E=mc2: A Biography of the World’s Most Famous Equation
E=mc2: A Biography of the World’s Most Famous Equation
Customer Review: Human side of E=mc2
Human side stories of E=mc2 with perfect blend of science, anecdotes, little biographies, humor, and tragedies for layman. Some of the stories are very interesting, hence I wouldn’t forget the people and their contribution to science (relativity theory). Wondering why some of our science text books are not like this!
I am very impressed with the appendix containing the postscripts of the scientists contributed to E=mc2 some or the other way and very long list of “suggestion for further reading”. I have already noted down some books from that list.
Overall, a very enjoyable read without a bit of feeling of a science book.
Customer Review: Interesting, anecdotal… and slightly flawed
I hate writing less than glowing reviews, but this almost excellent book disappointed me.
I was most impressed with this work- until I got almost to the very end. On the positive side, this is the first work I’ve read that clearly explains “the” equation in a manner even I could understand. It’s done using a historical perspective using anecdotes. That makes most of the book a fun read.
Unfortunately, it’s biased. In the closing portions of the book, when describing the use of the atomic bomb against Japan, it paints a very one-sided picture about our decision to use the bomb, only quoting sources who were (supposedly) opposed to its use. Some of the facts used were, simply put, stretched a bit, and others…. well, let’s just say that my own reading and interviews with people involved paints a somewhat different picture. The author asserts that men such as Eisenhower, LeMay and others did not believe the bomb to be needed, and that’s simply not true. The record itself shows that the controversy did not arise until much later- over 20 years later, to be exact.
When the author stays off of his soap box (as he does most of the time throughout the book), it’s an excellent work. But I would caution any who read this work to take some of what is said regarding the use of the bomb against Japan with a grain of salt.
Tags: Cheap Memoirs books, biography book, Cheap Biographies books, Memoirs book, Biographies book, Biographies and Memoirs book
