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| Relativity: The Special and the General Theory--A Clear Explanation that Anyone Can Understand | 
 enlarge | Author: Albert Einstein
Publisher: Wings Books
Category: Book
List Price: $5.99
Buy Used: $0.01
You Save: $5.98 (100%)
New (12) Used (104) Collectible (10) from $0.01
Avg. Customer Rating:  77 reviews
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 188
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.7
ISBN: 0517029618
Dewey Decimal Number: 530.1
EAN: 9780517029619
Publication Date: October 5, 1988
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Help save a tree. Buy all your used books from Green Earth Books. Read -> Recycle -> Reuse!
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| Customer Reviews:
The worlds greatest mind September 13, 2008
Though this is not an easy book to read, it does provide insight into the mind of the world's greatest genius.
There is no doubt - this IS Einstein's Universe. For that reason alone this book is a must read.
 Worth the Effort - An Excellent Book August 15, 2008
If you are interested in understanding the basic concepts of Relativity Theory, even if you have little mathematical background, then read this book. If you are a student or technical person that wants more of a "plain text" supplement to a technical course or presentation, then read this book. I read it many, many years ago when I was 14, and it had a profound effect on my outlook from that point onward. I labored over several topics sometimes for a week, but then, I was 14! When I finally finished it - I read it again! My point is that the text is well written, the concepts are at times a bit difficult to grasp, but the explanations are very understandable, and if you understand basic algebra, then what little math there is - a few equations essentially - will be quite clear. The main reason I even suggest the algebra is to better understand the relationships expressed within those equations. Bottom line - it is an excellent and "gentle" introduction to relativity and definitely worth reading! Enjoy.
It's Einstein. what would you expect? July 4, 2008
Actually, it's easier to understand than you might think. The math is minimal and very straight forward. The intro by Nigel Calder is neat reading in itself. If you don't want to wade into the gory details, this is a great overview written by the man himself.
Excellent edition of Einstein's Relativity November 6, 2007
This edition of Einstein's Theory of Relativity is excellent. It provides a streamlined organization of the parts of his concepts, and has tasteful and helpful styling.
A qualified recommendation September 18, 2007
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
As at least one reviewer has noted there are several editions of this book. (This exact edition is also available in paperback.) Definitely get this one (or another 15th edition) because it is the 1952, fifteenth edition, which is the last one that Einstein prepared and is the one that contains all five of his appendices. My local bookstore has several editions put out by different publishers. Side by side were two, one was a 1916, third edition, that contained only three appendices and the other was the complete 1952, fifteenth edition, which actually cost a dollar LESS than the incomplete version. The 1916 version is in public domain, so the publisher does not have to pay anything to the Einstein estate. Thus, the publisher makes more money from purchasers who are not savvy enough to realize that they are getting an inferior edition for the same or even a higher price than a complete one. Caveat emptor.
The four stars do not in any way refer to my view of Einstein or his work. Were they the basis of the review I would have given it five stars. I am qualifying my recommendation because I believe that only some readers will find the book to be suitable for their needs. Thus, I am giving it only four stars because this book is too elementary for someone studying relativity in a graduate course but too complex for someone with little or no physics background. Thus, the readership is somewhat limited.
Pros:
1)This book is Einstein's classic presentation of his special and general theories of relativity, prepared for a general audience. As such, it has interesting historical value as well as being illuminating for some readers. The fifteenth edition contains all of Einstein's corrections and all of his appendices.
2)A reasonably good presentation of the special theory.
3)Good for someone with a physics background (engineers, physicists at the BS or MS level, chemists, etc.) It is, however, too elementary for someone studying relativity at a graduate level. For them, it is primarily useful as a historical document. They would probably get more from Einstein's papers than from this book, which was written for the general public.
Cons:
1)The bulk of this book was written in 1916, in German, and then translated into English. As such, it is somewhat convoluted in places and generally has the typical flavor of 19th century prose.
2)I feel that while the special theory is presented in a reasonably straightforward manner the general theory is not. Einstein uses a little math here, but it is insufficient for a physicist and is probably incomprehensible for someone with little or no math or physics background. I believe that Martin Gardner's book "Relativity Simply Explained" is a better choice for someone with little or no science background. It does a very much better job of explaining the general theory for a general audience.
3)While Einstein explains how the basic assumptions of his theories differ from those of classical physics, these differences are not, in my opinion, highlighted sufficiently. I recommend Isaacson's recent biography of Einstein for those who want these differences more clearly delineated. Isaacson clearly shows why Einstein's theories were so radical a departure from those of Newton.
All in all, this is a good book for the right audience.
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