Book Description

Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity, first published in 1905, radically changed our understanding of the world. Familiar notions of space and time and energy were turned on their head, and our struggle with Einstein's counterintuitive explanation of these concepts was under way. The task is no easier today than it was a hundred years ago, but in this book Sander Bais has found an original and uniquely effective way to convey the fundamental ideas of Einstein's Special Theory.

Bais's previous book, The Equations, was widely read and roundly praised for its clear and commonsense explanation of the math in physics. Very Special Relativity brings the same accessible approach to Einstein's theory. Using a series of easy-to-follow diagrams and employing only elementary high school geometry, Bais conducts readers through the quirks and quandaries of such fundamental concepts as simultaneity, causality, and time dilation. The diagrams also illustrate the difference between the Newtonian view, in which time was universal, and the Einsteinian, in which the speed of light is universal.

Following Bais's straightforward sequence of simple, commonsense arguments, readers can tinker with the theory and its great paradoxes and, finally, arrive at a truly deep understanding of Einstein's interpretation of space and time. An intellectual journey into the heart of the Special Theory, the book offers an intimate look at the terms and ideas that define our reality.

Customer Reviews (1)

A little knowledge deepens
Years ago I took a course in symbolic logic. Our professor gave us someproofs created by Bertrand Russell. I loved working out the proofs on my own, and then checking my work against Russell. His clarity of thought was startling after my floundering.

At the end of the course, my professor gave me a copy of Russell's THE ABC OF RELATIVITY, which I read and re-read for years. (I'm currently using the 4th Revised Edition edited by Felix Pirani, 1985.)

As a general reader, I don't have a deep understanding, but Russell provided familiarity with the fundamental concepts of Einstein's theory. This beautifully graphic book has enhanced that understanding.

Sander Bais uses elementary geometry to illustrate his explanation of fundamental concepts like time dilation. The text and diagrams also illustrate the difference between Newtonian physics, in which time was universal, and Einsteinian physics, in which the speed of light is universal.

The text appears on one page; a spacetime grid appears on the opposite page, with red, yellow and blue arrows illustrating the text. [I wish a CD disc was included to animate the diagrams to aid my studies.]

Russell's ABC was helpful on each pair of Bais's pages. For example:

Russell: "If people could leave the earth and travel about for a time and then return, the time between their departure and return would be less by their clocks than by those on the earth: the earth, in its journey round the sun, chooses the route which makes the time of any bit of its course by its clocks longer than the time as judged by clocks which move by a different route. This is what is meant by saying that bodies left to themselves move in geodesies in space-time."

Bais: "It is comforting to see that w{minute} = w if v = 0, and maybe less comforting to see that w{minute} approaches 0 as v gets close to c."

[Image here a spacetime grid with red, yellow and blue arrows.]

If those three paragraphs make any (but not too much) sense to you and if you would like to learn more about relativity, I urge you to pick up a copy of Bais's book. I believe it will enhance your understanding of this important subject.

As Russell concludes in his book: "What we know about the physical world, I repeat, is much more abstract than was formerly supposed. ... The final conclusion is that we know very little, and yet it is astonishing that we know so much, and still more astonishing that so little knowledge can give us so much power." ... Read more

Amazon.com
How better to learn the Special Theory of Relativity and the General Theory of Relativity than directly from their creator, Albert Einstein himself? In Relativity: The Special and the General Theory, Einstein describes the theories that made him famous, illuminating his case with numerous examples and a smattering of math (nothing more complex than high-school algebra). Einstein's book is not casual reading, but for those who appreciate his work without diving into the arcana of theoretical physics, Relativity will prove a stimulating read.Book Description
The Nobel Prize-winning scientist’s presentation of his landmark theory

According to Einstein himself, this book is intended “to give an exact insight into the theory of Relativity to those readers who, from a general scientific and philosophical point of view, are interested in the theory, but who are not conversant with the mathematical apparatus of theoretical physics.” When he wrote the book in 1916, Einstein’s name was scarcely known outside the physics institutes. Having just completed his masterpiece, The General Theory of Relativity—which provided a brand-new theory of gravity and promised a new perspective on the cosmos as a whole—he set out at once to share his excitement with as wide a public as possible in this popular and accessible book. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (13)

The Principle of Relativity
This book presents Einstein's orginal papers on relativity along with many other "classics" on the subject. A good understanding of college math and physics is a must.

A History of Relativity
Dover must be commended for re-printing this collection of 'seminal' papers which cover the development of Relativity. This collection includes Lorentz's papers "Michelson's Interference Experiment" & "Electromagnetic Phenomena ..." and Minkowski's "Space and Time". The latter was instrumental in forging the notion of Minkowski 'space' - and forever altered our conception of how we view time vis-a-vis space. Additional notes by Sommerfield are present as an appendix to Minkowski's paper.

All this is in addition to the famous papers by Einstein which gave birth to Special & General Relativity. In particular, "The Foundation of the General Theory of Relativity" is, of course, a classic - but a tough read. The paper on Special Relativity, "On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies", on the other hand, is easily accesible to anyone acquainted with high school mathematics.

Even for the non-physicist, with a suitable grounding in the requisite mathematics, this book is a real gem. In general, it serves an excellent companion to Einstein's The Meaning of Relativity, Fifth Edition: Including the Relativistic Theory of the Non-Symmetric Field (Princeton Science Library) and makes for a priceless addition to a personal library.

High school maths needed
One of the truly amazing things about the Special Theory is that you only need a decent grasp of high school mathematics and science to fully understand the two original papers. (Depending on your high school you may need to brush up on partial derivatives, but that's all.)

The General Theory is something else again, but by reading around the equations and accepting the descriptions of what is being solved you can still gain some incredible insights into a great intellectual achievement.

How science should be written
Reading the original papers would be best, but if you don't read German then the Dover collection is the next best thing. In the paper on special relativity, the Lorentz transformations are derived via formulating and solving a first order pde, a treatment that no textbook presents (first order pdes aren't taught in math physics, in spite of the fact that every set of first order autonomous odes generates a first order pde). It took my teaching the subject to advanced undergrads in later years to realize what many others have by now noticed, namely, you don't need two postulates for special relativity. "Galilean invariance" is enough. The constancy of the speed of light follows from the requirement that there is no special reference frame.

Einstein's presentation of GR is unsurpassed for conciseness and clarity, is a model for other researchers to follow when writing papers. Here, he introduces the famous misconception (corrected today in the better texts like Misner, Thorne, and Wheeler) that general covariance is a physical principle. Well, even the greatest minds make mistakes.

Feynman wrote well, but no scientist to date has written better than Einstein.

An accessible reference book
This compact collection of English translations of the original papers is a cheap and highly accessible reference book.

The book is a chronology of the development of the theory of Relativity. Starting with Lorentz' papers on Michelson's interference experiment and electomagnetic phenomena in moving frames of reference, the book follows the rapid development of the subject from Einstein's ground breaking papers of 1905 on Electrodymanics and Inertia. Minkowski's original paper on Space-Time is a delight: it's always a pleasant surprise when one finds that the explanation of the originator has not been bettered in nearly 100 years!

Latter chapters of the book present Einstein's papers on General Relativity -which are mathematically complex. They are definately not the place to start if one wants to learn the principles of General Relativity. Nonetheless, after one has learnt the principles from more accessible materials, such as "The Principles of Cosmology and Gravitation" by M V Berry, these papers can be very useful as original sources that the reader can use in order to grasp the methods by which Einstein presented his revolutionary discoveries.

This is an excellent, high value, low cost source that is worth keeping! ... Read more

Book Description
The book opens with a description of the smooth transition from Newtonian to Einsteinian behaviour from electrons as their energy is progressively increased, and this leads directly to the relativistic expressions for mass, momentum and energy of a particle. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Great!
This book was in good condition, and is very easy to follow.Recommended for anyone wanting to learn university level modern physics but not wanting to go cross-eyed or get lost!

A Classic
I purchased this classic work at MIT, circa 1972, and have referenced it too times to remember.When I bought it, the book was part of the M.I.T. INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS SERIES.It contains about everything one could wish for on the subject matter.The derived transformations for acceleration and force (i.e. of d(mv)/dt) have been especially useful, and are not often included in other books.It is truly a gem, created by a world class physics instructor at the top of his game.G.R.Dixon.

The only book you need to learn special relativity
"Special relativity" is discussed in many classical mechanics, electromagnetism and quantum / modern physics textbooks. You may learn different aspects of this subject from these books.

This book is specifically designed and written for those who want to learn special relativity comprehensively from one single source.

The book starts with the basics of the theories behind special relativity with simple arguments and plain language. In the first 5 chapters, you learn the mechanical fundamentals of special relativity. The examples and end-of-chapter problems are very useful and instructive. Furthermore, the answers to all problems are given in back of the book as well, which enables you to check your answers. Starting from chapter 6, more advanced topics are introduced, like momentum, energy, basic electromagnetism and so forth. Again, the problems should be solved by students in order to gain a thorough comprehension of the subject matter. The diagrams and pictures in the book are also very helpful to understand the concepts.

The bibliography at the end of the book can be used to consult for further discussions, because special relativity has many applications in various areas of physics.

To sum up, this book, all by itself, can be used to learn and understand special relativity very well in a short period of time, because it is concise, simple, effective, pedagogically well-prepared and very suitable for self-study. You do not need any other fancy, expensive book. A.P. French does an excellent job in laying out the principles of special relativity with illustrative examples and problems. It deserves every penny you paid.

comprehensive treatment and historical perspective
If you are looking for the fastest way to learn and use special relativity (this is not about general relativity as the previous reviewer says), this is not the best book to use.

After an introductory chapter 1, which quickly previews much of the later material, French systematically analyzes the many observations and contradictions (the Michelson-Morley experiment just one of them), astronomical and laboratory, about the behavior of light that fitted neither an ether-wave model or a particle model. We are thus lead to a deeper appreciation for Einstein's insight and genius in his creation of the special theory of relativity; it was much more than just an extension of the Lorentz-transformations.

French is a master at his subject, and his systematic elucidation will reward the reader with a deep understanding. His problems are very well designed, and he provides answers which is always very helpful in learning.

If you have some time, and would like also to gain historical perspective about what it was like to struggle for a consistent theory in a mass of contradictory observations from the world view of Newtonian mechanics, I highly recommend this book.

Simple introduction to a very complicated subject
This book was extremely helpful when I was taking a class on special relativity.The author introduces new concepts and rules in a very logical order, and the examples clearly illustrate the material.The book is written very clearly, especially for such a complicated subject.The problems in the back of every chapter allow you to test yourself and make sure you have grasped the material, since some of them have answers in the back of the book.Overall, a great book to either teach special relativity to yourself, or as a companion for a special relativity class. ... Read more

Book Description
General relativity has become one of the central pillars of theoretical physics, with important applications in both astrophysics and high-energy particle physics, and no modern theoretical physicist's education should be regarded as complete without some study of the subject. This textbook, based on the author's own undergraduate teaching, develops general relativity and its associated mathematics from a minimum of prerequisites, leading to a physical understanding of the theory in some depth. It reinforces this understanding by making a detailed study of the theory's most important applications - neutron stars, black holes, gravitational waves, and cosmology - using the most up-to-date astronomical developments. The book is suitable for a one-year course for beginning graduate students or for undergraduates in physics who have studied special relativity, vector calculus, and electrostatics. Graduate students should be able to use the book selectively for half-year courses. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (24)

As easy as it can be
Nice introduction to GR. Not extensive previous knowledge needed and as clear as it could be.

As the title says, a good 'First Course'
There are a lot of books on General Relativity. In approach they vary from no math, to essentially math books. This book is somewhere in the middle. It is said to be suitable for a one year course for beginning graduate students or for undergraduates in physics who have studied special relativity, vector calculus, and electrostatics.

To enable such a student to follow the math in in this book the first part of the book reviews special relativity and vector analysis. Then the book has a section on Tensor Analysis, which was newly developed in Einstein's time when it was called tensor calculus. The treatment of these mathematical concepts in this book are, in my mind, sufficient for a review for a student that had studied them before, but will require some pretty good insight for a student that had not seen them before. This background information covers about a third of the book.

Chapter 5 of the book starts out, 'Until now we have discussed only SR.' The next two thirds cover curvature, physics in a curved spacetime, the Einstein field equations, gravitational radiation (the biggest chapter in the book), and on to the rest of GR.

By the end of the book the student has indeed completed a 'first course' in GR. There is still plenty more to go for the interested student specializing in this area.

Good Intro, but Leaves A LOT out
As background, I am a senior undergrad doing a thesis on black hole perturbations (following Chandrasekhar). This was the first book I got on GR, a little over a year ago, and I fell in love with it. It does a great job of quickly, though not completely painlessly, introducing you to GR. HOWEVER, as I now continue my ventures further, I find a lot of fundamental concepts lacking in my education. I went from this book onto parts of Wald: not a good idea IMO. I am currently paging through Lovelock and Rund and wishing the mathematical aspect had been introduced in Schutz as well as here. In the end, very nice, well explained intro to the concepts, but you NEED to either supplement with better mathematical explanation, or move quickly to higher book.

Great intro text
I started reading this book at a friend's house about 1 year ago and after graduating and starting to miss physics, I decided to pick it up and try something I didn't get in school.This book does a great job of building a fundamental understand of what is going on(and doesn't shy away from the math). The best part is the different ways it can be read.It is written to leave a lot of the deep math(actually expanding the equations and seeing the results in a more concrete manner) to the reader's discretion.As a working person, this is a huge advantage, as it means I can read ahead to curvature while spending my weekends getting familiar with tensor math.

I highly suggest this as a start for anyone that wants to get a feel for GR(not a pop culture feel, but a real understanding of the ideas and math) but doesn't always have the time to work through the math.I also have the Misner, Thorne and Wheeler book Gravitation, and while it gives a much more expansive study of GR, I don't find myself with the time required to read it.

The only drawback is I feel it doesn't give the best intuition about tensors of a higher order than a one form.But that is probably due to my own lack of intuition in that area.

For clarity, My relevant background in physics and math:
ODE, PDE, Vector Calculus, Introductory Analysis and topology, QM, EM, Mechanics, Optics, Thermodynamics.I've never studied non-euclidean space or any real study of geometry beyond the most basic of real number line topology.

undergraduate book
This book helped me survive my first course in general relativity, which I took at a time when I was not prepared to understand the textbook of the course (Wald).I have mixed feelings about the book.On the one hand, I could follow it is as an undergraduate; on the other, the level of the discussion was such that I never really felt like I "got" GR from reading it.Maybe that is the paradox of a low-level book, but for comparison I did not experience this reading, for example, griffiths and jackson.There, I felt like I grasped E&M and one level, and then learned it better at another.Perhaps general relativity doesn't work that way, or perhaps another introductory book is better.I don't really know which. ... Read more

Book Description
Finally, someone is going to explain Einstein's theory of relativity in layman's terms, without getting mired in overly heavy discussion or formal mathematics. In Relativity Demystified, key definitions, examples, and results join the trusted exercises that have made the Demystified series so successful in all subject areas. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

At the speed of light
"Learn Relativity at the Speed of Light" is found on the back cover of this book and I think it's true.It was aproximately 1.23 light years ago when I first purchased this book and I am now on page 208(out of 328 total).My point is that the book is very good but to get through it requires a lot of work; relative to the math and physics background that you possess. I was totally stumped on pages 2 and 3 (Maxwells current-magnetic field equation).It will help to supplement this study with a book on tensor calculus and another relativity book by Hartle or Schutz.The worked examples and chapter quizes were great though and worth the effort.

A Bumpy Ride but Well Worth the Effort
While this is not exactly the "learning of relativity at the speed of light" the book advertises, unlike many others of the Demystified series, this volume does indeed have its high points.

The lead up to Einstein's Field Equations -- although the notational gymnastics and some of the mathematics was daunting -- is nevertheless first class. It gives the reader a very much-needed window into the role the Linear Algebra notion of mathematical mappings and transformations -- especially as viewed from the point of view of "basis vectors," through "one forms," and on to "partial derivatives of Tensor Calculus" -- play in bootstrapping one's way up from the local Newtonian/Euclidian frame of reference to the more generalized space-time Reimann/Malinowsky frame. And most importantly, it shows by carefully selected examples and exercises how tensor calculus takes over from Linear Algebra in moving from the more local Newtonian/Euclidian frame to the more generalized space-time frame.

In fact, reading between the lines of the book, one could argue that the whole of understanding the mechanics of relativity is grasping fully this single concept: of how to move mathematically from reference frame to reference frame -- that is, from inertial frames moving relative to one another in the Euclidian world to doing the same in the Space-time world.

Doing this is not easy either conceptually or mathematically but is a necessity for getting from Newtonian to Einsteinian physics. If the reader learns to appreciate that the heavy-duty mathematics is required only for this task, and only in this light, then the ride will be infinitely easier.

Even in Taylor and Wheeler's very down to earth treatment of relativity (in their "Spacetime Physics"), this kind of understanding is left in the background for the reader to infer and to ferret out on his own. A great deal of time is save in the earlier chapters of this volume by forcing the reader to understand early on why working ones way gradually up the ladder to the tensor Calculus is necessary: so that he is better able do all of the mathematical heavy-lifting seamlessly, later.

One word of caution to the reader, which also is my only serious criticism of the book: The written dialogue is painfully sparse, so every word must be read carefully, weighed and parsed for its full meaning. It is helpful to read the book three times: First as an overview to see where the author is headed; and then a second time to understand the mathematical content -- especially the dizzy array of notations -- and then finally to put all the pieces together. That is, read it a third time just to confirm that one understands fully how the larger concepts match up with the corresponding mathematics.

It seems much easier for the authors of physics and mathematical texts to roll out reams of equations than to give just the minimal explanations about how these equations relate to the underlying concepts they are supposed to explain and describe. Why leave such important connections to the reader?

Realizing that this is not a book of prose, still it would be helpful sometimes to give ample and clearly written explanations, with even (god forbid), a little repetition from time to time, just as a guide so that the reader can confirm that he is making the correct interpretations along the way.

Anyway, I am hooked on the Demystified Series and hope this book will be great preparation for the upcoming Demystified volume on String Theory.

Four Stars

Good coverage of topics but not for first time study -- Need better editing work before release
This book covered a lot of the practical topics in GR.The writing is quite easy to understand.In some places, it seems to be too short.For example, the explanation of the basis in coordinate basis is not very clear. [Just refer to Carroll]However, be careful if you are the first time study in GR.You should get one of the other standard books, like Schutz, Weinberg, MTW(Misner, Thorne, Wheeler) otherwise, you will not be able to move too far in this area.Also, I really hope the editor/author can do a bit more thorough job in proof reading before releasing the book.There are many places where you could find sign errors or the indices placement are not correct.For example, the definition of Christoffel Sympbol in terms of metric and also the definition of symmetrization and also the -ve sign in the proper time definition....If you already know about the subject matter, this is not a bad reference book, just a bit tiring in keeping track of these minor errors.

Good Series, But This Book Is Questionable
I've purchased a whole book shelf of the Demystified series, though I've only just started using them.As a former physics undergrad, these books at least *appear* to offer a level of treatment that I can handle as I wade back into the subject.The one I've been using the most is Differential Equations Demystified, and I've found that very helpful so far.

*This* book, however -- General Relativity Demystified -- proved somewhat of a disappointment.Basically, before you can get into the physics, you have to get some handle on the mathematics of Tensors, which is covered in the early chapters, but I simply found the treatment opaque.I'm planning to get some other books on Tensors and study them carefully.Then I plan to return to this book, and see if the later parts of the book -- which deal with the physics -- prove to be accessible, once I have the tensor math down.

Possibly, if the author rewrote the early part of the book to clarify the tensor discussion, he might still have a hit here.As I say, though, other books in the series look pretty good, and I'm very happy with the DfEQ Demystified book, which I've really been working my way through and learning something in the process.

No Royal Road
As a holder two degrees in Physics(BS and MS)a word of caution to any layperson who is tempted to buy this book, thinking it will offer a royal road to easily understanding Einstein's Relativity;it won't.Some books are written to teach; this book was written to impress others - in my opinion. ... Read more

Book Description
From the Commentary by Robert Geroch (The corresponding section of Einstein's text can be found below the comment.Please note that in the book, the Commentary is placed after the complete text of Relativity.)

Section 17.Space-Time

Minkowski's viewpoint represents a "geometrization" of relativity. These ideas have, over the years, come to the forefront: They reflect the perspective of the majority of physicists working in relativity today. Let us expand on this viewpoint. The fundamental notion is that of an event, which we think of as a physical occurrence having negligibly small extension in both space and time. That is, an event is "small and quick," such as the explosion of a firecracker or the snapping of your fingers. Now consider the collection of all possible events in the universe—all events that have ever happened, all that are happening now, and all that will ever happen; here and elsewhere. This collection is called space-time. It is the arena in which physics takes place in relativity.The idea is to recast all statements about goings-on in the physical world into geometrical structures within this space-time. In a similar vein, you might begin the study of plane geometry by introducing the notion of a point (analogous to an event) and assembling all possible points into the plane (analogous to space-time). This plane is the arena for plane geometry, and each statement that is part of plane geometry is to be cast as geometrical structure within this plane. This space-time is a once-and-for-all picture of the entire physical world. Nothing "happens" there; things just "are." A physical particle, for example, is described in the language of space-time by giving the locus of all events that occur "right at the particle." The result is a certain curve, or path, in space-time called the world-line of the particle. Don't think of the particle as "traversing" its world-line in the same sense that a train traverses its tracks. Rather, the world-line represents, once and for all, the entire life history of the particle, from its birth to its death. The collision of two particles, for example, would be represented geometrically by the intersection of their world-lines. The point of intersection—a point common to both curves; an event that is "right at" both particles—represents the event of their collision. In a similar way, more complicated physical goings-on—an experiment in particle physics, for example, or a football game—are incorporated into the fabric of space-time. One example of "physical goings-on" is the reference frame that Einstein uses in his discussion of special relativity. How is this incorporated into space-time? The individuals within a particular reference frame assign four numbers, labeled x, y, z, t, to each event in space-time. The first three give the spatial location of the event according to these observers, the last the time of the event.These numbers completely and uniquely characterize the event. In geometrical terms, a frame of reference gives rise to a coordinate system on space-time. In a similar vein, in plane geometry a coordinate system assigns two numbers, x and y, to each point of the plane. These numbers completely and uniquely characterize that point. The statement "the plane is two-dimensional" means nothing more and nothing less than that precisely two numbers are required to locate each point in the plane.Similarly, "space-time is four-dimensional" means nothing more and nothing less than that precisely four numbers are required to locate each event in space-time. That is all there is to it! You now understand "four-dimensional space-time" as well as any physicist. Note that the introduction of four-dimensional space-time does not say that space and time are "equivalent" or "indistinguishable." Clearly, space and time are subjectively different entities. But a rather subtle mixing of them occurs in special relativity, making it convenient to introduce this single entity, space-time. In plane geometry, we may change coordinates, i.e., relabel the points. It is the same plane described in a different way (in that a given point is now represented by different numbers), just as the land represented by a map stays the same whether you use latitude/longitude or GPS coordinates. We can now determine formulae expressing the new coordinate-values for each point of the plane in terms of the old coordinate-values. Similarly, we may change coordinates in space-time, i.e., change the reference frame therein. And, again, we can determine formulae relating the new coordinate-values for each space-time event to the old coordinate-values for that event. This, from Minkowski's geometrical viewpoint, is the substance of the Lorentz-transformation formulae in Section 11. A significant advantage of Minkowski's viewpoint is that it is particularly well-adapted also to the general theory of relativity. We shall return to this geometrical viewpoint in our discussion of Section 27.Download Description
"""It is remarkable that Einstein should have produced such an account for the lay public so soon after his general theory was completed. This view has now superbly survived the tests of time.... In this new edition we are fortunate in having the advantage of an excellent exposition of Einstein's foundational ideas on relativity from a more modern perspective in Robert Geroch's commentary.""

¿From the Introduction by Roger Penrose, author of The Emperor's New Mind and The Road To Reality.

""One good way to get a feeling for what relativity theory is all about is to read, in these pages, what the originator of the subject had to say. I have provided comments, attached to various sections of Einstein's book. The key to understanding relativity is to think about it for yourself.""

¿From the Commentary by Robert Geroch, Professor of Physics, University of Chicago.

""Relativity was a highly technical new theory that gave new meanings to familiar concepts and even to the nature of theory itself. The general public looked upon relativity as indicative of the seemingly incomprehensible modern era, educated non-scientists despaired of ever understanding what Einstein had done, and political ideologues used the new theory to exploit public fears and anxieties¿all of which opened a rift between science and the broader culture that continues to expand today.""

¿From the Historical Essay by David C. Cassidy, author of J. Robert Oppenheimer and the American Century, and Einstein and Our World.

""All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree. All these aspirations are directed toward ennobling man's life, lifting it from the sphere of mere physical existence and leading the individual toward freedom.""

¿Albert Einstein

" ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

additional commentary not included
This paperback book is an attractive typesetting of einstein's original classic. However, we remind the buyer this paperback does not include the contributions of other authors in the hardback edition. Thus, the description and the search inside feature are somewhat misleading.

Quite elevated language
It very difficult to critisize the man himself, but after all he was not a writer per se and was used to discussing relativity with other physicists. I can follow him. But thats only because I have read other books which make the subject much easier. Acually this was my first book on relativity which I bought years ago and threw it down in frustration. Then, recently I tried again with "Relativity Visualized" by L C Epstein. Now, finnaly I get it. It took a lot of intense concentration and re-reading, but I got it. And when it hitmemy jaw droppedand all I could say was "WOW!" Of course, I lost it the next day and had to go thru it again. That's how difficult relativity is to comprehend and RETAIN. (Retaining it for more than a few minutes can seem as hard as learning it. Special Relativity is very evasive to the mind. And General Relativity is about ten times more difficult. But WHEN YOU GET IT, it's a feeling you never had before. Itwill change your life.)So I recommend the Epstein book. Lots of great "Thought Experiments" and a bit of neat "unique" (odd) humor, too. Einstein's book should be read, tho. After you've read other books about relativity and understand it at least "generaly" (pardon The Pun)If only to get a sense of the man. I read German quite well and still, I am sure I'd have problems reading the original, but someday I'll give it a shot.

Still not for the layman........
Is is an awesome thing to be able to read in Einstein's own words his explanation of these ground breaking concepts. It is not an easy read however. His language is elaborate and eloquent, but to a person like me who is trying very hard to make mental images of the concepts, distracting. I read other sources to attempt to clarify my understanding and found sources on the internet to support the book. The expanations in the appendices did not help either; they were not quite at layman's level as well.

Still, it was exciting to read and have a view into the thoughts of the great man. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (15)

Excellent text for classical general relativity
Wald's book was the standard text for two graduate courses in GR that I took during my PhD (one was an introductory grad course on GR and the other was an advance special topics course on black holes). The first six chapters lay the groundwork for classical GR, starting with a quick recap of the tensor notation (Wald's Index free notation is very useful), a little bit of differential geometry and the Einstien's equations. The Initial value problem of GR is treated in an elegant chapter that concludes the introduction. Advanced topics like black holes, area theorems, singularity theorems etc are treated in latter chapters, along with a nice chapter on QFT in curved space-time and the Hawking effect. I found Wald's book most useful for understanding the singularity theorems, which have been discussed very lucidly without sacrificing much rigor (some of the more technical details are best left to Hawking and Ellis).

There is a priceless discussion on Penrose diagrams, asymptotic infinity, ADM energy and the BMS group which to my knowledge have never appeared in another book (one has to go back to papers of Ashtekar and Penrose to find this information).

I had no prior exposure to differential geometry when I started reading the book (indeed my background at this point was an undergrad degree in Electronics, so my knowledge of physics when I took this course was rudimentary to say the least). I however found no difficulty in following this book, and indeed this book was the most exciting grad level book that I read until Polchinski's two tomes on String Theory. I would recommend Wald's book for anyone who likes to understand General Relativity and especially Black Hole Thermodynamics...and last but not least, the exercises in the book are all interesting and in some cases are pretty nontrivial. I learnt a lot of GR working out these exercises and highly recommend them to anybody studying this book...it is definitely worth spending time on these exercises.

Clear and Concise
Wald's book stands out as the clearest presentation of general relativity yet produced.The downside is that the conciseness often makes it inaccessible to the beginner.If you try to learn from this book, you *need to do exercises* (from this book or another).It is too hard to follow if you don't have the experience of computations under your belt.But once you do get to the point where you follow Wald, you will follow him easily and pleasurably, as he writes with effortless clarity.

A common myth is that this book is overly mathematical.On the contrary--some of the highlights are where Wald discusses the role of Mach's principle in Einstein's formulation of the theory, and the role of our "philosophical projudices" in our choice of cosmology.Wald's talent is the ability to state the interesting physical or philosophical stuff without having to ramble on like other authors.

Daunting at first...
The book starts out well and then quickly becomes a refresher in topology!Not a great first text on general relativity if your higher math is shakey but as it progresses it becomes easier to read.Stable, concise, an exceptional work full of wonderful graphs, equations, and description.

Not for the beginner or the merely curious, this is a book for the serious student pursuing relativity in context of astrophysics, cosmology, or some similar discipline.

Great advanced general relativity book
For about twenty years this book has more or less been a standard text that almost anyone seeking a deep understanding of general relativity should master. There is a good reason for that, it's a great book.

The first half of the book covers the basics of general relativity. The approach is very geometrical, this is essential for a deep understanding of general relativity and to understand almost any of the literature. However, there is a practical issue with a geometric approach, the notation used in some books is such that it's very difficult for a reader to write the equations down on a piece of paper. For example, how can someone write an equation and make the symbols bold? Abstract index notation is used throughout this book. I think that is a great choice allowing one to write the equations using paper and a pen, but without sacrificing anything from the geometrical perspective.

The book opens with a short chapter on special relativity, obviously it's not a very comprehensive treatment, but rather it's intended to establish notation and a point of view. After this there is a two chapter introduction to differential geometry. This material is needed for even the most basic concepts of general relativity. Some of the more advanced concepts of general relativity, e.g. causal structure, require knowledge of topology. Topology is treated in one of the very useful appendices. Wald's treatment of differential geometry and topology is excellent if you already have a fairly good grasp of these subjects, perhaps not so much if it's the first time you've seen them. I'd suggest readers uninitiated in these topics read a more basic introduction while, or before, reading this book.

The rest of the first part consists of developing Einstein's equation, some cosmological solutions and the Schwarzschild solution. These topics are covered in virtually all general relativity books, however the treatment here is especially superb.

The second part of the book consists of the advanced topics, as much as I liked the first part in my opinion it's the second part of the book that really makes Wald's book stand out. In brief the contents are: more systematic methods used for solving Einstein's equation (these are mostly centered on using symmetry), causal structure of space-time (an essential topic for many aspects of general relativity), the initial value problem, asymptotic flatness, black holes, spinors and quantum effects.

These are all very well done, up to the standard established in the first part of the book. I especially appreciated the chapters on asymptotic flatness and spinors since these topics seem to be included in text books less frequently than the others. The quantum effects chapter also stood out. It covered a wide range of interesting topics (although some of them only briefly): semiclassical gravity, general issues in quantum gravity, non-renormalizability of the covariant perturbative approach, twistors (!), quantum field theory in curved space-time and of course black hole thermodynamics.

Does it have any weaknesses? One could argue that it would be nice to see more material on experimental confirmation of general relativity. However, I thought the amount of material on this was fine. It might not be the ideal first book on general relativity, without an exceptional instructor many students seeing the subject for the first time might find the pace a little fast.

To summarize, I think this is a great book, it's my favorite book on gravity. I consider it virtually required reading for an advanced understanding of general relativity. However, I would suggest supplementary texts be used for differential geometry and topology.

Good
I used this text for a course after taking an undergraduate GR course based on Shutz.I found Shutz to be a much clearer and pedagogical text, and don't think I would have learned GR as easily if I had started with Wald.I think one requires greater mathematical preparation than I possess to fully appreciate the discussions involving topology in the second chapter and appendix.Oddly, however, this text becomes clearer as the reader advances through it:later chapters were more straightforward and still concise. ... Read more

Amazon.com
In 1921, a young Albert Einstein traveled to America to give four lectures at Princeton University, paving the way for a more complete acceptance of his theory of general relativity.These lectures are published together as The Meaning of Relativity, and were revised with each new edition until Einstein's death.Despite Einstein's profession that he thought without using words, his examples and descriptions of the relativistic world he perceived are clear and easy to follow.Unfortunately for nontechnical readers, his presentation requires deep diversions into mathematics often enough to break up the flow of his narrative, and they may find this rough terrain.But for the mathematically sophisticated or the devoted scientific historian, these lectures are profoundly illuminating--Einstein's bright, quiet genius shines through in the simplicity and economy of his writing. Two appendices follow the lectures: the first covers advances and experimental verifications after 1921; the second, "Relativistic Theory of the Non-Symmetric Field," was Einstein's last scientific paper. The Meaning of Relativity documents a revolution in progress and yields to the careful student deeper truths than those found in physics textbooks.--Rob Lightner Book Description

In 1921, five years after the appearance of his comprehensive paper on general relativity and twelve years before he left Europe permanently to join the Institute for Advanced Study, Albert Einstein visited Princeton University, where he delivered the Stafford Little Lectures for that year. These four lectures constituted an overview of his then controversial theory of relativity. Princeton University Press made the lectures available under the title The Meaning of Relativity, the first book by Einstein to be produced by an American publisher. As subsequent editions were brought out by the Press, Einstein included new material amplifying the theory. A revised version of the appendix "Relativistic Theory of the Non-Symmetric Field," added to the posthumous edition of 1956, was Einstein's last scientific paper.

Customer Reviews (8)

A dense, but brilliant, collection of lectures
Laymen, such as myself, are familiar with the equation e=mc2; yet how many of us non-scientists actually know what this means?Einstein explains this in a series of four lectures.While the explaination is clear, the mathematics behind it (and the implications of relativity theory) are far from easy for the layperson to understand.

The first section on space and time in pre-relativity physics provides the foundation for exactly why his theories are so revolutionary.I was able to digest this without much difficulty.The real challenges (for me at least) began with his explaination of special and general relativity - that space, time and light are dependent on each other, and in fact are (hence the name) all relative ... a real mind-bender.Sadly, I was unable to make it through the second half of the lecture on general relativity - too abstract for one who is not a scientist by training or vocation.

Nonetheless it is a worthwhile (if difficult) read.For those who are weak in mathematics (Euclidian geometry or below) much of the details will be incomprehensable; don't let this dissuade you - part of the genius of Einstein is his ability to explain what the mathematics proves.A seminal work in science, and highly recommended for those with the patience, training or deeply committed interest in the subject.

A Classic Collection
This book is an excellent collection of 'lectures' by Einstein himself and present the 'eventual' form of the Special & General Theories of Relativity (as in the 1950s). A handy accompaniment to undergraduate study in relativity, the book is a *mathematical* exposition into its broad features - and is NOT by any means a popular/lay account of what the theories mean. The title of the book may be a little dis-orienting in this regard - but the subtitle should lay to rest any doubts!

Einstein starts with pre-relativity physics formulated in the language of tensors and moves on to present the Special Theory using the same apparatus. The next two chapters delve really deep into the philosophy of the General Theory (GR) complete with equations. The Appendices are further advanced topics in GR - and may be of interest only to graduate students.

For a non-physicist like me, with a sufficent background in the requisite mathematics and some prior exposure to the topic, this book was a real treat. It is a classic well worth its place in a personal library. This book is, however, not recommended for those who are looking for something along the lines of Hawkings' A Brief History of Time.

The Meaning of Relativity by Albert Einstein
Einstein's theory seeks to unite time, space and impliedly
distance and light phenomena into a rational set of equations which are congruent to the Euclidian geometry. In essence,
the concept of time is meaningless except in relation to
light . Without light, there would be no reference point
for measuring distance in space because the whole area would
be dark and unidentifiable for scientific measurement and
comparison purposes. The use of the volumetric triple integral
seeks to make a measurement on 3-planes.i.e. x,y and z
Later in the work, Einstein explains that the laws of
configuration of rigid bodies with respect to K' do not agree
with the laws of configuration of rigid bodies that are
in accordance with Euclidean geometry. He provides an example
wherein two similar clocks rotate simultaneously on the
periphery and the center of a circle, then judged from K- the
clock on the periphery will go slower than the clock at the
center. He explains this difference as the result of the
gravitational field influence as determinants in the metric
laws of the space and time continuum. What happens when the
clocks are in a perfect vacuum? In addition, time travel is
a function of how light travels. Finite differences in the
radii of the clocks (periphery and center) imply distances with
slight changes in respect to the time light takes to travel
from one end of the radii (periphery or center) to the other.
In the Riemann Tensor, Einstein depicts an amorphous masse
dependent upon the path of displacement. The outline of the
masse approximates a square so that the area or volume is
determinate by approximation to the closest geometric form
to the amorphous massei.e.a square

On page 92, Einstein states that the rate of a clock is slower
the greater is the masse of the ponderable matter in the
neighborhood. This comports with the theory and computation
of inertia. As the base and height increases, the inertial
computation is geometrically greater in accordance with the
formulas of inertia [ ((b x h^3)/12)]. In the discussion of
Mach, Einstein states that the inertia of a body must increase
when ponderable masses are piled in the neighborhood. This is
proven by computing inertia utilizing more massive bases and
heights. As the base and height increases, the inertial
computation is geometrically greater thereby proving that the
inertia of a body must increase when ponderable masses are
piled up in the neighborhood.

Einstein discusses the theory of Mach in relation to inertia
and the mutual action of bodies. The actual measurement of
Mach has at least 3 different levels; namely, subsonic,
sonic and supersonic measurements

Einstein argues that the hypothesis that the universe is
infinite and Euclidean at infinity is complicated from the
relativistic point of view. The universe expands and contracts .
Accordingly, the nature tends to approximate non-Euclidean
or quasi-Euclidean objects in the evolution toward the
expansive and infinite state which Einstein postulates as
potentially Euclidean in order.

Einstein argues against an infinite space by stating:

" 1. From the standpoint of the theory of relativity , to postulate a closed universe is very much simpler than to postulate the corresponding boundary condition at infinity
of the quasi-Euclidian structure of the universe.

2. The idea that Mach expressed, that inertia depends upon the mutual action of bodies, is contained, to a first approximation,
in the equations of the theory of relativity; it follows from these equations that inertia depends, at least in part upon
mutual actions between masses.

3. An infinite universe is possible only if the mean density
of matter in the universe vanishes. Although such an assumption is logically possible, it is less probable than the assumption that there is a finite mean density of matter in the universe."

Critique:

The idea of a closed universe is simpler. It comports with experience. For instance, why does Haley's Comet return every
75 years. The idea of an infinite universe would imply the existence of a less dense outer-superstructure. As objects hurled in space, they would be drawn into the less dense regions. The idea of a bounded universe implies a boundary
to ricochet speeding objects. Otherwise, every speeding object
would continue into an infinite universe with a denseless
path of space.

To prove the third postulate, scientists must have better information on the mean density at the outer edges of the universe. Does density remain constant or does it evaporate
with greater distances toward the universe boundary regions?
If a boundary exists as postulated in the finite universe,
what is the boundary? Is the boundary a wall in space?
If so, what exists beyond the wall? At the corners of the universe, what structures exist to modulate areas of higher
density and less density or infinitestimal density?
In addition, there is a theory of an expanding universe.
How does the universe expand and what outer region accomodates
this expansion. The idea of an expanding universe admits to
an expanding boundary. Again, this poses the earlier question.
i.e. There must be free space to accomodate an expanding
universe. Is this free space dense or denseless.

This concept is similar to a computer gigobyte superstructure.
Users can define different regions on the computer disc.
These regions consist of utilized space and free space.
Conceptually, the universe may be seen in the same way.
It consists of both bounded and unbounded space.

Will never collect dust....
There are numerous books on general relativity currently on the market, and these range in difficulty from those written for the beginner or the layman, those written for graduate students in physics, and research monographs covering specialized topics. It is always refreshing to go back to the originator of the subject, and take part in his special insights on the topic. Philosophers and historians of science can definitely benefit from a perusal of this book.

The author begins this book with a discussion of the origin of the concepts of space-time, the emphasis being partly philosophical and partly psychological, and the reader can see the origin of the author's operationalism in reading this introduction. He is clearly against the philosophers who attempt to remove concepts from experience and put them in his words "in the intangible heights of the a priori". The motion of rigid bodies is used to set up a discussion of Euclidean geometry and linear orthogonal transformations. The author emphasizes the role of the physicist in discerning whether a system of geometry is true or not, contrary to the pure mathematician. Examples of geometrical invariants, such as the Cartesian line element and the volume element are discussed, along with the role of vectors and tensors. Both of these are used as means by which one can give expression to the independence of Cartesian coordinates. Maxwell's equations are put in tensor notation as an example of covariance with respect to Cartesian coordinate transformations. All of this is done to motivate the theories of special and general relativity.

The theory of spectial relativity is treated in chapter 2, the author introducing his famous principle of special relativity. The author poses the problem of calculating the coordinates and time in an inertial system moving with uniform translation relative to another. He shows how this problem is solved by assuming that time and space are absolute, and if the coordinate axes of the systems are parallel to one another, the Galilean transformations result. Newton's equations of motion are covariant under these transformations, but Maxwell equations are not (but the author chooses not to show this explicitly). He then gives an in-depth discussion of how the Lorentz transformations arise as being those that guarantee the covariance of the Maxwell equations. The author also discusses the signature of the Lorentz metric and how it is related to the light cone. He ends the chapter by developing the energy tensor of the electromagnetic field and matter.

The author's rejection of inertial frames as being priveleged leads him in the beginning of the next chapter to a short philosophical critique of the principle of inertia. This leads to a discussion of the principle of equivalence and to the origin of the general theory of relativity, a theory which the author developed, amazingly, single-handedly, and which he clearly believes is very much superior to classical mechanics. The intuition to be gained by reading this chapter is invaluable for serious students of general relativity. One can see the simplicity and power of the author's arguments, relying on keen physical intuition and sound use of mathematics. In particular, the author's heuristic derivation of the gravitational field equations from Poisson's equation is briliant. In addition, he is not ashamed to interject philosophical argumentation into his writing, particularly in his discussion of Mach's principle. Such discussions are becoming more rare among physicists at the present time.

Einstein goes deeper.
The Meaning of Relativity is an advanced book. The title should have made it clear. Einstein delves here into what his theory
actually MEANS. That is, what must we change (if anything...) in our world conception, in the way we think, as a consequence of his immense discovery. Just think that he meddled with time, a concept static since so long that it is registered deep in our DNA: our concept of time goes back to the epoch where our main purpose was to survive the day
(sounds familiar? No, no, it was different! It was permanent. What you experience now is transient...)
So what? Read it! It is a marvellous book. Perhaps you will have to reach for other, more elementary, books, in this enterprise. All right! That almost characterizes a book worth reading. So... go on! It will repay your efforts. It IS doable. You will come out, for instance,with a precise CONSTRUCTION OF SPACE! Your brains will be enriched.You deserve that! ... Read more

Book Description

Here a physicist and a professor of literature guide general readers through the ideas that revolutionized our conception of the physical universe.

Customer Reviews (4)

Good book
I am reading this book as part of the required/recommended reading for Einstein's Relativity and the Quantum Revolution: Modern Physics for Non-Scientists course by The Teaching Company. I find that this book is easy to follow, the examples and illustrations are quite good. It also does well serving mathematics "on the side", if you want it.It has helped my understanding of classical physics concepts and will help me with modern physics as I continue reading, I'm sure.

P.S. If you're taking this Teaching Company course, I would suggest reading all the required and recommended material to get the most out of the course.

A Unique Expose of Einstein's Relativity
There are hundreds of books that claim to simplify the theory of relativity for the general public. "Inside Relativity" is among the few that actually achieve this goal without loosing the beauty of Einstein's theories. The strength of the book comes from the structure as well as its cogent language. Many others fail to set the context for Einstein's entrance into the scientific scene but Mook & Vargish do this quite masterfully. There are many valuable references sprinkled throughout the book. I did consult few of them before finishing the book and that may have biased my opinion. This book should be on your bookshlef even if you think you know what Relativity is all about.

Inside Relativity
Well written so the person not a professional scientist can understand.

Inside Inside Relativity
This book is an OUTSTANDING expose of Einstein's Special and General theories of Relativity.It explains by way of analogy (which relativity lends itself to) in a way that is extremely accesable while remaining veryinformative.The book helps clearly underscore many of the fascinatingconsequences of Einstein's theory. ... Read more

Book Description
In their solutions, the authors have attempted to convey a mode of approach to these kinds of problems, revealing procedures that can reduce the labor of calculations while avoiding the pitfall of too much or too powerful formalism. Although well suited for individual use, the volume may also be used with one of the modern textbooks in general relativity. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Good book
I found it very helpful for my General Relativity course. There is really nothing else like this out there ... and for those of us that learn best by example, this book is a bargain.

Understanding Einstein Thorey of Gravitation
This is a capital book for all the Physics students, it give a good overview of the theory through a huge set of problems of the main parts in the theory. Good exercices and understandable solutions, that will make youeasier the way to understand General relativity. I think this book has thekey to fully understandEinstein gravitation. A good choose ! ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (10)

Interesting and very philosophical
This is the 1997 Dover edition of Martin Gardner's 1976 "The Relativity Explosion", which was itself an update of the original 1962 book, published under the title "Relativity for the Million".This present edition contains a short chapter that attempts to update the 1976 version to 1997.Given that 10 years have passed since 1997 and that many new measurements of the cosmos have been made, some of the cosmology is a bit dated.This is not, however, a severe handicap as most of the book deals with Einstein's work dating back more than 80 years.

Gardner has avoided almost all mathematics, thereby producing a book that quite philosophical.It is therefore an adjunct to a physics text that contains much more of the mathematics of relativity.Given that this book aims to simply explain relativity theory, the most relevant question is how well does it do this?The answer of course depends upon the reader's background.I think that this book will be a hard slog for a person with no physics background, but if one is willing to abandon some things that they might feel are intuitively obvious then they should get quite a bit from the book.A person with some physics background should get more from the book; especially as the book clearly shows how the basic assumptions ofNewtonian physics differ from those of Einstein.The discussion of Minkowski's four dimensional space-time approach is also very illuminating.(Since there is no math in the book, this and non-Euclidian geometry are only generally discussed.The implications of dealing with a four dimensional description of a universe that we can only perceive in three dimensions helped to clarify some misconceptions that I had concerning the various analogies used to explain general relativity.)The book will be an interesting adjunct for those with still more of a background, but they will probably find the lack of any math a great hindrance.They may also disagree with some of the assertions made in the book.

The last part of the book deals with the application of relativity theory to cosmology.The chapter on the "Twin Paradox" was particularly interesting as it points out that there is still quite a bit of controversy surrounding the implications of the theory of relativity.

Really simple!
I still struggle as a physics teacher to understand relativity.This book was recommended by a college professor who understood my struggle.I can't say I completely grasp everything relativity related, but my understanding of this concept has increased greatly as a result of reading this book (and Einstein's biography by Isaacson).I feel better prepared to answer questions from my students regarding this subject.I also think this would be an appropriate book to recommend to a high school student.

Excellent in some parts, but a bit confusing in others
This book explains some of the relativistic concepts so well that even a kid can understand. However it can also get a bit confusing sometimes, especially when the author just threw in some facts or axioms without providing further explanation. Since I have read some other books of Martin Gardner's before and I know how great he is in expounding such complicated subjects as Relativity, I would assume that whenever things go unexplained they are probably unexplainable without using the advanced mathematical approach. So my advice is just accept them as true and learn the underpinning principles or maths behind them from the other books later, if you are really interested. Lastly, my review won't be complete without mentioning the wonderful illustrations in this book. As the author said it himself, you probably won't find another book on Relativity that is so elaborately illustrated, and theseillustrations do help to clear up some of the confusions in the text. Overall, this book is fun to read and is definitely a great start for lay people who are totally new to the subject. I will recommend it to people who are interested in Relativity and who do not fear to think.

A great book to start with.
If you are looking for a comprehensive book to understand the nuances of Relativity theory, this isn't for you.However, if you are not mathematically inclined, or don't wish to dive into the math or physics just yet, this is a excellent choice.

This was the first book that I read on the subject of Einstein's theory.I found it entertaining and actually fun to read.I have not read any of Gardner's other books, but his writing style in this one makes for an easy read.It does not feel like you are reading much of a physics books at all.

Furthermore, the illustrations not only are well done, but they make it easier to understand the principles being explained.

If you are looking to know the basics of this theory, this is best book to own.Simple to read, good explanations, uncomplicated.If you are looking for more depth, than you will certainly move on to another book after this, but this is an excellent one to start with.

Doesn't explain things!
Reading this book, you will often cry "But WHY? ...Why does that follow from the axioms?"
In short, this book explains WHAT relativity says, but it's very buggy in explaining the REASONING behind those statements.
Some statements simply aren't explained well.
I was disappointed.
Maybe I am too stupid though. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (9)

Perhaps the best non-technical overview out there
This is perhaps the best of the non-technical treatments out there of RT that require some mathematical literacy but no higher math like calculus. I read an earlier edition of this book almost 30 years ago when first in college, after reading one of the non-mathematical books, and it really opened my eyes to some of more advanced and technical aspects of the theory. Yes, there is considerable math in the book, but it's all algebra, no calculus is needed. Born covers all the important facets and aspects of the theory, without skipping over the more difficult concepts.

Years later, when my mathematical skills were more developed (I was up thru advanced calc and a year of differential equations), I went to the trouble (although I was just a biology major), of reading one of Born's books on Optics, which was quite fascinating. It brought back memories of the earlier, more readable relativity book, since I wasn't quite up to the level of his book on Optics, but then it's always good to try to stretch your mind a bit. But Born was such a great presenter that I struggled through the book despite the overall level of technical difficulty. I find optics for some reason the most interesting of all the areas of physics that I have tried to learn something about, perhaps because of my graduate work in the neurophysiology and biophysics of visual perception, to which it has some relevance.

But getting back to this book, you won't find the math too daunting if you just remember some high school algebra. I learned more from this book than any other popular treatment, of which I've probably read half a dozen. Overall, a great intro to the subject and probably the most unstintingly detailed in coverage of the more difficult ideas.

The Lament
Dr. Einstein oft lamented that so few really understood his theories.He said that perhaps there was one or maybe two people that understood.It seems to me Max Born must be one of them.His work simplifies as much as possible without sacrificing the level of knowledge needed to grasp the topic and begin to see its implications. It is a complex topic but Max Born rises to the occasion to give us at least a glimpse into this important subject.

If you only have one physics book
This little book is a complete delight;if you can only take one physics book to bed with you at night, this might be it.Born reviews much of classical mechanics and E&M, and gives a great introduction to special relativity.There is a bit more on the history of ether than I really wanted to see, but that aside, this a wonderful, comprehensive, handy (not big and heavy) and inexpensive book. I highly recommend it.

Interesting Overview
The book starts with an interesting and simple overview on Mechanics and Electromagnetism. The basic concepts of SR are presented, like Lorentz Transformations, space contraction, time dilatation, velocities addiction and the well known "E = mc2". It ends with a small introduction to GR.

The notation is not quite usual, so don't be surprised to read "K = mb" for the usual "F = ma". Anyway, read it if you are young (I read it right after my "Sweet Sixteen") or if you want reduced knowledge of the matter.

A Gem
At times notation can be a distraction, at other times notation can cause confusion, as in E&M most notably. Max Born's book is a gem and if you can get around the mild distractions and focus on the ideas then you may even get around the paradoxes in Relatively, where "common sense" is a distraction.
Some gifted people can write and explain well the most complex ideas some cannot. Max Born succeeds one of the best popular books on Relativity. ... Read more

Book Description

Based on a course given at Oxford over many years, this book is a short and concise exposition of the central ideas of general relativity. Although the original audience was made up of mathematics students, the focus is on the chain of reasoning that leads to the relativistic theory from the analysis of distance and time measurements in the presence of gravity, rather than on the underlying mathematical structure. The geometric ideas - which are central to the understanding of the nature of gravity - are introduced in parallel with the development of the theory, the emphasis being on laying bare how one is led to pseudo-Riemannian geometry through a natural process of reconciliation of special relativity with the equivalence principle. At centre stage are the "local inertial coordinates" set up by an observer in free fall, in which special relativity is valid over short times and distances.