It's About Time: Understanding Einstein's Relativity

by N. David Mermin

In It's About Time , N. David Mermin asserts that relativity ought to be an important part of everyone's education--after all, it is largely about time, a subject with which all are familiar. The book reveals that some of our most intuitive notions about time are shockingly wrong, and that the real nature of time discovered by Einstein can be rigorously explained without advanced mathematics. This readable exposition of the nature of time as addressed in Einstein's theory of relativity is accessible to anyone who remembers a little high school algebra and elementary plane geometry.


The book evolved as Mermin taught the subject to diverse groups of undergraduates at Cornell University, none of them science majors, over three and a half decades. Mermin's approach is imaginative, yet accurate and complete. Clear, lively, and informal, the book will appeal to intellectually curious readers of all kinds, including even professional physicists, who will be intrigued by its highly original approach.

Genres: Physics, Science, Academic, Philosophy, Nonfiction

208 pages, Hardcover

First published September 12, 2005

About the author

Nathaniel David Mermin (born 1935) is a solid-state physicist at Cornell University best known for the eponymous Mermin–Wagner theorem, his application of the term "Boojum" to superfluidity, and for the quote "shut up and calculate!" (in the context of the interpretation of quantum mechanics).

In 1976, Neil Ashcroft and Mermin published a textbook on solid-state physics. As a proponent of Quantum Bayesianism, Mermin described the concept in Nature.

In 2003, the journal Foundations of Physics published a bibliography of Mermin’s writing that included three books, 125 technical articles, 18 pedagogical articles, 21 general articles, 34 book reviews, and 24 "Reference Frame" articles from Physics Today.

[from Wikipedia. check the original article also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_M...]

Reviews

[Toastbrot123 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although it is written for Americans who don't seem to grasp the superiority of the SI system that has been adopted by the rest of the world for good reasons, this is very good introduction to general relativity. Just don't laugh to hard when the author defines lightspeed with feet. I mean of course everything becomes relative when you use feet. How long are your feet and how long are the feet of your professor? Questions over questions not answered in this book. Still very good. Let's just hope that in the upcoming 2nd American Civil War the winning side adopts the metric system. Thanks for reading my very stupid review of a very good book.

Want to learn general relativity? Read this book!

[Erickson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite a good introductory texts, and the part on geometry and spacetime is especially nice. Will read this again once mastered basic relativity.

[Jessica Liston · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great introduction to relativity!

[Lohit Namboodiri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book! It provides a fantastic entry point into Einstein's special theory of relativity by starting with the basics and carefully adding layers of complexity. The author does a great job of minimizing the required math, but it's definitely a book that makes you think hard and really wrestle with the concepts to let them sink in.

While parts of the chapters on spacetime geometry and E=mc
2 were a bit tough to get through, the key takeaways were crystal clear:

* The speed of light is always the same, no matter who is measuring it.
* Objects get shorter in the direction they are moving.
* Time passes slower for things that are moving.
* Two events that seem simultaneous to one person might not be for another.
* The "interval" between events in spacetime is something everyone can agree on.
* Mass and energy are interchangeable. Mass is just stored energy.

Philosophically, the concept of relative frames of reference is a powerful metaphor—a reminder that individuals can perceive the same events in entirely different ways. It’s a compelling life lesson on the importance of perspective.

Overall, its a dense read (without physics/maths background), but worth checking out if you are intrigued by relativity.

[Karen Briscoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiration and insights about time! It's relative - understanding Einstein. Achieve a higher levevl of success in business and life by reading this book. Karen Briscoe, author and podcast host 5 Minute Success

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really helpful for someone who has never learned about relativity before. Want to read it in more depth when I get the chance.