book is a personal treatise in how scientists have gotten too big for their britches and completely ignore the humanities in general as inconsequential.
It's not that I disagree, the argument was solid and obviously well intentioned, it just isn't what you expect from the cover, title or description of the book.
July 20, 2012
Physics part was good. Authors part was bad
March 16, 2015
Does a good job of explaining various concepts in physics, but frequently gets tied down with questions of ethics and politics.
May 27, 2015
Good coverage of the theories of physics as well as an evaluation of the role and significance of physics in modern society.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews